AboutUs

Cherokee Arts & Humanities Council

The Cherokee Arts & Humanities Council (CAHC) is an investment in
Cherokee culture and traditions brought to the forefront of society by those
who believe that our culture and traditions, and those who live with that
mindset, are the heart and spirit of Cherokee Life Ways.
And, as the arts are vital to a society we look for ways to encourage and stimulate
all forms of artistic endeavors and expressions. With the help of members,
sponsors, and other supporters, we will increase the access Cherokee citizens
and non-cititzens have to the uniqueness of Cherokee arts and humanities, and
support the initiatives of those organizations working to become a
representation of the institutional infrastructure that may mature to be a part of
the cultural fabric of all the cities, towns and communities of the Cherokee
Nation. The CAHC looks for avenues to support the performing arts, film, music
and fine art production; and, all other arts of the Cherokee people. In that spirit
the CAHC is the mother organization of the Cherokee National Theatre Company,
the CAHC Press, the Cherokee Basket Case, the Kituwah PIN and INK Societies,
CAHC Film Works, CAHC Gallery, Cherokee Language and Culture Society, the
BoogerMask Society, Indigitronics and others. The CAHC supports, fosters and
magnifies opportunities for all Cherokees to create, perform or attend arts
activities; so, that Cherokee arts and humanities thrive not only within the
Cherokee Nation, but across the state of Oklahoma and around the world. These
opportunities in turn produce thriving and interesting Cherokee communities
which are better places to live. The CAHC is dedicated to raising public
awareness to the value of the arts and its impact on the economic, educational
and cultural life of the Cherokee Nation and Oklahoma. The arts produce jobs
and attract tourists and patrons, which directly improve the Cherokee Nation
economy.

The Cherokee Humanities are the stories, the ideas, and the words that
help us make sense of our lives and our world. The humanities introduce
us to people we have never met, places we have never visited, and ideas
that may have never crossed our minds. By showing how Cherokees have
lived and thought about life, the humanities help us decide what is
important in our own lives and what we can do to make them better. By
connecting us with other people, they point the way to answers about what
is right or wrong, or what is true to our heritage and our history. The
humanities help us address the challenges we face together in our families,
our communities, and as a Nation.

MORE ABOUT THE CAHC

Introduction:
The desire to define what constitutes "authentic" Indian art really comes down to
a need to control the imagery and vision of Indian artists at times. As for
legitimate fears of invasions against Cherokee artist and their works we can rely
on the American Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990 to protect Cherokee artist (The
Act makes it unlawful to offer or display for sale or sell any good in a manner that
falsely suggests it is Indian produced, an Indian product, or the product of a
particular Indian, or Indian tribe, or Indian arts and crafts organization resident
within the United States). To protect their monetary interest in the Cherokee
Nation, we can rely on the best judgement of the C.N. not to purchase art by
those without membership in a federally recognized Cherokee tribe.
In an essay titled "What is Native American Art?" Edwin Wade writes: "Vital arts
change. If ever we should succeed in truly defining Indian art, that definition
would be an epitaph. But if we remove the restraints of stereotype and allow the
creative impetus full rein, we can observe the development of an exciting art that
draws on the richness of its own past as it continually recreates itself for the
future.”
It is the cumulative opinion of the board of directors of the Cherokee Arts &
Humanities Council, Inc. that Native visual arts and humanities, like Native
cultures generally, have evolved through the course of the twentieth century.
From paintings of daily life, to depictions of ceremonial events, to the
visualizations of myth, to meditations on nature, to self-reflection, to political
analyses; from figuration to abstraction, to installation and performance, the
development of Native art is a record of tribal histories and communities filtered
through the alembic of individual perception, and NOT through the legislative
processes of a government.

We Believe:

We believe Cherokee government and its entities, the public sector, and private
sector have an obligation to make investments in creativity and cultural heritage,
the arts and humanities; that the arts and humanities are an investment in the
education of our Cherokee children, in the well being of our communities, in the
strength of our economy, and in sharing a better understanding of what it is to be
culturally and traditionally Cherokee at home and throughout the world. We
believe our community should avoid using the term “wannabe.” As we believe
using the terms “legitimate” and “genuine” to validate people’s identity and work
is dangerous. We believe the greater good can be achieved by educating
everyone and the art community will prosper accordingly. We believe there are
many identities, values and variances within the art community, which we strive
to respect and reflect.

We support:

a.) Alternative, community-based systems treating neither the artwork nor the
artist as a commodity.

b.) Eliminating all laws which seek to restrict or censor artistic expression,
including withholding of government funds for political or moral content.

c.) Increased funding for the arts appropriate to their essential social role at all
levels of government: Local, State, Tribal and Federal.

d.) Community-funded programs employing local artists to enrich their
communities through public art programs. These could include, but would not be
limited to, public performances, exhibitions, murals on public buildings, design or
re-design of parks and public areas, storytelling and poetry reading, and
publication of local writers.

e.) The establishment of non-profit public forums for local artists to display their
talents and creations. Research, public dialogue, and trial experiments to
develop alternative systems for the valuation and exchange of artworks and for
the financial support of artists (e.g. community subscriber support groups,
artwork rental units, cooperative support systems among artists, legal or financial
incentives to donate to the arts or to donate artworks to the Cherokee National
Museum, or other Cherokee museum).

f.) Responsible choices of non-toxic, renewable, or recyclable materials and
choosing funding sources not connected with social injustice or environmental
destruction.

g.) Education programs in the community that will energize the creativity of every
community member from the youngest to the oldest, including neglected groups
such as teenagers, senior citizens, etc. These programs would provide materials
and access to interested, qualified arts educators to every member of the
community who demonstrates an interest.

h.) Incorporating arts education studies and activities into every school
curriculum with appropriate funding and staffing. We also encourage local artists
and the community to contribute time, experience, and resources to these efforts.

i.) Diversity in arts education in the schools, including age-specific hands-on
activities and appreciative theoretical approaches, exposure to the arts of
Cherokee culture and stylistic tradition, and experience with a variety of media,
techniques and contents.

j.) The integration of the arts and artistic teaching methods into other areas of the
curriculum to promote a holistic perspective.

k.) The integration of artists, of any medium including those of performance art
and writers, oral history and storytellers into a global market and economy.

Contact the Board of Directors