Page Title

RYAN

Cherokee culture and language are
very important to the Cherokee
people. The CAHC is dedicated to
preserving and promoting the use of
the language and the preservation
of traditional life ways through
Cherokee culture in our Cherokee
communities to be shared around
the world.

Language & Culture Society

Ryan - Wahde Ajiluwej Galisgewi

MEMBERS
Introducing:

Ryan Mackey; Dawnena Mackey; Choogha Mackey;
Benjamin Chasenah; John Morgan; Kristie Boucher;
J. P. Johnson; Roy Hamilton; Joe Ward

To Schedule a demonstration dance, interpretive dance, email:
info@cherokeehumanities.com or P. O. Box 594, Park Hill, OK 74451

Language loss?

Cherokee speakers are starting to become much less common. For
some this is not a very big issue, for others it is, but everyone should
take notice. Both the Cherokee Nation and the United Keetoowah Band
are taking important steps to ensure the future vitality of our language,
but everyone has a part to play. Immersion Centers and Community
Language Classes are very hopeful initiatives; Northeastern State
University’s Cherokee Teaching Degree program is also very exiting,
but until we can get our communities involved, none of these programs
are likely to succeed.
It is crucial that the fluent speakers in our communities realize the
value of our language and the threat it is under. There are not enough
young speakers to sustain Cherokee for another generation. It is vitally
important to ensure that our Language stays strong. If we loose our
language we will loose the symbolic value of what it means to be
Cherokee. We will loose our Identity.
The way that we as humans frame our reality is through language; the
Cherokee language affords us the ability to see things from a very
different perspective, a Cherokee perspective.

It can, if we let it, put us much more closely in line with our Cherokee ancestors than English will ever be able too. To speak another language equips an individual with
a whole new set of perspectives and a greater ability to solve complex problems. One of the good things that diverse perspectives can generate is innovative ideas, new
solutions to old problems. The greater number of languages that we have at our disposal will increase the number of ways we can approach an issue. We all have an
obligation to utilize our language and ensure that it is advanced. I know that it is important to learn Cherokee in the home, but we need it everywhere.
Our language needs a place to live and thrive and the more habitats that we provide for it, the more successful it will be. Every piece of culture we take out of our lives
decreases our language’s chance for success. The Cherokee language goes hand in hand with our values and beliefs; they are infused within our language. If we
have a Cherokee environment and we utilize our language, our behaviors, values and life ways will become decidedly more Cherokee. I think that would make our world
a better place.

Ryan Mackey
Chairman, Language & Cultural Society, Cherokee Arts & Humanities Council
Community Involvement Specialist
Cherokee Nation

Visit the
LEGENDS
page

KITUHWA

We are on
MySpace,
see the "home"
page for a link--

Join Us There!

There will be a Language &
Culture Society Board Meeting
on: Next Meeting will be in the
Fall of 2008.
To be announced...

Contact The
Cherokee Arts &
Humanities
Council
Activities
Coordinator
info@cherokee
humanities.com

The Cherokee Syllabary

a = ama (water) sounds like "a" in father

e = sedi (walnut) sounds like "e" in echo

i = siyo (hello) sounds like "e" in peach

o = ogana (groundhog) sounds like "o" in
hello

u = utana (big) sounds like "u" in Budda

v = vdali (pond) sounds like "u" in but

Dance Troupe
Development

J. P. Johnson, development
officer of the dance troupe for
the Council, announces anyone
interested in learning more
about the troupe may contact
him at
info@cherokeehumanities.com

What: A
pre-contact/post-contact era
dance troupe to interpret the
ancient dances of Cherokee
society

More Soon...

Languages Racing to
Extinction in 5 Global
"Hotspots"
Oklahoma included

"Languages are undergoing a global
extinction crisis that greatly exceeds
the pace of species extinction," said
David Harrison, a linguistics
professor at Pennsylvania's
Swarthmore College.

Language Class:
Word Study One
...
Soon there will be a monthly language
post for study and practice of the
Cherokee language

Familiarize yourself with the syllabary
below and the sounds demonstrated to
the left of it.
Cherokee consonants are illustrated
below that.

In these examples, the Cherokee consonants are illustrated in example words and the English equivalent:

        Cherokee                        English
ch      chuhga “flea”                   church
d        damaga “horsefly”            dig
g        gagama “cucumber”          go
h        hesdi “quit it”                   hill
j         jani “John”                    John
k        kilo “somebody”             king
l         lolo “locust”                    lack
m      ama “water”                     man
n       nogwu "now"                   no
s        selu "corn"                      sing
t        tuya "bean"                     too
w       wado "thanks"                well
y        ayv "I"                            yes