The Cherokee Nation’s Cherokee Language Master/ Apprentice Program graduated eight students during a special commencement ceremony at the Chota Center.

Erlinda Soap and Jarren Fourkiller of Lyons Switch, Kendra Mouse and Jesse Grayson of Tahlequah, Jaice Bush of Nicut, Joe Fourkiller of Fairfield, Darrell McCoy of Cookson, and Stand Paden of Kenwood, each received a plaque of completion during the ceremony.

“This group of graduates stands as a powerful testament to our dedication to preserving and advancing the Cherokee language,” said Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. “They join the ranks of many who have completed this program and are now poised to live, speak, and apply their knowledge in service to our people. Their work will not only ensure a lifetime of engagement with the language but also challenges us to match their dedication with our own resources. Today, the Cherokee Nation is uniquely positioned to seize this moment. If there was ever a time to act, it is now.”

The Cherokee Nation established the Cherokee Language Master/Apprentice Program in 2014 to teach adults to be proficient conversational Cherokee speakers and teachers. Participants receive an hourly educational stipend and typically spend 40 hours per week for two years immersed in the Cherokee language with masterlevel, fluent Cherokee speakers.

“Today, we gather not just to celebrate our language, but to honor a transformative program that is nurturing a new generation of Cherokee speakers,” said Deputy Chief Bryan Warner. “Rooted in our Cherokee values and in the principle of Gadugi, we are united in our mission to revitalize and preserve the Cherokee language for future generations.”

Master speakers Tony Owens, Joyce Green, Don Duggar, Helena McCoy and Cora Flute taught participants the Cherokee language in a classroom setting. In addition to classroom learning, students were encouraged to visit Cherokee-fluent elders to learn and practice speaking the language. The students also visited community organizations and schools to showcase and teach the language.

“We may not be our elders who have spoken fluent Cherokee since birth, but we are fighting for this language,” Cherokee Nation Language Department Executive Director Howard Paden said. “Our teachers, our Council and our administration fight for it every day. As a result, this program keeps growing and will continue to do so.”

The program has now graduated 57 conversational, second-language Cherokee speakers since its first graduating class in 2016.

For more information, including program qualifications, visit https://language. cherokee.org/languageprograms/ cherokee-language- master-apprentice- program/ or call the Cherokee Language Master Apprentice Program office at 918-2074995.