MARK
FINCHUM was the founder of
the
East Tennessee Indian League which sponsored the first powwows in
Knoxville. In 1991 he received the Sequoyah Award from the League for
"Promoting American Indian Heritage through Educational and Cultural
Activities."
He is also a past member of the Tennessee Commission of Indian Affairs.
Mark serves as the Executive Director of
the Tennessee Council for the Social Studies and is a past member of the
board of directors of the National Council for
the Social Studies. He has had articles on American
Indian
culture published by NCSS and by the Tennessee Association of Middle
Schools. He was also the guest editor of an American Indian
themed issue of "Social Studies and the Young Learner," an NCSS
journal.
Inside NCSS, Mark has
created a community of teachers interested in American Indian
educational issues. This group, known as the Indigenous Education
Community, has conducted tours and held
clinics in Chicago, Houston, San Diego, Atlanta, San Francisco and
many other locations. Following a career spannig 33 years
of teaching on the
middle school, high school, and college levels, Mark has now retired
and serves as a consultant for publishing companies. He has also been
involved in projects for the Library of Congress and the Public
Broadcasting System.
He has a Bachelor's Degree in communications, a Masters Degree in
Curriculum and Instruction, and a PhD in Social Science Education.
Mark has received a middle
school teacher of
the year and a distinguished classroom teacher award from Jefferson
County. He has also received an "Outstanding Social Studies
Teacher" award from TCSS and an "American History Teacher of the Year"
award from the Tennessee Society, Daughters of the American Revolution.
He has been inducted into the Jefferson County Historical Society Hall
of Fame. In 2009 he received a Native American Eagle Award for
his efforts in
American Indian education.
Mark will be involved in working with
all the committees of the powwow.
Reflections:
At the very first Knoxville powwow, all the way back in 1988, a young
lady came up to me during the powwow and gave me a choker necklace.
She told me how her family had taught her nothing of her
culture. She said the choker was a gift to express her
appreciation, because that night, she said, was "the first time I've
felt comfortable being who I am." Times like that make all
the work worthwhile.
It was also at the 1993 powwow, 29 years ago now, that I married my
lovely wife Sherry, in a Cherokee ceremony conducted by Rev. Robert
Bushyhead.
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SHERRY FINCHUM is
a long-time educator from Jefferson
City, TN. She has previously
served as the Kids Day Chair for the East TN Indian League Powwow for
several years. She was elected the Member of the Year in
1997. She is formerly a kindergarten teacher and now serves
the
Jefferson County School System as the Supervisor of Federal Programs, Elementary Education and Accountability.
A graduate
of Carson Newman
College, Sherry majored in Home Economics with an emphasis in child
care. She also earned her kindergarten teaching certificate.
She
received her elementary certification from ETSU. In 2002 she
earned her Master's in Educational Administration from the University
of Tennessee, Knoxville. During the summer of 2007, she earned
her
Pre-K endorsement from Tennessee Wesleyan College.
She has 3
adult
children. Brent, who owns his own restaurant in south Texas; Eric
(wife Casey)
who serves as the Dean of Students at Brandon Hall Academy in
Atlanta (parents of our grandchildren - JT, Maddie, and another on the
way);
and Katie who lives in Jacksonville, FL and manages the front desk at Pet Paradise .
Sherry is active in the New Market Baptist Church
where she sings in the Adult Choir, directs Preschool Choir and
Elementary Handbells. She also works with Vacation Bible School
and has served on the Music Committee, Personnel Committee, Policy
Committee, and Long-Range Planning Committee.
With over 35 years of
educational experience,
Sherry will be helping with the vendors and craftsmen. She is serving as the Webmaster for Indian
Creek
Productions and for the Spirit of Nations Powwow.
Reflections:
Mark and I were married in a Cherokee wedding ceremony at the 1993
powwow. Richard Crowe escorted me into the circle. It was an
honor to have our blankets tied by Rev. Robert Bushyhead.
The Powwow is always a very worthwhile endeavor. It is
quite a bit of work for a one-day event, but the children and their
parents learn about our culture while having a great time!
We are very thankful for the community support of all our sponsors,
patrons, and volunteers that help our event to be such a success.
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SUSAN PRICE an Instructional
Coach and former 5th grade teacher at Dandridge Elementary School in
the Jefferson County School system. She is an adjunct faculty
member at Carson-Newman University. Susan is currently serving as
the Past Chair of the Literacy Association of Tennessee as well as the Chair
of Mossy Creek Literacy Association. She is also Co-Chair of the 2022 LAT Conference.
Susan serves as the powwow volunteer coordinator. |
DANIEL W. STANDLEY
is married with 3 daughters and 7 grandchildren. His Cherokee
name is Kanadi (English translation - The Lucky One) His
education is a BA in Business, Bliss College - Columbus, OH, and a MA
in Personnel Management, Central Michigan University, Mt. Pleasant, MI.
Dan is the former Vice President for Human
Resources, Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Oak Ridge, TN, having
retired at the close of 2015. Previously he held a similar position
with Baptist Health System East Tennessee in Knoxville, and prior to
that was Vice President Human Resources, East Liverpool City Hospital,
East Liverpool, OH.
Dan is currently an active volunteer at the
Knoxville Area Rescue Ministries serving as a Launch Point facilitator.
Other community service and professional activies have been
serving as board member and treasurer of the East Tennessee Indian
League, board member and past president of the East Tennessee Mental
Health Association, board member with Big Brothers & Big Sisters of
America, committee member with Tri-State Federal Credit Union,
chairperson of United Way in East Liverpool, OH, and in various
capacities at numerous churches, as well as involvement with Girl
Scouts of the USA, and local and national Human Resources Associations.
Dan serves as our treasurer.
Reflections:
Born in North Eastern Ohio.
Grandfather was Cherokee Indian from East Tennessee. Father appreciated Native American family
roots and as a child he taught me the value of keeping the Indian spirit alive
in my life. As an adult, in 1987 the
Great Spirit led me to the land of my ancestors and I now reside close to the
area where my grandfather once walked.
Shortly after my professional career brought me to East Tennessee, I
became active in the East Tennessee Indian League - first as a member, and a
short time later as a board member and officer.
I have many fond memories of the many powwows that I have participated
in over the years but my most memorable and humbling experience was when my
Cherokee name, Kanadi (The Lucky One) was bestowed on me. Other great powwow memories include meeting
many other fellow Native Americans from Cherokee, NC, and those from numerous
other tribes from across the USA, and learning more about the differences in
Native American cultures. One of my
biggest other powwow thrills was the privilege I had to attend The Gathering of
Nations Powwow in Albuquerque, NM. I
have also been involved in the planning for and participated in several Oak
Ridge Native American Celebrations in Oak Ridge, TN.
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Spirit of Nations 
Dan Standley
