Current Activities


December 2010

The Mossy Creek Literacy Council meeting was cancelled, so there were no activities for the month of December, other than Christmas cookie baking, Christmas shopping, parties, family time, church, etc.  It's all good.


November 2010

The National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) held its annual conference in Denver, Colorado from Thursday, November 11th through Sunday, November 14th.  On Thursday evening at the Hyatt, one of the host hotels, several members of the "Teaching American Indian History, Culture, and Current Events" community of NCSS shared music, stories and dance.  Larry Wright, tribal chairman of the Ponca of Nebraska and a community member, shared a flag song in honor of Veterans' Day.  He also showed slides and described various powwow dance styles.  He then performed a Crow Hop dance for the audience.  Frances Haageman and Barbara Johnson, also community members, shared stories.  Mark did a "reader's theater" version of the story of the stickball game between the birds and the animals.  The evening ended with a two-step involving audience members.

On Friday and Saturday, other activities included a community business meeting and sessions presented by Mark and other community members.



October 2010

On Tuesday, October 19th, Mark and Sherry visited the Wackenhut, Inc., offices in Oak Ridge as a part of their recognition of American Indian Month.  The storytelling session was hosted by the diversity committee at Wackenhut. In addition to telling several stories, Sherry sang "Amazing Grace" in the Cherokee language, then both answered questions from the audience.  Afterwards, one lady told Sherry that she had never heard a better rendition of "Amazing Grace."

The Spirit of Nations Powwow was so much fun on Saturday, October 16th, at Chilhowee Park in Knoxville.  Nikki Crisp, along with the able assistance of Lynne Eldridge and others, produced some outstanding frybread and Indian tacos - as expected.  Keri Brooks took care of a myriad of tasks, such as being in charge of the silent auction and involved in just about everything else too.  Sherry Finchum handled vendors and the face painting, along with assisting with the luck of the draw.  Dan Standley handled the treasurer duties, making sure to keep up with money coming in and supplying the ticket booths with wristbands, etc.  Anthony Crisp handled arenda director duties, along with Bear Brooks who set up the arena.  (I'm trying to remember what Mark did.)

Entertainment included dance demonstrations, storytelling, hand drum, flute and guitar music, Aztec dancers, and more.  The weather was ideal and the audience seemed to have a great time.  The potato dance in the evening was hilarious.  Many people came up to members of the committee and shared their positive comments on the whole day.  


September 2010


Saturday, September 25th, was a day to remember.  The Native American Student Association at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, kicked off American Indian Month (October) in Tennessee in grand fashion.  The morning began at 7 am with a briefing and breakfast followed by rehearsal with the Pride of the Southland Band.  At 10:35 am, the police escort led the color guard and a group of powwow dancers down Volunteer Blvd. in front of the band.  It was so exciting to be out there with the thousands of Volunteer football fans.

The dancers then waited in the Lauricella Center for lettermen on ground level at the stadium during the first quarter. Dr. Jan Sinek, UT's interim president came to welcome all the dancers.  Mark said that it was a wonderful opportunity, but if it was ever done again, one thing could make it better - let everyone run through the T!!!!  Dr. Simek laughed and said that he didn't even get that honor.

During the second quarter, the dancers were all led out onto the sidelines and then waited in place for the band to enter the field at halftime.  The band played the "Cherokee Morning Song," then the Awohali Singers, a drum from Cherokee, NC, went to the center of the field to sing for the dancers who were divided into three groups around the field.

On Friday, September 10th, Tusculum View Elementary School was the site for the annual Native American Day for the fourth graders in the Greeneville City Schools system.  Mark presented the role of Cherokee men, while Sherry shared about the role of Cherokee women in the 18th century.  The other stations the students rotated through were primitive tools, demonstrated by Abby Naunheimer from UTK; John John Grant with music and stories; and crafts arranged by Sherry and handled with parent volunteers.  Scott Crisp was emcee for the dance program this year, along with dancers Johnathan Crisp, Nikki Crisp, Anthony Grant, Sunshine Grant, and Jamie Pheasant.  



August 2010

The visit to Kingsport on Saturday, August 28th, was certainly enjoyable.  Mark was asked to share the "Warrior Tradition" presentation at the Kingsport Library in conjunction with the exhibition on Navajo Code Talkers that was on loan from the National Museum of the American Indian.  About 40 folks showed up and seemed to have a good time. There were numerous questions at the end, which is always a good sign.  The exhibit was interesting too.

A once-in-a-lifetime event took place August 6-8 at Fort Loudoun State Historic Area near Vonore, Tennessee.  It was the 250th anniversary of the surrender of Fort Loudoun to the Cherokee during the French and Indian War.  Mark and Sherry spent the day on Saturday participating in the event.  Numerous speakers gave lectures in the auditorium of the visitors' center.  For example, first on the list Saturday was Dr. Babara Duncan, the education director of the Museum of the Cherokee Indian in Cherokee, North Carolina.  Her illustrated talk was on the cultural exchange between the Cherokee and the British.  

During the day, a number of reenactments were held, such as a Cherokee war council, the delivery of food by women to the fort, the surrender, running of the gauntlet, and much more.  The day ended with a performance by the Warriors of Anikituwah.  It was an awesome spectacle with tremendous effort in realism (such as the cooking of fish, turkey, and even a snake over the fire).



July 2010

July 15th was the annual Jefferson County Historical Society picnic at Douglas Dam near Dandridge.  After a tasty covered dish dinner, Mark and Sherry used a PowerPoint slideshow to explain many of the different styles of pow wow dances.  They also talked about some of the traditions that surround pow wows.  After the presentation, audience members were invited to participate in a two-step and in a potato dance.  Sure was lots of fun, in spite of the very hot weather.

Mark and Sherry participated in an Independence Day parade in a small Middle Tennessee town on Saturday, July 3rd, because they were already in the area due to a family reunion.  There's an old Indian proverb that says, "Now, I've learned my lesson."  The parade was two miles long, up and down a number of hills in the hot July sun.  The vehicles in the parade moved too fast and stayed bumper to bumper.  Walkers could not keep up.  There was a group of people with goats on leashes who, after trying to keep up for awhile, actually got on board one of the vehicles to ride the remainder of the route! Although Mark and Sherry started out near the front of the parade, they ended at the rear as various vehicles and floats went by.  Two thirds of the entries were candidates for political office.  It won't be much of a parade next year since there are no elections!

Near the end of the route, Sherry was hot and exhausted, but still had the energy to deal with a gentleman along the route who commented about the "squaw" walking a few steps behind the man!  Mark stopped to explain that men honored women and walked in front as protection.  Sherry made it clear to the man that he should never use that word again!

At the end of the parade, the organizers had made no provisions for getting walkers back to the parking lot where the parade began.  Sherry asked a city policeman to give them a ride and he obliged.  Wonder what any spectators along the street might have thought if they saw that scene?


June 2010

The second annual "Treaty of the Holston" event at James White's Fort was a success on Saturday, June 26th, in downtown Knoxville.  The day started with Dr. John Finger, professor emeritus from the University of Tennessee Department of History.  Dr. Finger spoke on the events that led up to the treaty being signed.  Mark and Sherry talked about Cherokee life before the arrival of Europeans.  Robert RedHawk told Cherokee stories too.  The audience was also treated to traditional Cherokee dances, including the bear dance and the beaver dance, and ending with a friendship dance that gave the visitors a chance to participate.

Several militia reenactors from Sycamore Shoals State Historic Area came to participate as well.  They did a drill demonstration and fired a volley.  Joan and Ron Short came down from Virginia to be with us as well.  Joan worked on such things as stringing beans while Ron performed some colonial music.

Ronnie Lail portrayed Governor Blount during the signing of the treaty reenactment.  With the militia at hand, Ronnie had to suffer the verbal sparring of several Cherokee who were opposed to the treaty.  Louise Brown, a fluent Cherokee speaker, added a great deal of drama and emotion as she spoke against the treaty, but understood that it was in the best interest of the Cherokee to sign the document.

After the treaty signing, Dr. Finger spoke about the aftermath of the treaty and Mark and Sherry talked about how Cherokee life changed after the arrival of Europeans.  There was more dancing and storytelling too.  Bear Brooks showed how bows were made, the blacksmith forge was in operation, and open hearth cooking was being done in the kitchen.  The public got their money's worth!

On the first weekend of June, Mark and Sherry took part in the Native American Culture Festival at Sycamore Shoals State Historic Area in Elizabethton, Tennessee.  On Friday night, Sherry presented her program on tracing Cherokee geneaology.  Afterwards, Mark and Sherry joined friends Nat and Sherri Hyder for an enjoyable late-night dinner.  

On Saturday Mark and Sherry "moved into" one of the cabins in the fort and gave it a more Cherokee appearance.  Mark spent time demonstrating the blowgun and doing some tomahawk throwing while Sherry cooked a Cherokee menu in the cabin's fireplace.  That evening, Mark and Sherry talked about the Trail of Tears around the campfire, then joined several friends for another late-night meal.

On Sunday, another large crowd came to visit the festival.  A fairly serious rain fell mid-afternoon, but did not totally wash-out the festival, but it was something of a mess in trying to pack up!  


May 2010


The annual Siege at the Blockhouse event took place on Saturday and Sunday, May 22nd and 23rd, at the Natural Tunnel State Park in Duffield, Virginia.  Saturday began with a murder of a Cherokee man taking place at a horse race.  This brought about the siege later in the day.  That evening a storytelling session concluded with another attack on the blockhouse.  Sunday morning began with Mark and Sherry leading the worship service.  Bear Brooks made his first trip to the event and set up a tent to demonstrate how to make bows and arrows.  Mark and Sherry's daughter Katie also did a great job as she particpated in many activities during the weekend.  Mark had to show up late on Saturday due to his participation in JCHS graduation exercises on Saturday morning.

On May 15th, Mark and Sherry spent the afternoon with a great group of Brownies in Franklin, Tennessee.  Sherry took the lead in teaching the girls how to cook over an open fire, make leather bags, cornbead necklaces, and key chains.  The girls played the basket game and paricipated in a friendship dance too.  Mark shared some Cherokee stories with the girls too.

Mark and Sherry participated in the Native American Festival at Russell Cave National Monument on Saturday and Sunday, May 1st and 2nd, in Bridgeport, Alabama.  They presented a PowerPoint on the early people of Alabama and taught the Cherokee basket game to several children and adults who came through.  It was also a good time of seeing old friends and making some new ones as well.  The event included hoop dancing by Eddie Swimmer, traditional dancing and storytelling by Bo Taylor, and blow gun demonstrations by Alva Crowe.


April 2010

A dozen teachers from a variety of Jefferson County Schools attended the "Trail Where We Cried" inservice presentation Mark and Sherry did at Jefferson County High School on Tuesday, April 27th.  Each teacher received a disc with the PowerPoint presentation along with copies of two articles Mark has had published on teaching Native topics in the classroom.

On Saturday, April 17, Sherry made her first "Native American Moment" report to the Emory Chapter of the DAR.  She spoke about schools with Indian mascots, the controversial Duke Power substation plans for a site near Kituwah, and some upcoming ICP event dates.

March 2010

On March 31st, Sherry did a Native American cultural regions presentation for about 30 GA girls at New Market Baptist Church in New Market, TN.  These girls had been studying about missionaries that minister to Native American communities across the nation.  The girls also got to make frybread and sassafras tea.

Nativefest! was held at the historic Sam Houston School House near Maryville, TN, on Saturday, March 20th.  The event, a fundraiser for the pow wow, hosted about 150 guests, who were treated to an 18th century campsite, tomahawk throwing, blowgun shooting, and an archery demonstration.  Other activities included stories, dances, Indian tacos, crafts, and a cornbead necklace class.

On Friday, March 19th, Mark and Sherry talked about Cherokee religious beliefs and told the story of the first strawberries at a luncheon gathering of the Unique Antiques senior citizens group at New Market Baptist Church, New Market, TN.

Sherry spoke on 18th century Cherokee women for Wackenhut Services, Inc., in Oak Ridge, on March 18th.  Her presentation was attended by a standing room only crowd of more than 60 employees.

February 2010

No activities this month, but lots of snow and cold weather, again.

January 2010

No activities this month, but lots of snow and cold weather.


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