December, 2014
No activities were scheduled in December.
November, 2014
The
National Council for the Social Studies annual conference was held in
Boston November 20th - 23rd. Mark and Sherry helped lead a group
of teachers on a bus tour to Plimoth Plantation on Thursday prior to
the conference sessions getting underway. The tour included the
Wampanoag Homesite and a panel discussion of New England Native
culture, along with a luncheon that featured colonial and Native menu
items.
On Friday, November 14th, Mark and Sherry organized a program for
Northshore Elementary School in Knoxville. Nikki Crisp, Matthew Tooni,
and John Tooni joined in to do a great job of traditional Cherokee
dancing in the gym for the students. Later, Mark and Sherry
discussed the story of Nancy Ward with some of the students. The
kids really seemed to enjoy the day.
October, 2014
The
Andrew Bogle Chapter of the DAR unveiled a marker at the Treaty of the
Holston statue on the waterfront in Knoxville on Saturday, October
18th. Mark and Sherry were invited to join the DAR ladies and
their partners and supporters for a dedication ceremony on a beautiful
Fall morning. Mark, who served as an advisor on the original
statue, was given the chance to make brief remarks to the crowd.
On
Saturday, October 12th, we joined many of our friends at the Scott
Crisp Memorial Powwow in Athens, TN. The powwow, part of the
annual Pumpkin Town Festival, was well-attended in spite of the threat
of rain, which never materialized. It was great to see Arvel Bird
and Kimberly Kelly again, along with many other friends. Robert
RedHawk did a fine job as emcee. No doubt Scott would have loved
it.
We definitely enjoyed our visit on Friday, October 10th, to the Regency
Retirement Village in Morristown. It was an honor and a pleasure
to share our "Walking in Balance" presentation on the roles of men and
women in 18th century Cherokee society with the residents. They
seemed to enjoy the program and many came up and visited with us
afterwards, asking more questions, posing for photographs, etc.
September, 2014
On
Friday, September 5th, the fourth graders of the Greeneville City
school system enjoyed Cherokee Day, hosted by Tusculum View Elementary
School and organized by ICP. The 200 students rotated through
five stations, learning about the roles of men and women, grinding
corn and using a pump drill, making necklaces, and learning about
music. During lunch, the students were treated to a performance of
traditional Cherokee dancing.
August, 2014
The
seventh annual Spirit of Nations Powwow in Knoxville was our best yet!
Attendance was better than ever, the rain in the forecast hit all
around, but spared us. This year's theme was "The Warrior
Tradition," so veterans and active duty military personnel were
admitted free. Robert Eldridge set up a display related to the
Thomas Legion and shared history and stories during the day.
Emerson Begay did an outstanding job as our flute player, and it
would be hard to find a better emcee than Jonathon Feather. A big
thanks to all our volunteers, dancers, vendors, sponsors, and
spectators!
July, 2014
On
Wednesday, July 16th, Mark and Sherry presented, "The World Above, The
World Below," a specially created program for the O.R.I.O.N. Astronomy
Club in Oak Ridge. The presentation dealt with Cherokee ethno
astronomy. A crowd of over 50 people attended, what the club
indicated was one of their highest totals ever.
June, 2014
On
Saturday, June 28th, James White's Fort in Knoxville hosted the annual
Treaty of the Holston event. Matthew Tooni from Cherokee, NC,
provided beautiful flute music for the guests. He also described
the traditional Cherokee dances and did the singing for them. His
participation in the treaty signing was memorable too. Kelly
Driver, also from Cherokee, NC, participated in the dancing and treaty
signing, along with Robert Eldridge, Ernest Grant, Andy Grant, and Kele
Groenwald, all from Cherokee, NC. Robert entertained the crowd
with storytelling and shared some of the history of the treaty.
Tom Turner portrayed Governor William Blount at the treaty
signing and also shared some of the history of the treaty.
Attendance for the event was very good too.
May, 2014
Saturday,
May 31st and Sunday, June 1st, was the 24th annual Native American
Festival at Sycamore Shoals State Historic Area in Elizabethton.
Mark and Sherry decorated one of the cabins in the fort to give
the appearance of a Cherokee home during the late 1700s. Sherry
cooked in the fireplace and learned oblique fingerweaving from Zane
Hope while there. On both days, the "Are You Smarter than a Park
Ranger" game featured a friendly competition between audience members,
each with a park ranger as a partner. The theme was the Trail of
Tears. Lots of people attended the event each day. Especially
memorable was the honor dance for Scott Crisp, a dear friend who died
earlier in May.
Saturday,
May 24th, was the beginning of Statehood celebrations at historic sites
in the area. Mark and Sherry spent the day at Marble Springs
State Historic Homestead, where John Sevier, Tennessee's first governor
once lived. It was a beautiful day with very good attendance and
numerous living history discussions, camps, and activities for everyone.
On
Thursday evening, May 8, Mark and Sherry did a newly-created
presentation entitled, "The Land of the Blue Smoke: The Native History
of Sevier County," at the King Family Library in Sevierville. The
program included references to the McMahan Indian Mound, the Battle of
Boyd's Creek, and the Dumplin Creek Treaty, and concluded with comments
on the current state of affairs for Native people in the area.
April, 2014
On
Saturday and Sunday, April 26-27, Mark participated in
the Frontier Muster and Trade Faire at Natural Tunnel State Park
in Duffield, VA. Although Sherry had a prior commitment and was
unable to attend, Mark managed to pull off a respectable presentation.
The cooking fire and the menu certainly didn't look the same,
though. Mark's presentation on Saturday regarding, "War, Peace,
and the Cherokee," was well attended. The storytelling program on
Saturday evening was very entertaining. Sunday's church service
missed Sherry's beautiful "Amazing Grace" inCherokee.
Indian
Creek Productions,Inc., again sponsored a $100 cash prize for the
student with the best American Indian themed project at the state level
of compeitition for National History Day.
March, 2014
Indian
Creek Productions, Inc., again sponsored a $100 cash prize for the
student with the best American Indian themed project at the District
Competition of National History Day.
February, 2014
No activities were held in February.
January, 2014
No activitives were held in January.
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