"the People's Paths!" Cherokee News Path - Basketball Games Use Cherokee Language

***"Cherokee students and coaches from Kenwood and the CN Immersion Program congratulate each other after a basketball game played and officiated using the Cherokee language." (Photo by Will Chavez)***

KENWOOD, OKLAHOMA – The children are still learning the rules of basketball, so they were forgiven for running with the ball instead of dribbling it or shooting the ball at the wrong goal. What was important was they spoke to each other and heard commands from the referee in Cherokee while playing.

The game was between Kenwood and Cherokee Nation Immersion Program students, ages 5 to 7, with the purpose of using the language in a fun way. Parents in the stands were encouraged to cheer and direct their children in Cherokee, including nu-la or hurry (go), shoot or ti-s-da-yo-hi and jump or ta-li-ta-du-ga.

Parent Kimberlie Gilliland said the idea of getting the students together came after she and others met with Cherokee elders to find ways for Cherokee communities to interact with each other more often. She said she suggested having a Cherokee language basketball game.

“We talked about it, and now here we are. This is the first game. We hope to play Bell and Dahlonegah soon,” Gilliland said. “Hopefully, next spring we can have a big tournament at Sequoyah High School. But the premise behind this is that everyone will learn to cheer and play in Cherokee, and it gives the immersion kids the opportunity to see there are other kids who know how to speak Cherokee. They are always surprised there are other kids.”

Johnny Backwater, a longtime Kenwood leader, said Cherokee is taught in one kindergarten class at Kenwood, and he hopes more classes will be available soon for students to learn Cherokee. The Delaware County community is made up of mostly Cherokee families.

Parent Andrew Sikora said the basketball game was a way to combine sports and the language. Sikora, whose son Sean will be in the CNIP second grade class this fall, said people in Kenwood speak Cherokee a little differently than what the immersion students are used to hearing, and he and other parents want to expose the students to a variety of Cherokee speakers in different areas of the CN.

“We also want to encourage Cherokee children in other areas of the Cherokee Nation who don’t have this opportunity (immersion classrooms) to start speaking Cherokee,” he said.

Forman Ross, another Kenwood leader, said he was thankful the students from the CNIP came to Kenwood to play basketball with other Cherokee children.

“It makes us really want to strive to teach Cherokee to our students like the immersion students. That’s the main thing,” he said. “The Tahlequah parents were so nice to come visit us, and we want to return a visit to them. This is just the beginning of what we want to do for the little kids.”

Kenwood parents and students did visit Tahlequah in late June to play another game of basketball as a follow up to the May game in Kenwood. Only three Kenwood students were able to attend the game held at the new SHS multi-purpose center, but the game went on because some CNIP students donned their opponents’ jerseys to make two five-player teams.

Another activity for the Kenwood and immersion program students is planned for July. No game was planned, but a picnic was held to allow parents and students to get to know each other better and share ideas to learn and speak Cherokee, Ross said.

Backwater spoke in Cherokee to parents before the basketball game at SHS. He said only the elders in the community are speaking the language and work needs to continue to teach children and their parents the language.

“The kids are doing well learning to speak Cherokee and English, and that’s what we want and that’s why we are doing this,” Backwater said. “I want you Cherokee speakers to come to the next gathering and speak Cherokee while we are there to teach the children.”

Ross translated Backwater’s words for the parents who don’t understand Cherokee. He also shared a humorous story related to the Cherokee language that happened while he was a student at SHS nearly 60 years ago.

“They didn’t stop us from talking Cherokee here at Sequoyah,” he said. “I remember we were playing a football game, and eight of us could speak Cherokee on the team. We were wiping Cascia Hall out by speaking Cherokee. The Cascia players were angry and went to the referee and told him ‘Make them speak English,’ and the ref said, ‘I can’t, that’s their language.’ We’ve got to keep it up. Wado (thank you).”