Vanessa Daugherty
At her young age of nine, Vanessa Daugherty of Sallisaw is not shy about sharing her thoughts about her Cherokee culture, dancing and her “some day” goals of becoming an actress.
Daugherty, who is enrolled in the Cherokee Immersion Program in Tahlequah, said she has been learning to speak her Cherokee Language since Pre-K.
“I really like going to Immersion school. We‚ve been learning words from Halloween such as ’us-ka‚ which means ’skull‚ also head,...
At her young age of nine, Vanessa Daugherty of Sallisaw is not shy about sharing her thoughts about her Cherokee culture, dancing and her “some day” goals of becoming an actress.
Daugherty, who is enrolled in the Cherokee Immersion Program in Tahlequah, said she has been learning to speak her Cherokee Language since Pre-K.
“I really like going to Immersion school. We‚ve been learning words from Halloween such as ’us-ka‚ which means ’skull‚ also head,” she said. “Some times we learn about words in English, too. The teachers will say a word in English and then we say it back in Cherokee. We‚ve been learning to say the states in Cherokee also, such as Oklahoma, which would be ’O-ga-la-homma,” she said.
Daugherty lives on the grounds of Sequoyah‚s Cabin since her father works there, she said. She is the youngest of four siblings. “I have an older sister, Olivia, two older brothers, one we call ’Rollie‚ because he was fat when he was little and the other one we call ’Sir‚ because he is bossy,” she said, laughing.
“I love living at Sequoyah‚s Cabin because it is sooo beautiful,” she said. “Sometimes, I go to the middle of the circle where Sequoyah‚s statue is located and I try to read the words written there in Cherokee. My cousins like to come over and play. There‚s a place in the museum where children can read and color, and we all like to sit there and color. We also just like walking around and it‚s so pretty with the fall decorations there.”
Daugherty said she is excited about some of the upcoming events planned at Sequoyah‚s Cabin.
“There will be a Fall Harvest Day on Saturday with games, music and crafts from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. I like going out there and looking around. Me and my mom. It‚s just fun!” she said.
In addition to coloring and learning about her culture, Daugherty said she enjoys gymnastics, cheerleading and dancing.
“I like all kinds of music but I enjoy listening to music by K-Pop, a Korean band,” she said.
With her outgoing personality and Native looks, Daugherty has been included in several photo shoots for Cherokee Nation Business.
She was also recently given the opportunity to interview for a spot on Sesame Street.
“It was more of a job. They wanted a young person who represents her Native tribe and could speak the language. They asked me a lot of questions about my culture including food and even health and fitness. I didn‚t get the spot but it‚s okay, I probably would have had to work real hard,” she said, laughing.
Daugherty said she wants to be an actress when she grows up.
“But if I don‚t make it, then I would like to be a nurse or a teacher. Maybe I can do all three,” she said, smiling.
Just Folks. Just Folks is Your TIMES way of honoring the regular people of Sequoyah County, recognizing their unique talents, personalities, jobs, abilities, etc. Your TIMES appreciates the cooperation of each Just Folks and the public‚s nominations for this feature. If you know of someone you think might be a good story, contact Amie or Lynn at 918-775-4433.
