Cherokee Nation January calendar of events

January 6

This is the final day to experience the “Noel Grayson: A Steward of Tradition” exhibit at the Saline Courthouse Museum in Rose. Named a Cherokee National Treasure for bow making and flintknapping in 1998, Noel has skillfully crafted hunting bows, arrows and stone tools for much of his life. Noel continues this legacy of Cherokee tradition passed down to him as a child and later refined through working with masterful elders. View Noel’s handmade works, including a carved hunting bow, rivercane arrows, flintknapping tools and other Cherokee traditional arts in this exhibit. Admission to the museum is free and is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. The Saline Courthouse Museum is located at 55870 S. 490 Road in Rose, Okla. For more information, email info@visitcherokee.com, call 877-779-6977 or go to VisitCherokeeNation.com.

January 9

The “To Live a Cherokee Life” exhibit, which honors and explores the life of Cherokee National Treasure Weynema Smith, opens today at the Saline Courthouse Museum in Rose. Named a Cherokee National Treasure for Lifeways and Language Preservation in 2022, Weynema has spent a lifetime teaching the Cherokee language and sharing her profound knowledge of Cherokee culture. This new exhibit celebrates her life and mission through the lens of the Cherokee language. “Weynema Smith: To Live a Cherokee Life” includes stories, family photos and various traditional artisan works — including basketry, beadwork and a tear dress — to illustrate her story with special emphasis on the Cherokee language. See the exhibit on display now through May 11. Admission to the museum is free and is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. The Saline Courthouse Museum is located at 55870 S. 490 Road in Rose, Okla. For more information, email info@visitcherokee.com, call 877-779-6977 or go to VisitCherokeeNation.com.

January 11

All fluent Cherokee speakers are invited to this free monthly luncheon held from 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. every second Thursday of the month and hosted by the Cherokee Nation Language Department at the Durbin Feeling Language Center in Tahlequah. For more information, please call 918-207-4901 or email language@cherokee.org.

January 15

The Cherokee Nation’s W.W. Keeler Tribal Complex, satellite offices, and health centers will be closed in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Cherokee Nation W.W. Hastings Hospital urgent care and emergency department and other emergency services will remain open.

January 17

Ready to live a tobacco-free life? Cherokee Nation is offering a free tobacco cessation course that will be taught virtually. There will be classes at noon and at 5:30 p.m. You do not have to be Native American to enroll, but you must be 18 years or older. To sign up, contact Cherokee Nation Tobacco Prevention Coordinator Heather Elliott at heather-elliott@cherokee.org or 918-316-9316 or visit https://compyle.clearimpact.com/#/ public/ survey/ 7E11AE1097FC- 40F2- A8FF- B77C64B96E6A

January 25

Cultural class: Learn the art of flat reed mat weaving with Cherokee artist Laney Cully from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Cherokee National Prison Museum in Tahlequah. Historically, rivercane was split and woven into rectangular baskets or flat mats for trade, ceremonies, storage, etc. In this class, which costs $25, participants are provided with the materials to learn the foundations of weaving with “flat” commercial reed to create different aesthetic patterns still used in weaving today and leave with their very own mat. Classes fill up quickly. Reserve your spot here: https://shop.visitcherokeenation.com/collections/cultural-classes/products/0125-2024-flat-reed-mat-weaving

January 26 & 27

The Sequoyah Speech & Drama program will host the Sequoyah Spotlight Speech/ Debate OSSAA Qualifying Tournament from 3 to 9 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 26, and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 27. All events will be held on the Sequoyah campus and are free to the public. The program is looking for judges and donations. For more information, contact Sequoyah Speech & Drama coach Amanda Ray at amanda- ray@cherokee.org or 918453-5156.

January 30

Cherokee Nation College Resources will host a college fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Cherokee Casino & Hotel Roland. Explore resources available and learn more about college opportunities. College representatives will be present to visit with students. Door prizes will be awarded. Cherokee Casino & Hotel Roland is located at 109 Cherokee Blvd. in Roland, Okla. For more information, contact Scott Williams at 918-718-5959 or daniel-williams@cherokee.org.