December calendar of events
December 6
Christmas on the Square: Stop by this special holiday event in historic downtown Tahlequah from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Cherokee National History Museum. Take family photos with Santa Claus and enjoy free refreshments. Inside the museum, check out a make-and-take area, where you can create a fun Christmas ornament to hang on your tree. There also will be a holiday exhibit, “The First Cherokee Christmas,” that features fun family activities. The exhibit will run through Jan. 4, 2025. For more info, email info@visitcherokee. com, call 877-779-6977 or go to VisitCherokeeNation. com.
December 12
All fluent Cherokee speakers are invited to a 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. Gather for fellowship, a free lunch and door prizes. For more information, call 918-2074901 or email language@cherokee.org.
December 13
Need a Cherokee Nation photo ID? Cherokee Nation Tribal Registration will be set up from noon to 5 p.m. at the Museum of Native American History in Bentonville, Ark., to create photo IDs for Cherokee citizens. Citizens who wish to come should bring an up-to-date driver’s license or other government photo ID. Cherokee Vote, along with other Cherokee Nation programs and services, will also be in attendance. To ensure timely processing, citizens should arrive no later than 30 minutes before the end of the event. Learn more at cherokee.org/all-services/ tribal-registration/field-events/ December 16 Commit to Quit: Cherokee Nation Public Health is launching a free and virtual seven-week tobacco and vaping cessation course. Classes will be held every Monday at noon and 5:30 p.m. via Zoom. This course is open to everyone, Native and non-Native, who is 18 years or older and ready to commit to being tobacco free. For scheduling or to learn more about the course, contact Public Health Program Coordinator Mandy Russell at miranda-russell@ cherokee.org or 918-506-7274.
December 17
The Council of the Cherokee Nation will be hosting a Christmas Social and Open House from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Council chambers at the W.W. Keeler Tribal Complex in Tahlequah. Lunch will be provided, along with door prizes.
December 20
All veterans are invited to a Christmas party from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Cherokee Nation Veterans Center, next to the W.W. Keeler Tribal Complex in Tahlequah. Enjoy fellowship, games, food and prizes. Veterans are welcome to bring one guest with them over the age of 18. For more info, call 918-7724166.
December 24 & 25
Cherokee Nation’s W.W. Keeler Tribal Complex, satellite offices, and health centers will be closed for the Christmas holiday. Cherokee Nation W.W. Hastings Hospital and emergency department, along with other tribal emergency services, will remain open.
Ongoing
“Jeff Edwards: The Future Will Be Cherokee” merges Cherokee culture with contemporary imagery in the newest exhibition at the Cherokee Cultural Pathway in downtown Tahlequah. The public art display is now open and features 13 large-scale reproductions of some of Edwards’ most recognized works, such as “Sequoyah Warhol” and “Cherokee on the Brain.” “Jeff Edwards: The Future Will Be Cherokee” is the latest exhibit to be featured at the Cherokee Cultural Pathway and runs through April 20, 2025. Edwards is an award-winning graphic artist who draws inspiration from his life and career. Edwards’ art is featured at many Cherokee Nation sites, including the Durbin Feeling Language Center, where he works alongside Cherokee speakers. Admission is free and the pathway is open all day. For more information, email info@visitcherokee. com, call 877-779-6977 or go to VisitCherokeeNation. com.
