Cherokee Nation April calendar of events

April 10

Cherokee Nation Cancer support group from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the CNOHC Community Room C. This support group will be open to the public and include those who are currently diagnosed with cancer, cancer survivors, and caregivers of cancer patients. They will have guest speakers that are relevant to the cancer journey, but also dedicate a portion of the meeting to peer sharing. They are welcoming both Native and non-Native participants. This group was established to provide emotional support, education, community, and provide information regarding resources to those that need them. Our speaker for this meeting on April 10 will be cancer survivor and Cherokee Nation employee Jacqueline Manus. Contact info for the public is Jacqueline Manus 539-234-1917, Jacqueline-manus@cherokee.org OR Katie McCullar 539-234-4065, Katherine-mccullar@cherokee.org

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, please call 918-207-4901 or email language@cherokee.org.

April 12

OSCA hosts a Wild Onion Dinner. The proceeds go back to the OSCA (Old Saline Courthouse Association) for cultural activities, community events, and the like. The $12 cost will include a plate of wild onions, eggs, fried potatoes, beans, meat, frybread, a dessert, and a bottle of water. People can come in and eat or carry out. This event will begin at 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Cherokee Elders Rainbow House – 101 Market Place, Locust Grove, OK 74352. Further questions can be directed to the email address at oldsalinecourthouseassociation@gmail.com.

April 16

Cherokee Nation Public Health is hosting a breastfeeding class from 1 to 3 p.m. in Conference Rooms A & B at the Cherokee Nation Outpatient Health Center, 19600 E. Ross St., in Tahlequah. Participants can learn about WIC, breastfeeding techniques and more. Partners are welcome. This class will be held every third Wednesday of the month. For more information, contact 918- 525-2193 or destany-myers@cherokee.org.

April 17

Cherokee Nation Office of Veteran Affairs will be hosting an Easter Celebration on April 17 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Cherokee Nation Veterans Center. There will be several Easter activities including an egg hunt, games, and prizes. Dinner will be served at this event. This is event is only for veterans. Veterans/widows may bring a plus one as long as they are over 18.

April 22

Cherokee Nation Natural Resources is hosting an Earth Day event at the One Fire Field. Event will begin at 1 p.m. It is open to the public.

April 25

Tahlequah Main Street is gearing up to host the annual Red Fern Festival, paying homage to the classic Wilson Rawls novel, Where the Red Fern Grows. The novel was set in the foothills of the Ozarks in and around Tahlequah. As part of the festivities, the Cherokee National History Museum will welcome visitors with a lively stickball game and a variety of hands-on activities. This event will be April 25-26. It will be on April 25 from 12 to 3 p.m. and on April 26, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. This event will take place at the Cherokee National History Museum, 101 S Muskogee Ave, Tahlequah. This event is free and open to the public. Contact 877-779-6977 or info@VisitCherokeeNation.com for more information.

April 26

Bring a lawn chair and blanket to join all the fun! Enjoy a day filled with Cherokee culture and events at Watercress Fest, featuring live music, art demonstrations and Native games alongside guided tours, a pop-up market and food trucks. This event will take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Saline Courthouse Museum, 55870 S 490 Rd, Rose. This event is free and open to the public. For more information go to https://visitcherokeenation.com/events/watercress-fest

Enjoy great competitive traditions across Cherokee Nation! Traditional Native Games have been passed down from generation to generation. These activities include blowgun, chunkey, cornstalk shoot, hatchet throw, marbles, and the stickball shootout. Top three placers at each location receive a t-shirt and an invitation to compete in the Traditional Native Games Championship, only one shirt per sport per qualifier. Top three placers at the championship will receive a cash award! Event is April 26 from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Watercress Fest – Saline Courthouse Museum, Rose. Contact info for the public:
Blowgun: Perry Van Buskirk: 918-931-4868: vanbuskirkperry@gmail.com
Chunkey: Melissa Dew: 918-871-0319: melissa-dew@cherokee.org
Cornstalk Shoot: Jesse Grayson: 918-718-4596: jesse-grayson@cherokee.org
Hatchet Throw: Jesse Grayson: 918-718-4596: jesse-grayson@cherokee.org
Horseshoes: Brooklynn Colburn: 918-525-2259: brooklynn-colburn@cherokee.org
Marbles: Jared Davis: 918-871-9478: jared-davis@cherokee.org
Stickball Shootout: Joshua Mouse: 214-799-5343: joshua-mouse@cherokee.org.