- Aug 8, 2023 11:00 AM
- Aug 9, 2023 11:00 AM
Join us to discover practical strategies, gain valuable insights, and learn how to foster stronger partnerships to promote health equity. Dr. Melissa Lewis and Kathy Sierra will share their experience and expertise with ᏧᎾᏍᏗᎢ ᎠᏂᏣᎳᎩ ᎤᏂᎦᏔ (Little Cherokee Seeds) program. This session will explore actionable steps and highlight community-based and culturally grounded approaches for improving maternal and child health outcomes in Tribal communities.
ᏧᎾᏍᏗᎢ ᎠᏂᏣᎳᎩ ᎤᏂᎦᏔ (Little Cherokee Seeds) program is a language and cultural immersion program for Cherokee infants and their mothers. This program was created through the knowledge and experience of Cherokee elders and speakers using Cherokee values and therefore the program curriculum centers around everyday living experiences in a home environment focusing on seasonal, traditional Cherokee activities. With less than 1500 fluent Cherokee speakers alive, most over the age of 65, and no fluent speakers created in decades, it has become an urgent priority to save the language by teaching learners from birth in a natural Cherokee setting. Five mothers and their infants participate 5 x week and live together with 5 Cherokee speakers and advanced learners through cooking, cleaning, singing, playing games, gardening, foraging, making textiles, etc., all in the Cherokee language. In the first 6 months of the program, mothers and babies have begun using the Cherokee language and are becoming knowledgeable in traditional Cherokee lifeways.
