The event at Reinhardt University’s Funk Heritage Center offered a valuable opportunity for Cherokee Nation citizens like Lavonna Pettit to reconnect with their heritage.
Pettit, a Dalton resident originally from Oklahoma, is among the approximately 2,400 Cherokee Nation citizens in Georgia.
The gathering featured lessons on Cherokee history, culture, and language, led by historians from the Cherokee Nation and the Oklahoma Historical Society.
Pettit expressed particular interest in learning about the leadership roles women held in the Cherokee’s matrilineal communities, reflecting her personal journey of rediscovering her culture.
Speakers like Catherine Foreman Gray, a Cherokee historian, shared insights into Cherokee life, including summer living conditions in longhouses made of mud, clay, and rivercane, and the significance of stickball a traditional game akin to modern lacrosse.
This cultural event also focused on Cherokee agricultural practices and the historical struggles the Cherokee faced, such as oppressive laws passed in Georgia.
Each attendee received a copy of Cherokee Nation: A History of Survival, Self Determination & Identity*, a book chronicling the resilience and history of the Cherokee people.
The event underscored the importance of preserving and celebrating Cherokee heritage while educating new generations about their roots.