CCO Conference and CNCV Award

As CNCV representatives this June, Sheila Zangrilli and Sabrina McKinney attended the Cherokee Nation Community and Cultural Outreach (CCO) 19th Annual Conference of Community Leaders. The theme was "Tribal Sovereignty in the 21st Century." Leaders from 61 CCO organizations, both on the Reservation and at-large, participated. 
 
The conference consisted of capacity building, Cherokee culture, and Cherokee history, led by professionals including a few National Treasures. The publication, Anadisgoi, recently published an online article about the conference. A short video was also made about the Conference that includes CNCV's sister city collaborations with Marble City. The Conference was available to watch virtually and recorded videos from the presentations are expected to be available soon for on-demand viewing through CCO.

At the conference, CNCV along with the Cherokee Society of the Greater Bay Area, were jointly presented with "Above and Beyond" awards for their history of strong collaborations, such as our many successful Annual Meeting and Chief's Picnics. The beautiful award is a carved cedar bear statue by renowned Cherokee artist and National Treasure, Eddie Morrison. Pictured above, ᎤᏍᏗ ᏲᎾ usdi yona (Little Bear) toured Sabrina's Three Sisters and Native Tobacco garden when he arrived in California.

After the two-day conference, at-large representatives were taken on two days of cultural enrichment activities, including visiting our growing bison herd, the new Anna Mitchell Cultural Welcome Center and Durbin Feeling Language Center, the Tribal Complex, art throughout the reservation, and multiple museums as well as a going to water ceremony, stomp dance, basket weaving, and catfish eating. It was a wonderful trip filled with new friends, culture, development, family, and ᎦᏚᎩ gadugi.

--Sabrina McKinney