CNCV Annual Campout 2024

We had a great Annual Campout this August, filled with wonderful people, activities, and joy!

We loved visiting with Cherokee National Treasure Robert Lewis, making corn husk dolls, hearing the Cherokee story of why the corn husk doll has no face, playing rounds of Cherokee marbles, kids catching frogs to hold at Frogtown, and listening to more stories from Robert Lewis that featured all the kids and so much laughter!

We are truly grateful to so many generous hearted people jumping in to help with dinner prep, including Robert chopping onions, resulting in our tasty bison Indian taco dinner with Three Sisters succotash and peach crisp. So many people came forward generously to serve.

We recently were bestowed the Mary Mead Volunteerism Award for the strong volunteerism in our community and you all showed up to demonstrate how very true that is once again! You fill our hearts with joy and gratitude. The strong sense of ᎦᏚᎩ gadugi in our community is powerful and inspiring. Everyone pitched in to make the day amazing for all. You all lived so many Cherokee Community values at the campout, like:

• ᎦᏚᎩ gadugi (people coming together as one and working to help one another),

• ᏗᏣᏓᏍᏕᎵᏍᎩ ᎢᏤᎮᏍᏗ ditsadasdelisgi itsehesdi (you all live, helping one another),

• ᏂᎦᏯᎢᏐ ᎦᏚᎩ ᏂᏨᏁᏍᏗ nigaya’iso gadugi nitsvnesdi (in the mind and heart always have the thought of working together),

• ᏰᏥᎴᏆᎶᏍᎨᏍᏗ ᏗᎦᎸᏫᏍᏓᏗ ᎦᎾᏅᎪᏉ yetsilequalosgesdi digalvwisdadi gananvgoquo (you all gang up on work whenever and wherever it arises),

• ᏗᏣᎵᎪᎯ ᎢᏤᎮᏍᏗ ditsaligohi itsehesdi (live united, work as a team with one another)

• ᏕᏣᏓᏩᏛᎯᏙᎮᏍᏗ datsadawatvhidohesdi (visit one another with love, locate and find one another),

• ᏕᏣᏓᏝᏂᎪᎯᏍᏙᏗᏕᎨᏎᏍᏗ detsadatlanigohisdodidegesdi (strengthen one another with encouraging words in all that you do),

• ᏕᏣᏓᎵᎨᏅᏗᏍᎨᏍᏗ detsadaligenvdisgesdi (you all take responsibility for one another’s wellbeing),

• ᎤᎵᏍᎨᏗ ᏕᏣᏓᏰᎸᏎᏍᏗ ulisgedi detsadayelvsesdi (treat each other’s existence as being sacred or important), and

• ᎾᏂᎥ ᏴᏫ ᏕᏣᏠᏯᏍᏗᏍᎨᏍᏗ nani’v yvwi detsatloyasdisgesdi (include everyone, all human kind; however many).

Best of all, we loved the time spent together in community as Cherokees, meeting new friends and family!

Until the next campout, ᏙᏓᏓᎪᎲᎢ dodadagohvi!

— Sabrina McKinney