Spokesperson’s Message, April 2022
Osiyo ginali! (hello, friends!)
We’ve got a lot to look forward to this Spring, so don’t forget to mark your calendars!
First and foremost, this year’s Chief’s Picnic IS HAPPENING. It’ll be Sunday, April 24, from noon to 4:00 PM at Kennedy Park in Napa — not at Rush Ranch. Also, instead of a potluck, the Cherokee Nation is providing boxed lunches for everyone from Dickey’s BBQ in Napa. Cherokee Nation has also said that they will not be traveling with Cherokee Nation Registration, and so will not be able to process ID requests. Although this year’s picnic will be different from past ones, it’ll still have great Cherokee storytelling, music, and traditional arts & crafts that we all know and love.
Cherokee Nation asks that attendees bring their own chairs, as seating is extremely limited. We also recommend giving yourself plenty of time to get to Napa. The main highway into Napa can get pretty busy on a Sunday. Finally, we ask that you also bring your own non-alcoholic beverages. We will have some water available, but supplies will be limited.
For more details, check out our newsletter or Cherokee Nation’s event page on Facebook. Come out and bring your family!
After the Chief’s Picnic, you won’t have to wait long for another big CNCV event. On May 22, 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM, we will be commemorating the restoration and completion of the John Rollin Ridge Family Burial Plot in the unendowed section of the Greenwood Memorial Cemetery in Grass Valley. Our Sister Community, Marble City Activity Organization in Cherokee Nation, played a big role in restoring family headstones, and so Mary Buzzard and Myra Robertson from Marble City will be flying out to attend! More details to follow, but save the date for now!
In this month’s newsletter, you won’t want to miss Mike Webb’s profile of CNCV founder and Elder Odell Landers. We’re proud to feature such an accomplished Elder in our community. Be sure to also check out the next installment of councilmember Roxanna Horne’s column on Cherokee veterans and warriors. This month she is featuring George Adair, a WW1 Cherokee code talker. And finally, Martha Blackbird, councilmember and membership coordinator, wants to remind everyone to submit their favorite Cherokee recipes for a recipe book that she’s working on with Mary Buzzard and Myra Robertson.
You may have also noticed that the spokesperson message is coming from me. As of this month, I have accepted the role of CNCV’s spokesperson. Martha Blackbird will serve as an alternate and take on more of our community’s communications work, including the newsletter. It’s an honor to serve my community in this role.
That’s it for now. We hope to see everyone at the picnic this month!
—Jonathan Radocay
