APPALACHIAN HERITAGE MAGAZINE'S CELEBRATION OF CHEROKEE WRITERS.

Well, kind hearts, this past Sunday (January 17th), I attended a memorable event at the Museum of the Cherokee Indians (where I once worked as a grants writer). This event was the culmination of a project by George Brosi, editor of the magazine, "Appalachian Heritage." George devoted an issue of the magazine to the Cherokees and filled it with over twenty-five Cherokee writers, poets, illustrators. Over one hundred tribal members turned out to purchase a copy of the magazine and get the contributors to sign their works (often in Cherokee).
The lady in the red shirt is the beloved Dot Jackson who came all the way from Six Mile, South Carolina to get Robert Youngdeer's autograph on his article.The guy in front of her is Scott Philaw, Director of the Mountain Heritage Center at WCU. The painting in the lobby was one of a dozen paintings that greeted visitors. This one depicts the seven Cherokee clans.(sorry about the lights reflected on the glass cover.) Robert Conley, noted Cherokee author, was the guest speaker, reading his contribution, "Plastic Indian." Robert Youngdeer,pictured here with his wife, is a former principal chief who contributed a chapter from his autobiography about growing up in Cherokee.

Enthusiasm for this event was such that there may be plans to repeat it elsewhere so that these writers/poets/artists may be exposed to a larger audience. Stay tuned.