Details Written by Chuck Hoskin Jr. October 6, 2024
Guest opinions. Throughout history, Cherokee leaders have valued intelligence and resourcefulness. This tradition allowed people to rise up from adversity and become stronger. Despite facing severe persecution leading up to the Trail of Tears, the Cherokee learned to read and write at a higher level than their non-Indian neighbors. We used literacy and education to protect our culture and assert ourselves in law and public opinion.
Once upon a time, misguided groups weaponized education to erode our culture, but our resilience overcame the trauma of boarding school. Now we have reclaimed education as a tool for empowerment. Our scholarships and investments in education are directly tied to the past growth and future success of the Cherokee Nation. Education remains the key to helping Cherokee children grow into well-rounded and successful leaders.
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The Cherokee Nation recently approved its largest ever investment in education, with the Cherokee Tribal Council unanimously approving the Sequoia Schools Capital Plan. This $65 million investment will create a first-class campus that reflects the excellence of Sequoia School’s faculty, administrators, and students.
The capital plan that Deputy Director Brian Warner and I submitted to the Legislature includes renovations to dormitories and construction of new multipurpose facilities, auditoriums, and academic buildings. These enhancements, along with recent investments in new soccer fields and campus security, will further solidify education as a core value for generations of Cherokee students.
Sequoia School has a rich history dating back to 1871, when the Cherokee Nation opened an orphan asylum after the Civil War. It was sold to the U.S. Department of the Interior in the early 1900s, but the agency moved into the education field. In 1985, the Cherokee Nation regained operations and revitalized the school with an emphasis on language concentration and cultural preservation.
Cherokee Nation Principal Chuck Hoskin Jr.
Today, Sequoia School proudly enrolls more than 400 students representing dozens of tribes from across the country. Our school system is one of our tribe’s most important achievements and a testament to our curiosity about who we are and where our priorities lie.
The Sequoia Schools Capital Plan is part of the Cherokee Nation’s Response, Recovery, and Rebuild Plan, a $1 billion framework that has been in use since 2020 for pandemic response and recovery. This investment in education joins major capital projects across the country, including health care, housing, language preservation, parks, first responder capacity, and government services facilities.
There is no greater aspiration than building a stronger, healthier world for generations to come. These investments reflect who we are and what we value. We thank the Council and Deputy Chief Warner for their partnership in this innovative initiative.
Chuck Hoskin Jr. is a Cherokee chief.
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Author: Chuck Hoskin JrEmail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. JavaScript must be enabled to view.
