The Cherokee Nation is accelerating Cherokee language revitalization through the 2024 Durbin Feeling Language Preservation Act, a new $30 million immersion middle school in Tahlequah, and expanded language hubs. A new Cherokee Nation Language Hub—built with Kiwa Digital—centralizes lessons, fluent-speaker recordings, books and tools for learners of all levels. The Saving the Voices project will document interviews with more than 1,040 first-language speakers by the end of 2027, preserving cultural knowledge for future generations.
The Power of Language: Cherokee Nation’s Push to Revitalize Cherokee Through Schools, a Digital Hub and “Saving the Voices”
Cherokee Nation leaders gathered Monday, Aug. 17, to celebrate the grand opening of the $30 million ᏧᎾᏕᎶᏆᏍᏗ ᎦᎵᏉᎩ ᏂᏚᏳᎪᏛ “School of the Seven Directions” Cherokee Immersion Middle School in Tahlequah. (Photo/Cherokee Nation)
Words carry power in the Cherokee Nation. From treaties and contracts to the Cherokee Nation Constitution, language is the mortar that links generations of cultural heritage to a modern, global community united as one people.
No one in our history exemplified that truth more than Sequoyah, who created the Cherokee syllabary and made a written Cherokee language possible. That legacy is driving renewed investments and programs today, including the 2024 Durbin Feeling Language Preservation Act and the recently opened $30 million Cherokee Immersion Middle School in Tahlequah.
Expanding Schools and Community Hubs
Our immersion schools in Tahlequah and Greasy, together with the Durbin Feeling Language Center, serve as central hubs for language learning. These campuses anchor classroom instruction and community programming, but the Nation’s outreach extends far beyond physical campuses to meet learners where they are.
The Cherokee Nation Language Hub
To broaden access, the Cherokee Nation launched the Cherokee Nation Language Hub website, developed by the Cherokee Nation Language Department in partnership with Kiwa Digital. The Hub centralizes lessons, recordings of fluent speakers, books, learning tools and virtual stories, all accessible on desktop and mobile devices.
Special offerings include audio of the New Testament in Cherokee and the Saving the Voices preservation initiative, which gathers recordings of fluent, first-language speakers. By the end of 2027, the project plans to include interviews with more than 1,040 first-language, fluent speakers.
Saving Cultural Knowledge
Saving the Voices captures everyday and ceremonial knowledge that might otherwise be lost—hunting and fishing practices, traditional healing methods, stories, jokes and more. These interviews create a rich immersion archive drawn from elders and other fluent speakers that will be preserved and made freely available for generations.
The Language Hub welcomes learners of all backgrounds and fluency levels. Whether Cherokee or non-Cherokee, visitors are invited to explore language resources and cultural materials. Even learning a single Cherokee word can plant a seed that helps the language flourish.
“Long before European contact, our language and shared stories bound us as one tribe. Today, a language renaissance is gathering momentum to ensure our most treasured teachings are actively spoken for generations to come.” — Chuck Hoskin, Jr., Principal Chief, Cherokee Nation
The Nation’s combined investments in education, digital access and preservation are strengthening cultural continuity and ensuring Cherokee remains a living, spoken language.
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