these days I hear people trying to speak Cherokee or what they think it sounds like.because . it is worse when the chief and tribal council can’t speak it. in this part of Oklahoma most schools offer the Cherokee language and kids pick it up pretty fast. most of the old timers are passing away who remember that we were not allowed to speak our language in the schools. I was told once to not speak Cherokee in grade school by my principal because the other kids couldn’t understand me. not my fault I thought and for quite a while afterwards I only used English now I am trying to come back to my first language to read and write it.
I would like to pass it own to my nieces and nephews but that will be up to them. it would be nice to hear radio commentators to pronounce it right. it’s almost like the woman that wanted the deer crossing to be moved from downtown to out of the city limits. true story. I can imagine the deer coming to the crossing and wondering where their safety crossing sign went. how do you tell them that it’s been moved? advertise it in the paper? put on television and radio as a public service announcement? oh by the way who speaks the Deer language? could we find a translator and one who could write DEER? what about the dialect? Do deer read and can the younger generation read Deer too? a lot think bout when passing on languages.
until next time- wa-do and ask a Cherokee how to say it right.