"the People's Paths!" Cherokee News Path - Cherokees to Sponsor “Journey For Forgiveness” Walk

TAHLEQUAH, OK — The Cherokee Nation will host “Journey For Forgiveness – Sequoyah,” a special walk and presentation on Thursday, June 4, in Tahlequah. The walk is part of a 40-day, 6,800-mile cross-country trek to present and former Indian boarding school sites by White Bison, an American Indian non-profit organization based in Colorado.

The “Sequoyah” walk will begin at 8 a.m. at the Cherokee Nation complex, and walkers will travel west to Sequoyah Schools, with a special presentation beginning at 9 a.m. in the Sequoyah gymnasium.

“I appreciate the work White Bison is doing to create awareness of the history of Indian boarding schools,” said Chad Smith, Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation. “We are grateful for the opportunity to host the Journey For Forgiveness event here and hope that many of our people who experienced Indian boarding schools will attend the event and share their experiences.”

The Cherokee National Youth Choir will be performing at the event and an official welcome to the Cherokee Nation will be given by Deputy Principal Chief Joe Grayson, Jr. After a brief presentation on Indian boarding schools, Sequoyah Schools students and alumni will be invited to share personal experiences and memories of their time at the school. A healing ceremony will follow.

The cross-country journey will end in Washington, D.C. on June 24 with a presentation at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian.

For more information, contact Brenda Golden, phone: 405-949-0893.