Cherokee exhibit showcased at Dugan Center
The touring exhibit “Understanding our Past, Shaping our Future,” will be on display through Dec. 17 at the Chief Joyce Dugan Cultural Arts Center at Cherokee Central Schools.
The exhibit focuses on Cherokee language and culture, using sound recordings as the basis for presenting a coherent story in words and text. It was conceived of and designed to include community input as a way to develop its content. A community-team approach consisted of monthly discussions that focused on the themes and images that would make up the exhibit. The initial idea, to create a chronological history, was modified to sharpen the Cherokee perspective. Rather than present historical outcomes, the exhibit team favored a thematic approach. Major themes include Cherokee Homeland, Heritage Sites, Tourism, Family, and Community Celebrations. The result is an exhibit that tells a more personal story and provides insight into Cherokee identity.
Rather than translating from English into Cherokee, as is often done, much of the exhibit text was excerpted from conversations originally recorded in Cherokee. A Cherokee speakers group, organized in cooperation with the Cherokee Language Program at Western Carolina University, met weekly at the Kituwah Academy, the language emersion school. There, members were shown historic photographs and asked to comment on them. Their conversations were transcribed, translated, and included on the fifteen panels that make up the exhibit.
The touring exhibit is sponsored by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in partnership with Cherokee Central Schools, Southwestern Community College, and Western Carolina University. Funding was provided by the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
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