The graduates completed pre-kindergarten through sixth grade at the Immersion School and will now be able to transition to seventh grade at Sequoyah.


TAHLEQUAH, Okla. — The first 11 students to attend Cherokee Nation’s Immersion School made history May 14 when they graduated from the program during a commencement ceremony held at Sequoyah Schools’ Place Where They Play.

“In the history of the tribe, this is the first graduation for Cherokee speaking students from a Cherokee school,” said Dr. Neil Morton, Cherokee Nation’s executive director of education.

Sean Sikora, Alayna Harkreader, Cambria Bird, Lauren Hummingbird, Maggie Sourjohn, Cheyenne DrowningBear, Cree DrowningBear, Lauren Grayson and Emilee Chavez are the original charter students in the revolutionary language program the tribe started in 2002 and are the first to complete the school’s curriculum.

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Bill John Baker addressed the graduates during the ceremony. “I’m here to congratulate you on the first commencement ceremonies of the Immersion School.

You are the hope of the survival of the Cherokee language and its evolution,” said Baker. “I hope that you will use this gift to carry on the tradition, language and culture that you’ve learned forever.”

Tsalagi tsunade loquasdi (“Cherokee school” in the Cherokee language) began in classrooms at Cherokee Nation’s Head Start as a way to educate children in a cultural environment while revitalizing and promoting use of the Cherokee language. Since opening, the Immersion School has grown, adding a higher grade almost every year to accommodate the students who grew with the program.

Last week’s graduates completed pre-kindergarten through sixth grade at the Immersion School and will now be able to transition to Sequoyah Schools’ existing seventh grade classroom, where they will have the opportunity to take more Cherokee language classes and continue their educations.


(Back row, left to right) Cambria Bird, Emilee Chavez, Alayna Harkreader, Cheyenne DrowningBear and Lauren Hummingbird. (Front row, left to right) Maggie Sourjohn, Cree DrowningBear and Sean Sikora. (Not pictured) Lauren Grayson. The students are the original charter members of the revolutionary immersion school Cherokee Nation started in 2002 and the first to graduate the program.
PHOTO COURTESY CHEROKEE NATION COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE