CPS Native American Programs

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On March 25, 2025, Colcord Public Schools administration attended the annual Cherokee Nation Public School Appreciation Day. The district would like to give a huge thank you to the Cherokee Nation for providing the public schools in northeast Oklahoma with an annual donation from motor vehicle tax revenues. These annually donated funds are much needed and greatly appreciated, wado!

The Colcord JOM Program staff attended the 2025 OKJOM Conference in Durant, OK, on March 25-27, 2025. The conference provided staff with excellent professional development and learning opportunities.

CPS had several students participate in the National American Indigenous Science and Engineering Fair (NAISEF) at Oklahoma State University from 3/28 to 3/29/25. NAISEF is an SSP-affiliated science fair and the only national science fair with a virtual option centered around acknowledging and supporting Indigenous students interested in science and engineering.

Several of our students had success!

Division Winners- Environmental and Earth Science- Molly Payne and Zachary Beck with The Power of Macroinvertebrates
Honorable Mention- Engineering, Dynamics, and Statistics- Layton Shawver and Ben Hopper with Comparing the Aerodynamic Performance of Two Separate Airplane Wings
Honorable Mention- Biomedical Engineering- Mack Harper and Jenna Simmons with Water Conductivity Modulation: Building a Model of an Artificial Pancreas

Raegan Weaver, Johnna Walker, Hudson Shelley, Kamden Luethje, and Jordan Wolf were students who participated but did not place. Great job to all the participants! Thank you to Erin Springer for getting our students involved in this awesome opportunity!

On Friday, April 4, 2025, elementary students participated in Jim Thorpe Day! Students participated in multiple activities with Cherokee Nation cultural staff. Additionally, the district Native American Programs Department provided the elementary teachers with the book “Jim Thorpe’s Bright Path.” Several teachers taught their students a lesson about Jim Thorpe's life!

ES Cherokee Push-In Program Website

4th and 5th Grade utilized Google Classroom to write their word of the week each week, along with 2 syllabary characters. They drew the character on one side and then the story on the other to help them remember each sound. We also enjoyed some fun in the sun before testing and had a little blow darts competition.

MS-HS:

Students began working on loom bracelets! Students learned how to set up their own looms and started to bead the first section of their bracelets.

Thank You!

Thank you Students and Parents for an awesome year of Cherokee Club! Little surprises like this are so special!

MS/HS Cultural Education Website

Native American Studies

Native American Studies students have continued learning about life after Native American Removal, and the building of a new Nation in Indian Territory. Students have worked diligently to finish our class textbook. Once the textbook is completed, we will begin working on Native American cultural crafts to celebrate their hard work this school year!

Cherokee

Cherokee language students recently helped the Colcord Riding Club fill Easter eggs for the after school program. Cherokee language students incorporated the Cherokee language by adding the words s-qua-du-li (Hornet), tsu-we-tsi (Eggs), tsi-ta-ga (Chicken), and tsi-s-du (Rabbit) into each egg. Every egg contained a Cherokee word with a picture.

Title I Site Committee Meeting:

Friday, April 18, 2025

Colcord Elementary

1:00 p.m.

JOM Meeting:

Thursday, May 22, 2025

Dan Draper Community Center

4:30 p.m.

JOM Meeting:

Thursday, July 31, 2025

Dan Draper Community Center

4:30 p.m.

Cherokee Nation Parent Resource Guide

The Cherokee Nation offers many services to its citizens and to other Native American tribes throughout its tribal jurisdiction in Northeastern Oklahoma. This guide is a resource for parents with information about services the tribe provides.

Cherokee Nation Language Resources

The Cherokee Nation Language Department is committed to preserving and perpetuating the Cherokee language through day-to-day spoken use and by generating more proficient second-language Cherokee speakers.

Cherokee Nation Tribal Registration

The Cherokee Nation Registration Office processes Certificate of Degree of Indian Blood (CDIB), Dawes and Tribal Citizenship applications and issues CDIB, Citizenship, and Photo ID cards.

Cherokee Classes

Visit Cherokee Nation offers classes led by experts in Cherokee art traditions, history, and genealogy. Please note that classes fill up quickly and availability is not guaranteed. Follow Visit Cherokee Nation on social media for the latest info.