Immersive Cherokee Language with David Jumper (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians)
Led by David Jumper (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians), this new biweekly series is an intensive (not excelled, or advanced level) workshop that empowers participants to use language as much as possible during class through call and response, partner and group work, and questions and answers.
Topics will include everyday activities that apply to everyone, and a general outline for class will be provided. All ages and “levels” of learners are welcome, and registration is not required.
Biweekly, 5pm-6:30pm:
Week 1: March 3 & 5
Week 2: March 10 & 12
Week 3: March 17 & 19
Week 4: March 24 & 26
Week 5: March 31 & April 2
Week 6: April 7 & 9
Meet the instructor:
ᏏᏲ! ᏕᏫᏗ ᏗᎳᏔᏕᎩ ᏓᏆᏙᎠ. ᏅᎩᏍᎪᏦ ᎢᏯᏆᏕᏘᏴᏓ ᏃᎴ ᏩᏲᎯ ᏛᎩᎶᏒ. ᎠᏤ ᎩᏚᏩ ᏗᏙᎴᏆᏍᏗ ᏓᎩᎸᏫᏍᏓᏁᎰ ᏃᎴ ᏔᎵᏁ ᎠᏂᏯᎠ ᏣᎳᎩ ᎦᏬᏂᎯᏍᏗ ᏕᎦᏕᏲᎲᏍᎪ. ᎭᏅ ᏣᏆᎴᏅᎲ ᎦᎶᏂ ᎧᎸ 2010 ᏥᎨᏒ. ᏔᎵ ᎢᏳᎾᏕᏘᏴᏓ ᎤᏂᏴᏍᏗ ᏓᎩᎸᏫᏍᏓᏁᎸ ᎩᎳ ᎠᎬᏱ ᏣᏆᎴᏅᎲ.
ᏴᏫᏯ ᎦᏬᏂᎯᏍᏗ ᎠᏆᏕᎶᏆᏍᏗ ᏃᎴ ᏗᏇᏲᏗ ᏗᎩᎸᏉᏗ. ᏂᎪᎯᎸ basketball ᎤᎾᏁᏦᏗᏍᏊ ᎣᏍᏓ ᎠᎩᏰᎸᎰ. ᎣᎯᏍᏙᏗ ᎠᎾᏁᏦᎥᏍᎩ Ꮎ ᏧᏴᏨ ᎦᏯᎴᎾ “ᎠᏣ ᏚᎾᎳᏏᏕᎾ”! ᏂᎦᏓ ᎠᏂᎩᏚᏩ ᏣᎳᎩ ᎦᏬᏂᎯᏍᏗ ᏧᎾᏕᎶᏆᏍᏗ ᎤᏂᏬᏂᎯᏍᏗ ᏓᏆᏚᎵᏍᎪ! ᎢᎬᏌ ᎢᎦᏤᎵ ᏥᎩ! ᏣᎳᎩ ᎯᏥᏬᏂᏍᎨᏍᏗ!
ᎩᎳ ᎠᎬᏱ ᏣᏆᎴᏅᎲ ᏗᎩᎸᏫᏍᏓᏁᏗ ᏔᎵ ᎢᏳᎾᏕᏘᏴᏓ ᎤᏂᏴᏍᏗ ᏥᏓᎩᎸᏫᏍᏓᏁᎸ. ᎤᏙᏓᏋᏓ ᎢᎪᎯᏓ ᏃᎴ ᏧᏙᏓᏋᏓ ᎢᎪᎯᏓ ᏥᎨᏒ ᏔᎵ ᎢᏯᏂ ᎠᏂᏬᏂᏍᎩ ᏧᎾᏟᏃᎮᎸ ᎠᏆᏛᎦᏅ. ᏍᎩᏛ ᎤᎡᎸᏗ ᏴᏫᏯ ᎦᏬᏂᎯᏍᏗ ᎤᎪᏗᏓ ᏣᏆᏙᎴᏋ. ᎠᏎᏃ ᏂᎦᏓ ᎠᏂᎩᏚᏩ ᎨᏍᏗ ᏧᏐᏯ ᏱᏄᎾᏛᏁᎴ. ᎯᎠᏃ ᎣᎯᏍᏙᏗ ᎨᏐ ᏂᎦᏓ ᏱᎦᏚᎵ ᎢᎦᏙᎴᏆᏍᏗ ᎢᎩᏬᏂᎯᏍᏗ, ᎠᏛᏓᏍᏙᏗ ᏃᎴ ᎦᏬᏂᎯᏍᏗ. ᎣᏍᏓ ᎨᎰ ᎢᏥᏬᏂᎯᏍᏗ ᎠᎴ ᎢᏥᎪᎵᏰᏗ ᏱᏥᏏᎾ ᎠᏎᏃ ᎢᎦᏤᎵ ᎦᏬᏂᎯᏍᏗ, ᏐᎢ ᏕᎦᏬᏂᎯᏍᏗ ᎢᏳᏍᏗ, ᎢᎦᏛᏓᏍᏙᏗ ᏃᎴ ᎢᎩᏬᏂᎯᏍᏗ ᎨᏎᏍᏗ ᏧᏙᏓᏋᏓ ᎢᎪᎯᏓ!
Hello! My name is David Jumper. I’m 43 years old and I come from the Wolftown community. I work at The Atse Kituwah Academy, and I teach second grade Cherokee language arts. I started there in August 2010. When I first started, I worked in the 2-year-old classroom.
I love learning and teaching the Cherokee language. I always like watching basketball games. The North Carolina Tarheels are the best! I want all Cherokees to learn the Cherokee language! It belongs to only us! Everyone speak Cherokee!
My first few years working at the Academy I was placed in classrooms with at least 2 fluent speakers where I could hear them converse with each other in the language. This is where I excelled the most in my language journey. Although not everyone is as fortunate as I have been. I feel that this is the best way to learn, listening and practicing speaking. Reading and writing are good ways to memorize language but our language, just as any other language, must be heard and spoken as much as possible EVERY DAY!
April 9, 2025 5:00 pm - 6:30 pm Museum of the Cherokee People – Education Wing Community Community Learning Education
