Once the last stop on the Trail of Tears, present-day Tahlequah, OK, is the thriving capital and cultural center of the Cherokee Nation. Here in this unique city, which prides itself on its Cherokee Capitol Building, Cherokee Heritage Museum and Cherokee National Youth Choir, seven Russian youth policy-makers spent Sept. 20 - 28, 2003, experiencing the Cherokee way of education and youth services, thanks to Open World.
Tahlequah's Russian visitors included high-level administrators of regional and municipal youth agencies from as far away as the Russian Far East. During their Oklahoma stay, they had the opportunity to exchange strategies on youth issues with a range of Cherokee Nation officials; NGO directors; school administrators; and Northeastern State University (NSU) faculty. A meeting with Cherokee Chief Chad Smith was a special highlight of their trip.
On the Russians' itinerary were tours of the Cherokee Nation Early Childhood Unit, which oversees the Head Start, Early Start and Child Development Center, where they listened to the children sing in Cherokee, and the Talking Leaves Job Corps Center, which helps young adults complete their high school education and learn a marketable skill. Other stops included the Cherokee Nation Government Complex and the Cherokee Nation Youth Services facility.
The delegates also visited the Boys and Girls Club of Tahlequah; the Cookson Hills Mission, a program for economically disadvantaged rural youth; and a drug and alcohol treatment center for women and their young children in Muskogee. Before their return home, the Russian youth policy leaders enjoyed a dinner with Cherokee artist Virginia Stroud, who presented each of the delegates with a print of one of her paintings. They also received a special blessing from a Cherokee Elder woman with cedar smoke and an eagle feather.
"We were very busy. Every day was full of adventures," said Sarah Brown of the Tahlequah branch of the American Association of University Women, which partnered with the National Peace Foundation to host the delegation for Open World. "The Russian delegates were a delightful group of people who captured the hearts of the host families and of the community. They were fine representatives of Russia and, in particular, really made a difference in the lives of the Stilwell, Oklahoma schoolchildren they met. The children asked the Russian guests so many questions; they were absolutely enthralled."
Mary Elizabeth Magallon, a foreign language teacher at Tahlequah Junior High School, e-mailed her thanks to two of the delegates for guest teaching her Exploring Languages classes, saying, "Your presentation of the country of Russia, the Russian language, and culture were superb ... You opened up another part of the world for our students, and hopefully their curiosity to learn more ... You are always welcome in our town and in our school."
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