Arkansas Arts Academy -

Yesterday, our students had a wonderful opportunity immersing themselves in the culture and traditions of the Cherokee people. Mr. Cedrick Cooper, a senior in high school in Oklahoma, volunteered his time to visit our campus and share his Cherokee heritage with us.  It was an amazing experience.  Cedrick was very well-spoken and his pride and knowledge of Cherokee dance really showed.  He's been involved in traditional dance from childhood, along with his entire family. Not only did he present about the Cherokee traditions, he also shared with us a small portion of his dance regalia and performed two dances for us. The students have been excitingly engaged in learning about many Native American tribes and their culture and traditions with our unit study.  Each third grade student has also completed Native American shelter dioramas/posters that are on display in the third grade hall. I'm so excited that I was able to share a little bit of my Cherokee heritage with our students today; it made me realize the importance of keeping these traditions alive.