Press Release
From The Museum of the Cherokee Indian:
The Warriors of AniKituhwa danced at Smoky Mountain Elementary School on Friday, November 14, as part of Native American Heritage Month celebrations. The whole school observed and some students and teachers participated in dancing. The Warriors are cultural ambassadors for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, sponsored by the Museum of the Cherokee Indian.
“This is Native American month,” said Bo Taylor, Executive Director of the Museum. “We want people to know we are still here, and we are just like you. In this group, we are dads, we are actors, we are surveyors, we are singers. But we are Cherokee.” All the men are enrolled members of the Eastern Band, and many grew up performing traditional dances with their families and tribal elders. They began with the War Dance/Welcome Dance, which they have revived from descriptions from 1762, when it was used to welcome British Emissaries to the Cherokee Nation. Wax cylinder recordings of the song for this dance date to the 1920s, when Will West Long still knew this song and the movements of the dance.
Taylor introduced all the men and talked about their clothing, bags, weapons, and paint. “If you’re a warrior, it’s important to take of yourself physically,” he said,” to always be in shape.”
The group chose partners from the students and teachers of Smoky Mountain. Dr. Tracie Metz, Principal, also joined in the dancing. The newly crowned Miss Cherokees spoke to the school and also participated in dances with the Warriors.
Traditional Cherokee social dances honor the animals, and also provide fun for the community. Dances included the Bear Dance, Ant Dance, Horse Dance, Buffalo Dance, and Friendship Dance. Taylor concluded by telling the students,”As people of Kituhwa, we are charged with showing respect to everyone. That is the good way.”
For more information about the Warriors of AniKituhwa, go to http://www.cherokeemuseum.org/education-warriors.htm.
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