University Libraries Host Cherokee Language Expert

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Candessa Tehee will present Creating a Safe Space for Cherokee Language Learning at 3 p.m. Thursday, April 6 in the Helen Robson Walton Reading Room in Mullins Library. This event is free and open to the public.

Tehee is a full-blood Cherokee who grew up in a close-knit, traditional community in which Cherokee language and culture were mainstays. She earned a doctorate in linguistic anthropology from the University of Oklahoma with a dissertation focused on the experiences of second language learners in endangered language communities.

"People are often interested in learning Cherokee as a second language because of ties to heritage but might be intimidated by the complexity of the language," said Tehee.

This presentation will highlight available resources and concrete strategies for beginners to integrate a new language into their everyday lives. The internet has significant materials available to learn Cherokee, build language skill and comprehension. Tehee’s presentation will help make attendees aware of those resources and suggest ways in which they can be used for effective learning.

Tehee currently serves as an assistant professor of American Indian Studies at Northeastern State University. In addition to her academic and career pursuits, Tehee is also an artist who works in the mediums of finger weaving, loom weaving and pottery.

Parking is available at the Stadium Drive Parking Garage, adjacent to the Arkansas Union and across the plaza from Mullins Library.

Tehee’s presentation is part of the University Libraries’ "Explore Native American Storytelling through Arts, Literature, and Culture" program, which features guest speakers and rotating exhibits throughout the academic year.

About University of Arkansas Libraries: Located at the heart of campus, David W. Mullins Library is the university’s main research library. Branch libraries include the Robert A. and Vivian Young Law Library, the Fine Arts Library, the Physics Library, and the Chemistry and Biochemistry Library. The Libraries provide access to more than 2.3 million volumes and 83,500 journals, and also offer individual and group research help, study spaces, computer labs with printing and scanning, interlibrary loan and RazorRush services, and cultural exhibits and events. The Libraries’ Special Collections unit acquires, preserves, and provides access to materials on Arkansas and the region, its customs and people, and its cultural, physical, and political climate. Visit the Libraries’ web page at libraries.uark.edu to learn more about services and collections.