Experience Cherokee culture at Har-Ber Village Museum on November 5

Experience the culture of the Cherokee Nation at Har-Ber Village Museum in Grove, Okla., on Saturday, November 5during Cherokee Heritage Day. 

Hear Cherokee stories as told by Sequoyah and Robert Lewis at 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m.  Listen as National Treasure Tommy Wildcat fills the air with the haunting music of his flute at 11 a.m., 1:30 p.m. 3 p.m. Play the ancient game of marbles dating back to 800 A.D. and much more!  Cherokee Heritage Day will be a day of cultural enrichment and fun. To honor the heritage of all the tribes in this area, Har-Ber Village admission will be free to all those who present their tribal IDs. 

During the day you’ll be able to partake in a wide variety of activities. Print a keepsake of Sequoyah, the inventor of the Cherokee syllabary, in the Print Shop. Learn the art of Cherokee fingerweaving. Watch bead artists Gloria Smoke-King and her sister Rhonda Smoke at work. Sample grape dumpling (10 a.m. to 2 p.m.). Enjoy music by Borderline Bluegrass from11 a.m. to 1 p.m. See a variety of Cherokee tear dresses worn by members of Grove’s TsaLaGi Women’s Club. Have your face painted by students from Grove Beauty College. View the Cherokee Word for Water video. Pick up a copy of Travel OK’s Oklahoma Indian Country Guide while they last!

At 1 p.m., the Shotpouch family of Jay who have contributed so much to their community will be recognized. Becki Farley, President of the Jay Chamber, and Amelia Chamberlain, Executive Director of Har-Ber Village Museum, will do the honors.  The Shotpouch family will be providing a hog fry, and Indian tacos will also be sold by the Guess and Sixkiller families.  

Storyteller and author Sequoyah Guess will be telling stories in English and in Cherokee. Guess is a traditional Cherokee storyteller and a member of the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians of Oklahoma. Cherokee Nation storyteller Robert Lewis will join him to reveal his culture through personal knowledge and family stories, language, history, and more.

Verna Bates is a member of Cherokee Nation, Oklahoma. She began making Cherokee gourd art in 1995 and specializes in handmade Cherokee Gourd Masks, which are traditionally made by hand-stitching. The masks are decorated with feathers, fur, shell, pearls, copper, leather, etc. She also makes decorative gourd bowls and dippers. Verna is a self-taught artist and strives to incorporate a bit of Cherokee history, myth or its language by means of wood burning, painting or etching onto each piece of gourd art. She has won numerous awards and her art is collected by both, private and corporate collectors across the U.S. and abroad. Bates will have a display at the Cherokee Heritage Day event.

Karen Coody Cooper, museum professional, author, poet and wampum artist will be on hand to demonstrate wampum belt making and to sign 3  of her recent books: Cherokee Wampum, Woodchuck Visits Algonquian Cousins (a child’s book), and If Earth Can Find Its Way (poetry). Also for sale in The Country Store is Oklahoma Cherokee Baskets, Coody Cooper’s most recent release. Joining Coody Cooper will be Hilary Glass, a Cherokee illustrator and artist. 

Bill Koch is a master craftsman of unique and exotic wood products. For over 35 years he has lovingly hand-turned bowls and vases from tamarisk, cherry boxelder, and other types of wood. His expert work is prized in galleries, offices, and homes across the country. Each vessel is unique; its appearance is determined by the voids and imperfections within. A lacquer or hand-rubbed oil finish is often used. Turquoise, coral, brass, silver, or leather may serve as the finishing touch. In 1991 when Bill retired from a teaching career of over 20 years and 10 years of operating a small business, he became interested in woodturning as a new hobby. His hobby has since developed into a successful home gallery. Over this time, Bill has turned approximately 2,500 pieces of art. Bill demonstrates turning techniques in his shop and at woodturning clubs and other interested organizations. Bill contributes his passion for woodturning to the creative imagination of designing a piece of art by trying to imagine what the finished piece will be. 

Also, on Friday, November 4, Har-Ber Village will be providing a number of Cherokee-related activities for schools. Spaces are still available. Call 918-786-6446 for more information or to make your reservation ( required). 

We invite you to stroll through scenic Har-Ber Village Museum on Grand Lake O' the Cherokees at your own pace. Examine antique collections and reproductions housed in both original and replicated buildings reflecting the late 1800s and early 1900s.  Explore hands-on exhibits, view demonstrations and take advantage of the 40% off sale at the Country Store, now through November 15. Be part of Cherokee Heritage Day at Har-Ber Village by visiting on November 5 or call us about vendor spaces.  

Har-Ber Village Museum hours are Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Sunday, 12:30 to 4 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults; $7.50 for seniors 62+; $5 for children ages 6-13; under 6 and members are free and includes all activities during the event. Again, admission is free to those who show their tribal ID. Museum admission is not necessary to attend workshops, to shop in the Village gift shop, to eat at the Café or to walk the Nature Trail. 

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