Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/cover-story/5017102/
It is 9:00 a.m. Suzanne is playing with Laney in a tub of water to help her relax and enjoy the experience of water. Tiffany and McKenzie are reading quietly while a group of two year olds are experimenting with bubbles in the warm Oklahoma sun. We have just caught a glimpse into the world of children at U Ni Wi Sa NV, (translated in English as “a place to grow”) Cherokee Nation’s child development program in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, the capital of the tribal government.Cherokee Nation, along with 257 grantees, representing more than 500 Indian Tribes, Alaskan Native Villages, and Native Hawaiian Organizations, receives federal block grant funds to improve child care for Indian children. Funding ranges from less than 25,000 for small tribes to more than 9 million annually. As the second largest tribe in the U.S., with more than 260,000 tribal members, Cherokee Nation is able to provide a wide range of services.
A key factor in the success of Cherokee Nation Child Care and Development Department is built upon the Cherokee word Ga Du-gi, “working together” in a community sense. Historically, the word meant working together towards a common goal which would benefit all of the Cherokee People, and ...