Last years speakers (Check back for update)
Mary Mead
Bobbie Smith
Bobbie Smith
Keynote Speaker, "Looking Back, What I learned from Working in Cherokee Nation"
Mary Mead, first worked under Wilma Mankiller's leadership and opened up the Vinita services for Cherokee members. She has had a myrid of positions, including working for Job Corp. in the dorms. Mary started the first Volunteer program working with grass roots
Keynote Speaker, "Looking Back, What I learned from Working in Cherokee Nation"
Mary Mead, first worked under Wilma Mankiller's leadership and opened up the Vinita services for Cherokee members. She has had a myrid of positions, including working for Job Corp. in the dorms. Mary started the first Volunteer program working with grass roots community leaders in the Cherokee districts, and worked with the Vista program nationwide.. In 2010 the Community Cultural Outreach Program gave out the first Mary Mead Volunteer Award. Every year a new Cherokee recipient receives the Mary Mead award named after her. Mary is a mother to five children, has 10 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren. She is Citizen of the Cherokee Nation, Loyal Shawnee and Delaware. Ms. Mead retired after working 25 years with Cherokee Nation. She currently resides in Tahlequah, OK .
Bobbie Smith
Bobbie Smith
Bobbie Smith
Workshop Speaker, "Learning Cherokee Words"
Bobbie Gail Scott Smith, is a full-blood, bilingual Cherokee from the Rocky Mountain Community of Adair County, Stilwell, Oklahoma. Cherokee is her first language. She did not learn English until first grade at Rocky Mountain School, where, fortunately, her teacher, Jennie Smith-Gott, was a fluen
Workshop Speaker, "Learning Cherokee Words"
Bobbie Gail Scott Smith, is a full-blood, bilingual Cherokee from the Rocky Mountain Community of Adair County, Stilwell, Oklahoma. Cherokee is her first language. She did not learn English until first grade at Rocky Mountain School, where, fortunately, her teacher, Jennie Smith-Gott, was a fluent bilingual Cherokee speaker. Mrs. Gott kept Bobbie in the classroom during recess and after school in order to teach her the English Language.
Bobbie’s parents were the late Lincoln Scott and the late Martha Jo Coon. Both could read and write the Cherokee Language. Her father did not speak English, and all of her siblings are fluent Cherokee speakers; four of six can read and write the Cherokee language.
She has three children; Kiah, Chris and Anaweg.
Bobbie retired from Federal government service after 23 years.
Currently, one of fluent Cherokee speaker for Little Cherokee Seeds Program, previously for 7 years taught Cherokee Language community classes for Yale University.
She was as a long-term volunteer with the Cherokee Nation Translation Department.
She Chaired the Cherokee Women’s Grassroots Leadership Group; served as a Cherokee Educator for the International Cherokee Film Festival; and, was involved with other cultural projects with Cherokee Nation Enterprises and Cherokee Nation.
Other accomplishments include:
- former First Lady of the Cherokee Nation;
- former Miss Cherokee
- Taught Cherokee language for several years in various communities and universities, including Rogers State University, Bacone College, Northeastern State University, Yale University and Broken Arrow Community area.
- She remains active in Cherokee language and culture preservation.