Tallequah, Okla.-Preserva-tion of Cherokee heritage comes in a wide array of forms. There are Cherokee Nation preservationists in areas like language, which is spoken and written.
There are song and dance traditionalists, and master artisans devoted to traditional Cherokee arts like carving, pottery and basket weaving. One of the other most popular and highly participatory efforts to preserve heritage has been food preservation through the Cherokee Nation seed bank program.
The effort, led by Senior Director of Environmental Resources Pat Gwin, is something almost any Cherokees nationwide can do to perpetuate crops Cherokee people have relied on for generations.
In 2017, the Cherokee Nation effort issued about 3,785 seed packages to tribal citizens and estimate to do about 5,000 in 2018. Requests for heirloom seeds will run through the end of April.
The heirloom seeds possess traits that any grower desires, including being drought and pest resistant and having low fertilization needs. The seed bank, which originally started in 2006, has a supply stock that is healthy, strong and unique to the Cherokee people.
"Historically, our people have always been exceptional agriculturalists, and our ancestors farmed these same crops for hundreds of years," says principal chief Bill John Baker. "It connects who we are today as Cherokee people to our rich history, is something we can share with our kids and grandkids and promotes healthy food consumption and physical activity. Anything we can do to encourage a new generation of Cherokees to connect with their tribal heritage is worth pursuing."
Applicants are limited to two varieties of seeds, and each request must include a copy of the Cherokee Nation tribal citizenship card, as well as proof of age and address.
To submit an order, visit https://secure.cherokee.org/seedbank and create an account. Follow the instructions to see a complete list of available seeds and to place and track orders. For more information, email seedbank@cherokee.org or call 918-453-5336.
The seeds that are available this year include:
• Corn: Cherokee flour, a large flour corn, colored, multicolored, white or yellow; Cherokee White Eagle, and a dent corn.
• Beans: Cherokee Long Greasy, Trail of Tears (a small jet black bean), Turkey Gizzard Black, and Turkey Gizzard Brown.
• Squash: Georgia Candy Roaster, a long storing squash that can be prepared as squash, sweet potatoes or pumpkin.
• Gourds: Basket, dipper, jewel, Buffalo Gourds, Trail of Tears beads and Indian corn beads.
• Tobacco: Native tobacco, ceremonial tobacco (non-smoking tobacco, restricted to those at least 18 years of age).
• Native plants: Buttonbush, cutleaf coneflower, Hearts-a-bustin, jewelweed, New Jersey tea, possum grape, purple coneflower, rattlesnake master, rivercane, sunchoke and wild senna.
