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Cherokee Nation
Posted: Jun 05, 2026 2:42 PMUpdated: Jun 05, 2026 2:42 PM
Cherokee Language Classes to Be Offered in South Coffeyville, North Tulsa
Nathan Thompson
Cherokee Nation citizens and community members in South Coffeyville will have a new opportunity this summer to learn the Cherokee language through a free weekly course aimed at expanding language preservation efforts beyond the tribe’s capital and major population centers.
Beginning June 16, the North American Fellowship Inc. will host Cherokee language classes every Tuesday from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Community & Cultural Outreach community building, 215 Oklahoma St., in South Coffeyville. The classes will continue through Aug. 18 and are open to the public.
Cherokee language instructor Ryan Mackey will teach the course.
The South Coffeyville classes are part of Cherokee Nation’s broader effort to make language learning accessible to Cherokee citizens and communities across Oklahoma and beyond.
“We’ve worked hard to revitalize and preserve our language, and now we must ensure that every Cherokee citizen and community has access to learning it,” Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. said in a statement. “Whether they are here in Tahlequah, Tulsa, Oklahoma City, or in another state, all Cherokees have the right to study and speak their language.”
A companion course will be offered in North Tulsa on Thursdays through a partnership with the North Tulsa Cherokee Community Organization.
Cherokee Nation officials said the classes serve a dual purpose of language revitalization and community engagement. By hosting the courses through organizations participating in the tribe’s Community & Cultural Outreach program, leaders hope to strengthen local community networks while encouraging new learners to study the language.
“I’m very excited for the North Tulsa and South Coffeyville communities to have access to this class with a great instructor,” Deputy Chief Bryan Warner said. “Chief Hoskin and I remain dedicated to spreading the Cherokee language far and wide, across Oklahoma and at-large.”
Deputy Secretary of State Canaan Duncan said the classes can help local organizations build lasting connections with community members.
“Activities like language classes hosted by our CCO participating organization allow those organizations to recruit community members to sign up as organization members,” Duncan said. “The community organizing impact for North Tulsa and South Coffeyville will remain long after these classes have wrapped up.”
The community language courses are supported through the Durbin Feeling Language Preservation Act, a Cherokee Nation initiative that has directed significant investments toward preserving and expanding the use of the Cherokee language.
Registration for the South Coffeyville course is available online. For more information, contact the Cherokee Nation Language Department at 918-207-4900 or email language@cherokee.org.
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