Did you know Cherokees officially began celebrating Thanksgiving more than 200 years after the first Thanksgiving in 1621? Former Principal Chief D.W. Bushyhead signed a proclamation on November 26, 1885 declaring Cherokees should practice Thanksgiving. Before Cherokees recognized modern Thanksgiving, the “Green Corn Ceremony” was celebrated as Cherokee ancestors gave thanks for the corn crop and forgave each other for whatever grudges they had held onto during that year. Osiyo, and have a happy

Happy Native American Heritage Month! Year round, we here at Visit Cherokee Nation strive to bring you authentic stories about Cherokee culture and history. Wherever you call home across the globe, we love to share our heritage with you. We have examples of Cherokee storytelling, discussions about history, interviews with artists and demonstrations of cultural activities available to watch anytime at YouTube.com/VisitCherokeeNation. | Visit Cherokee Nation

It’s the first Cherokee Word of the Week of the new year! Learn the Cherokee word for “baby.” | Visit Cherokee Nation