This Issue:

Table of Contents

Cover Story

Cover Story - Spanish Version

Mini-Lesson

Comprehension Quiz

Teacher's Guide and Worksheets

Saving Their Native Language

Walk past the music room at Lost City School near Hulbert, Oklahoma. You will hear some unusual sounds! The kids shout that Old MacDonald had a wa-ga and a ka-wo-nu on his farm. The words mean "cow" and "duck" in Cherokee.

In the building next door, kindergarten kids learn everything from colors to numbers in Cherokee. They are called by their Native Indian names. The kids speak only in Cherokee for most of the day. They are the first public school students to do this in the United States.

WHY LEARN THE LANGUAGE?

Cherokee is one of 170 or so Native Indian languages in the U.S. All of the languages are in danger of disappearing. About 99 out of every 100 people who can speak and understand Cherokee well are over the age of 45.

"If we don't learn Cherokee, our grandsons won't know it," says Crystal Braden, 13. Lost City School has 100 students. Crystal is one of the 65 students who are Cherokee. Her class just finished making a video to teach Cherokee words for colors to younger students.

Kristian Smith, 10, is learning words from his little brother, Lane, who is in kindergarten. "It's weird," says Kristian. "I'm the one who should be teaching him!"

The Cherokee word ga-du-gi describes the school's work. It means "working together to help the community." November is National American Indian Heritage Month. But at Lost City School, everyone works together all year long.

Next: Remembering A President