Podcast Series with Professor Jaquetta Shade-Johnson: Episode 2

Hi Everyone,

We hope you’re doing well. I’m curious to know what you thought of the first segment with our special guest, Professor Jaquetta Shade-Johnson. For those of you who weren’t able to listen to it yet, you can check it out on the Podcast webpage or read a summary of it in my prior blog. In this second episode, Professor Shade-Johnson talks more about Cherokee culture, what it means to her to be Cherokee, especially a Cherokee woman, the changing dynamics of the society and the role of men and women. Through her background, we get a sense of what it was like to grow up in a mixed household with Cherookee roots and how food and family traditions were a big part of staying connected to Cherokee culture, while growing up. She also speaks about concerted initiatives by the Cherokee nation to preserve some of the Cherokee language within the local ecosystem. This is especially helpful to the youth, as there are many more opportunities such as Cherokee immersion programs that help the children in the community stay connected to their roots.

In the podcast, she discusses how heartening it is to see how the Cherokee nation is investing in the community’s future while also honoring their past. She further discusses how she grew up in a fascinating time with very strong women leaders around her. She also dives into the matrilineal roots of the Cherokee tribe, how Cherokee society originally operated female-centric society, and how it then transitioned to a patrilineal society during the assimilation. So a lot of the matrilineal lineage practices gave way during the assimilation period. Professor Shade-Johnson touches on the role of men in leadership and decision-making and how men and women collaborated in creating a balanced process.

I hope you enjoy this second episode of our second podcast series! We will continue this engaging discussion in our third episode next time.

Gabby