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Rethinking ᏥᏏᏆᏔᎳᏅᏱ John Rollin Ridge, Cherokee Poet & Novelist
In 1846, a forgotten poem titled “A Light Broke in Upon My Brain” appeared in the Arkansas State Gazette under the pen name Yellow Bird—the Cherokee poet John Rollin Ridge (ᏥᏏᏆᏔᎳᏅᏱ Cheesquatalawny). Long before he became the first Native American novelist, Ridge was a nineteen-year-old Cherokee survivor writing through grief, loss, and the upheaval of his Nation. This rediscovered poem reveals an early voice shaped by trauma yet fiercely committed to imagination, resilience,
Kimberlie Gilliland
Nov 227 min read


The ᏩᏯ (Wolf) and the ᎩᏟ (Dog)
A wolf envies a dog's well-fed life until learning it comes at the cost of freedom.
Kimberlie Gilliland
Dec 10, 20242 min read


A Long-Awaited Apology: Steps Toward Healing for Indigenous Communities
On tribal lands this past Friday, President Joe Biden issued a long-overdue apology on behalf of the United States for policies that...
Kimberlie Gilliland
Oct 26, 20243 min read


Special Message from CN Tribal Council Rep. Julia Coates
Special Referendum to Call Constitutional Convention " On March 11, the Tribal Council affirmed a special referendum on whether or not to...
Kimberlie Gilliland
Mar 25, 20242 min read
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