Cherokee Nation commits $800,000 to Little Cherokee Seeds program

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. — The Cherokee Nation has approved $800,000 in funding to support the Little Cherokee Seeds program, a mother-infant initiative dedicated to raising Cherokee children in language, culture and tradition from birth.

Picture Little Cherokee Seeds

Operated by the American Indian Resource Center, the Little Cherokee Seeds program immerses Cherokee infants and their mothers in the Cherokee language during the earliest stages of life, a critical period for long-term language retention and fluency.

The program is built around early immersion and cultural continuity, creating a home-like environment where Cherokee is spoken first and cultural values are practiced daily. Children are surrounded by the language while caregivers participate in traditional activities such as gardening, identifying native plants, gathering wild foods and learning the rhythms of the natural world.

By prioritizing early language exposure, the program aims to ensure future generations are equipped to carry the Cherokee language forward while maintaining a strong connection to ancestral traditions, values and history.

Since its inception, Cherokee Nation has provided nearly $3 million in cash or in-kind support to Little Cherokee Seeds. The tribe has also contributed vehicles, classroom renovations and funding for previous program years, including similar support for the program’s 2025 operations.

“Cherokee Little Seeds is a program that makes sure Cherokee children hear the Cherokee language first,” said Tonia Weavel, president of the AIRC Board of Directors. “If toddlers hear and know Cherokee as their first language, they are more likely to retain it. Because we don’t live in an all-Cherokee world, we are creating one for our children.”

Weavel said the program is designed as a co-learning environment, allowing mothers to learn the language alongside their children while strengthening family and community bonds rooted in Cherokee culture.