Chief of Cherokee Nation Set to Speak at Charity Benefit Oct. 16

Chief of Cherokee Nation Set to Speak at Charity Benefit Oct. 16

RICE NEWS
October 7, 1999

Indian nations will gather at Rice for an event honoring Chad Smith, the recently-elected chief of the Cherokee Nation, and deputy chief Hastings Shade.

The dinner event will be held on Saturday, Oct. 16, at 6 p.m. in the Grand Ballroom of the Rice Memorial Center. Sponsored by the Native American Arts Council of Houston, the Native American Coalition and the American Indian Chamber of Commerce of Texas, it will benefit the Rainbow House and needy families of the Cherokee Nation. The Rainbow House is a charitable organization in Oklahoma run by Cherokee elders.

In addition to the leaders of the Cherokee Nation, other celebrated guests include Walela–which means hummingbird in Cherokee–a vocal trio featuring two-time Grammy Award winner Rita Coolidge. The trio’s self-titled first album is a celebration of its Cherokee heritage.

Other guests at the event will be Wilma Mankiller, renowned author and speaker and former chief of the Cherokee Nation, actor Wes Studi, Cherokee flutist Tommy Wildcat and John B. Herrington, the first American Indian astronaut.

The evening should be of interest to members of the Rice community, even those who are not American Indian.

“Most people are genuinely interested in Native American culture, if not necessarily the issues concerning native people,” said Ken Masters, a registered tribal member of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma and a member of Rice’s Native American Student Association. “In many ways, tribal culture for non-Native America is a curiosity and for the most part it is a curiosity with respect. I personally welcome this curiosity. It provides an opportunity to not only quench the thirst for a foreign culture, but expose the curious to the vital issues that affect native people.”

For tickets and additional information call Carroll Cocchia, (409) 441-4572, or Pat Poland, (409) 756-1225.