For the first time ever this fall, Duke University will offer a new online Cherokee language course series.
It's open to all students, and will count toward a full language college credit to graduate. Courtney Lewis, the university’s inaugural director for the Native American Studies Initiative, said this will also be the first time that Duke students will get to learn an American Indian language.
“So, one of the first things that students are going to learn how to speak about is their feelings,” she said. “And, that tells us a lot about the Cherokee language and the Cherokee people, right off the bat. So, students are going to also learn about concepts like Gadugi and Duyuk’dv’i, which are two of the guiding life principles for the Anigaduwagi people.”
The new course will also recognize the intertwined history of Duke University and American Indian education. From 1882 to 1887, Trinity College — now known as Duke University — ran a federally funded Cherokee Industrial Indian Boarding School with 20 Eastern Band of Cherokee Indian children.
“They were forced into a school whose sole purpose was to kill the Indian and save the man, as the quote went,” said Lewis. “So, their hair was cut, and their clothes were changed. They now played in marching bands. And, most importantly, they were not allowed to speak their language.”
The new Cherokee Language class is a four-course series. It’s supported by the partnership for less commonly taught languages through the cultural anthropology department at Duke. Students at Vanderbilt University will join this year's fall class at Duke online. Lewis said in the future, she hopes the course can be offered in person.
