"the People's Paths!" Cherokee News Path - New CNHS Programs Coordinator Announced

PARK HILL, Oklahoma – The Cherokee National Historical Society, Inc., the parent non-profit organization of the Cherokee Heritage Center recently announced Karen Coody Cooper as the new Adams Corner Programs Coordinator for the Cherokee Heritage Center. Cooper comes to Tahlequah from the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C. where she served as manager of museum training for Native museums for fourteen years. Prior to joining the Smithsonian she served in museum education at the American Indian Archaeological Institute, the Museum of the Great Plains and the Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum.

Cooper, a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, was born in Tulsa and grew up in Collinsville, Oklahoma. She holds a B.A. in anthropology/sociology from Western Connecticut State University and Master of Liberal Studies with museum emphasis from the University of Oklahoma. She recently authored Spirited Encounters, published by AltaMira Press, which chronicles American Indian protests of museum policies and practices. Cooper also co-edited Living Homes for Cultural Expression, published by the National Museum of the American Indian.

“Future plans for Adams Corner Rural Village include developing public presentations to illuminate issues of the 1890s, to have Cherokee crafts along with typical 1890s crafts shown in progress, and to develop family activities for visitors to enjoy,” said Cooper.

The Cherokee Heritage Center is devoted to the preservation and promotion of Cherokee history and culture. For more information on the Cherokee National Historical Society, Inc. (CNHS), visit the Cherokee Heritage Center (CHC), or call 918-456-6007.