Cherokee Nation officials have broken ground in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, on a Cherokee Immersion Middle School for grades four to eight.
The Cherokee Nation says in a news release that the two-story, 66,000-square-foot facility will feature classrooms, basketball gym, stickball field, art patio, wellness space weightroom, specialty areas for dance and esports, storm shelter, cafeteria and media center.
Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. announced in January that $30 Million was being allocated to build a Cherokee language middle school to extend enrollment and space for second-language Cherokee learners.
The nation estimates about 75 fluent speakers are lost per year and about 25 second language learners graduate each year. There is a goal to replace as many speakers as are lost by 2032. It is estimated there are about 1,500 fluent Cherokee speakers left.
"As we raise a new generation of Cherokee speakers, this new immersion middle school will allow us to expand these efforts and ensure our youth are able to read, write and speak Cherokee for generations to come," Hoskin said.
The middle school program will be a continuation of the existing Cherokee Immersion Charter School, in which students are taught all classes in the Cherokee language.
The middle school will also feature a sacred courtyard with ceremonial fire pit and playground.
Construction is expected to be completed in 2026.
The architect is Blue River Architects, and the builder is Thompson Construction.
