Osiyo. Not only is this how we say hello in Cherokee, it’s
also how we’ve been saying hello to the world for the past two and a half years
through our award-winning television and online program, “Osiyo, Voices of the
Cherokee People.” This past weekend, the show was honored by the National
Academy of Television Arts & Sciences with two Heartland Emmys after being
nominated for a whopping 10 awards overall. OsiyoTV, as we fondly refer to it,
was recognized with its first Emmy last year after being nominated for five.
The Heartland chapter of the Emmys recognizes outstanding television
programming in Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado and Wyoming, and heartfelt
congratulations go out to the entire OsiyoTV team for their outstanding work
and accomplishments.
Since this show launched in February of 2015, we’ve told the
stories of more than 100 Cherokees, past and present, who truly embody what it
means to be Cherokee. We’ve profiled artists, professional athletes, coaches,
opera singers, Grammy-winning recording artists, MMA fighters, models, pageant winners
and even a trick rider who starred in a hit movie.
But OsiyoTV has also introduced our audiences to quieter
moments, such as our Cherokee language radio show and gospel music, cooking
kanuchi, families digging for wild onions or gigging for crawdads, or even
Cherokees speaking to their struggles with substance abuse and how they found
the will to overcome and help others who are also struggling. For history
lovers, the Cherokee Almanac tells the stories you won’t usually find in the
history books. The “Let’s Talk Cherokee” language lessons featuring our
Cherokee immersion school students inspire us that our youth will keep the
Cherokee language alive for the future.
Produced, directed and hosted by an all-Native staff, we
couldn’t be more proud of what they’ve achieved. But more importantly, we’re so
pleased with what these stories have meant to our people. No matter where I
travel, people always make a point to tell me how much they enjoy the show.
Many times they’ve seen a story about a relative or a friend, but more often
they tell me it reminds them of someone who was special to them who is no
longer with us. Other times they tell me it harkens them back to their
childhood and experiences they shared with their parents or grandparents
growing up. For our Cherokees who’ve left the 14 counties of the Cherokee
Nation, it’s a connection they may have been missing for many years they’ve
been longing to reestablish.
When I took the oath of Principal Chief, part of that duty
and responsibility was to protect and promote the Cherokee culture. So while
these stories and shows are entertaining and heartwarming, they’re also meant
to be a historical record and a way to keep our Cherokee heritage thriving.
No culture can survive unless it is carefully preserved and
passed down to the next generation, and that’s what OsiyoTV is doing. The show
and its team comprised of Emmy-winning journalist and Cherokee Nation citizen
Jennifer Loren, along with Cherokee producers, directors, researchers and
editors behind the scenes are culture-keepers in a digital age. They take great
care to research, verify and document our culture, customs, language and the
wisdom of today’s elders, so that it all may be passed to the next seven
generations.
If you aren’t already a fan of the show, please take the
time to see what you’re missing. Visit www.osiyo.tv
to watch full episodes of this Emmy-winning program from anywhere in the world,
24 hours a day, seven days a week. The website also displays television
showtimes for Oklahoma, northwest Arkansas, southwest Missouri and southeast
Kansas. We’ll have more exciting news to announce soon about the show, so as
they say in the TV business, stay tuned.
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