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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEEvent: Sunday, April 13, 2025
Dennis Sixkiller to Teach Cherokee Marbles at Rogers County Cherokee Association Meeting
Claremore, OK – The Rogers County Cherokee Association (RCCA) will host a cultural event during its regularly scheduled monthly meeting on Sunday, April 13th, at 2 p.m. featuring Dennis Sixkiller, a Cherokee National Treasure and fluent first-language Cherokee speaker from Tahlequah. Sixkiller will teach attendees the traditional game of Cherokee Marbles, an Indigenous sport rooted in Cherokee history.
Sixkiller has been playing Cherokee Marbles for nearly 50 years after learning from tribal elders. The game, unlike the children's version familiar to many Oklahomans, uses billiard-sized balls on an outdoor playing field and is known for its strategic play. Sixkiller also coordinates the Cherokee Marbles Tournament each year during the Cherokee National Holiday in Tahlequah.
Cherokee Marbles, or ᏗᎦᏓᏲᏍᏗ in Cherokee, is played on an "L"-shaped field with five holes, using pool or snooker balls instead of traditional stone marbles. Teams of two to four players compete to complete the field and return to the first hole, with strategy often involving knocking out opponents' marbles. Full rules will be shared at the event, and a demonstration game will be played.
Sixkiller is also the longtime host of “Cherokee Voices, Cherokee Sounds”, a weekly hour-long radio program broadcast in the Cherokee language. The show features Cherokee music, elder interviews, and community updates. Listeners can hear archived episodes online at: Cherokee Voices, Cherokee Sounds
Event Schedule:
Doors Open: 1:30 p.m.
Prayer: 1:45 p.m.
Business Meeting: 2:00 p.m.
Cherokee Marbles with Dennis Sixkiller: Follows meeting
Social Time: After presentation
The Cherokee Business Moment is a brief two-minute presentation by a local Cherokee business during the business meeting, which is Waya Craft Corner: Handcrafted Cherokee Jewelry created by Cynthia Light-Floyd and her husband, David, located in Wagoner, Oklahoma.
Food and refreshments will be provided. Refreshment Hostesses are Alice Jumper Wilder and Rachel Wilder Angelo of Inola, Virginia Wilbanks and Barbara Rutherford of Owasso, and Margaret Seratte of Oologah, who are cooking and serving Indian Tacos with all of the fixings. Attendees are encouraged to bring a dessert to share. Free door prizes will be drawn throughout the event.
The event is free and open to the public, and those interested in Cherokee culture and traditional games are especially encouraged to attend. Membership is not required to participate but is encouraged to support future events.
RCCA Officers and Board Members for 2025:
President: Cathy Wright (Claremore)
Vice-President: Cara Cowan Watts (Justus)
Treasurer: Myles Rader (Claremore)
Secretary: Joseph Hensley (Owasso)
Board Members: Alice Jumper Wilder (Inola), Valerie Martich (Tulsa), Debbie Dentis (Inola), Tammy Polson (Claremore), Cheryl Rohr Backward (Claremore)
Membership Information:
Annual membership dues are $10 for General or Associate Members and $25 per household for families of three or more. General Membership is open to Cherokee Nation citizens aged 18 or older, while Associate Membership is available to all others. Members who have not yet renewed for 2025 are encouraged to bring payment to the meeting.
Meeting Location:
15488 East 523 Road, Claremore, OK 74019 (East of Tiawah-Justus School’s North campus)
For more information, visit the RCCA website at www.rogerscountycherokees.org or follow Rogers County Cherokees on Facebook. Contact RCCA via email at [email protected], by mail at P.O. Box 142, Claremore, OK 74018, or by phone at (539) 777-2898.
Written by Cara Cowan Watts | Cherokee411.com
Photos Provided by Dennis Sixkiller
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
15488 E 523 Rd, Claremore, OK, United States, Oklahoma 74019
