Cherokee Rose Buds: When Native American girls pioneered bilingual journalism

Catherine Gunter and Nancy Hicks’ Groundbreaking Cherokee Newspaper

In 1854, two Cherokee girls made history with just ink and paper.

Catherine Gunter and Nancy Hicks launched “Cherokee Rose Buds,” America’s first Native American student newspaper at the Cherokee Female Seminary.

Their eight-page monthly sold for 10 cents and broke new ground by printing in both English and Cherokee syllabary.

The masthead proudly stated their aim: “The Good, the Beautiful and the True.”

Even mainstream publications like Youth’s Companion took notice, though with a hint of surprise that “that interesting tribe” could produce such work.

The Cherokee Heritage Center in Oklahoma now stands where these young women once proved their brilliance while keeping their culture alive.

Cherokee Nation Built Top-Notch Schools When Others Wouldn’t

The Cherokee National Council put schools first in 1846 when they approved plans for twin seminaries under Chief John Ross.

They spent over $60,000 on two big three-story brick buildings with columns that looked like fancy colleges. William Ross and David Vann went to New England in 1850 to study Mount Holyoke as their model.

Building of the Female Seminary started in Park Hill in 1847 with workers from Boston. The Cherokee Nation wanted schools as good as what white students got elsewhere.

Students Took Hard Tests Before Getting Free School

The Cherokee Female Seminary opened on May 7, 1851, with Mount Holyoke graduates Ellen Whitmore and Sarah Worcester running it.

Girls who wanted to attend took tough two-day tests to prove they were ready. These young women also performed plays and held music shows along with their hard classes.

Those who passed got their schooling paid for by the tribe. Classes went beyond basics with Greek, Latin, economics, philosophy, religion, and literature.

Two Teen Girls Started a Historic Newspaper

Catherine Gunter and Nancy Hicks, teenage Cherokee students, came up with the idea to start their own newspaper in 1854.

The school leaders gave them the go-ahead for this groundbreaking student project. Their paper became the first Native American student newspaper in the United States.

The forward-thinking young women planned content in both English and Cherokee script, making it readable to people using both languages throughout Indian Territory.

America’s First Native American Student Paper Cost Just 10 Cents

The first issue of “Cherokee Rose Buds” came out on Wednesday, August 2, 1854, in Park Hill.

This eight-page paper had a banner stating it was for “The Good, the Beautiful and the True.” Catherine Gunter and Nancy Hicks handled all editing themselves.

The monthly paper sold for just 10 cents across Indian Territory and even reached readers outside tribal lands who wanted to see what Cherokee students wrote.

Poetry Started The First Issue With Strong Cultural Pride

A student writer called “Corrinne” began the first issue with her strong poem “Our Wreath of Rose Buds.”

Her verses compared Cherokee writings to flowers “which will not wither, droop, or die” when many thought Native cultures would vanish.

She called Cherokee writing immortal art “from the garden of the mind,” showing great faith in her people’s thinking skills.

This poetry brought Cherokee writing talent to American readers who rarely saw Native Americans as writers.

Articles Came In Two Languages Next To Each Other

The newspaper printed news, opinions, poems, and school updates in both English and Cherokee syllabary. Parts written in Cherokee kept the native language alive when many tribal languages were dying out.

English sections helped reach more readers and showed the students could master multiple languages. The young writers covered topics from their Cherokee homeland to personal stories and school achievements.

Big American Magazine Featured The Cherokee Paper

Youth’s Companion, one of America’s most popular magazines, wrote about Cherokee Rose Buds for readers across the country.

The magazine told its audience that members of “that interesting tribe” showed clear signs of “advanced” learning abilities.

This national attention challenged common beliefs about Native American in the 1850s.

The Cherokee journalism project earned respect in American writing circles when most Native Americans faced unfair treatment.

Money Problems Almost Killed The Paper

The Cherokee Female Seminary hit money troubles in the mid-1850s that forced it to close for a while. These money problems created an uneven printing schedule that hurt the newspaper’s reach.

The original “Cherokee Rose Buds” stopped by late 1854 after money issues made it impossible to keep going.

As the first student editors graduated, the paper needed new leaders to carry on its work.

New Editors Brought The Publication Back With A New Name

Elizabeth Duncan and Lucinda Ross took over editing duties in 1855 with plans to keep the project going.

They restarted the paper under a slightly different name: “A Wreath of Cherokee Rose Buds.” The new version came out “at the close of each Session” instead of monthly like before.

They kept using both languages to maintain the Cherokee cultural mission that made the newspaper special in American journalism history.

Civil War Threats Loomed Over The Final Issues

“A Wreath of Cherokee Rose Buds” continued through 1857 under student management despite growing tensions.

The Cherokee Nation faced increasing financial pressures that affected all educational programs. The approaching Civil War created uncertainty for Cherokee institutions.

Despite these challenges, the student newspaper represented the pinnacle of Cherokee educational achievement during this brief golden age of tribal autonomy.

The Newspaper Left A Lasting Mark On American Journalism

Cherokee Rose Buds set the precedent for Native American student publications that followed in later decades.

Its bilingual journalism showed how cultural preservation could work successfully within American educational frameworks.

The publication influenced Cherokee literary traditions and set high standards for educational excellence.

Though the Seminary continued producing educated Cherokee women leaders until its closure in 1909, nothing matched the pioneering spirit of those young journalists.

Visiting Cherokee Heritage Center, Oklahoma

The Cherokee Heritage Center at 21192 S. Keeler Drive in Park Hill is currently closed while they work on future plans.

This is where the Cherokee Female Seminary operated from 1851, where Cherokee girls created their groundbreaking bilingual newspaper.

The site houses Cherokee National Archives with over 11,000 historic documents and artifacts. You can still use their Family Research Center for genealogy help.

Contact info@visitcherokeenation.com for reopening updates.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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