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NORMAN, OKLA. – The Native American Studies Department at the University of Oklahoma announced the retirement of its longtime Cherokee language instructor Christine Armer.
The Muldrow native grew up in a Cherokee-speaking community and said she wasn’t introduced to the English language until she attended grade school.
After high school, she worked in different capacities as an educator. For at least four years, she worked for Cherokee Nation in Tahlequah with Durbin Feeling, a Cherokee linguist and language preservationist who is known for writing a major Cherokee-English dictionary.
In 2005, she attended Northeastern State University where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in 2005 in Elementary Education, though prior to graduation she had already been recruited by Patricia Gillman, then-chair of the OU Department of Anthropology, to develop and teach Cherokee language at OU.
One of her NAS colleagues, Farina King, said, “I have enjoyed the opportunity to learn from Mrs. Armer as she teaches everyone around her the significance of Cherokee language and culture.” King also heard testimonies from various students and people who deeply respect Ms. Armer and what she has taught them, including from students who did not have the opportunity to take one of her classes which often were filled to capacity with waiting lists.
The NAS Department at OU will hold a retirement celebration at Dale Hall Tower Community Room 906 on the ninth floor, 455 W. Lindsey St. starting at 2 p.m. RSVP at nas@ou.edu.
The event will include a blessing with a meal, a welcome, Cherokee language speakers, reflections from Armer, a language roundtable and Q&A, and a closing. Listen to Christine Armer’s story in her own words on this special Native Circles podcast episode: https://bit.ly/christinearmerepisode.
About the University of Oklahoma
Founded in 1890, the University of Oklahoma is a public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. As the state’s flagship university, OU serves the educational, cultural, economic and health care needs of the state, region and nation. For more information about the university, visit www.ou.edu.
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