December 6th, 2021 | KOSU NPR

In an effort to preserve and rebuild Native languages, First Lady Jill Biden and Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland visited Tahlequah, Okla., to tour the Cherokee Nation Immersion School.

Students at the school are working to preserve the Cherokee language, and those efforts were on full display during the tour. An eighth grade student introduced the First Lady in Cherokee, and the Cherokee National Youth Choir performed a Cherokee hymn, “Orphan Child”.

"It’s a beautiful reminder the spirit of a people cannot be lost when there are those who are willing to hold it in their hearts — to fight for it with love, dedication and strength," said Dr. Biden. This was her third visit to a tribal community since taking office.