TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – Cherokee Nation is sharing its rich history and culture through the tribe’s first official geocaching event, “ᏗᏁᎶᏗ: Cherokee Stories & Adventure.” ᏗᏁᎶᏗ (di-ne-lo-di) is the Cherokee word for “game.”
Geocaching is a GPS-based scavenger hunt that encourages users to get out and explore their surroundings.
On Saturday, Sept. 16, the public is invited to Cherokee Nation’s Peace Pavilion from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. to celebrate the launch of the tribe’s first caches in its capital city of Tahlequah while enjoying family-friendly activities.
“We couldn’t be more excited to offer another unique way to share our story and for the public to enjoy Cherokee Nation,” said Cherokee Nation Deputy Principal Chief Bryan Warner. “We hope to expand these ‘cultural caches’ throughout the reservation in the coming months to offer an immersive and entertaining way to experience all that Cherokee Nation has to offer.”
The event will feature a brief information session to introduce the basics of geocaching alongside storytelling with Cherokee Nation citizen Candice Byrd-Boney, make-and-take crafts, an escape room trailer and the food truck The Bird and Bison, owned by Cherokee Nation citizen Justin Phillips.
At 11 a.m., the tribe’s caches will be published through the app and the hunt will begin.
Participants will collect a small token of artwork at each cache, and when combined, it will reveal “Spring Creek Uktena, Cherokee County” by Cherokee Nation artist Kindra Swafford. The piece was recently honored with an award of merit at the 2023 Cherokee Homecoming Art Show. Once all pieces are collected, participants can either keep the four pieces or trade them in for a complete print.
The Cherokee National Peace Pavilion is located at 177 S. Water Ave. The event is open to the public and free to attend.