Sequoyah High School (Cherokee County, Oklahoma) facts for kids

Sequoyah High School (sometimes called Sequoyah-Tahlequah) is a special Native American boarding school. It's for students in grades 7 to 12 who belong to a federally recognized Native American tribe. The school is in Park Hill, Oklahoma, near Tahlequah. The Cherokee Nation runs it with help from the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE).

Sequoyah is one of only two boarding high schools for Native Americans in Oklahoma. It's part of a bigger group called Sequoyah Schools (which is Siquoya Dideloquasdi in the Cherokee language).

About Sequoyah Schools

Sequoyah Schools also has an elementary school. This school teaches students from pre-school up to 8th grade. At the Cherokee Immersion School, younger students (pre-school to 6th grade) learn mostly in the Cherokee language. Then, around 5th grade, they start learning more in English.

In 2007, a writer named Jeff Raymond said that many Cherokee people across the United States knew about Sequoyah School.

History of Sequoyah High School

The school started in 1871. The Cherokee National Council created it as the Cherokee Orphan Asylum. It was built to care for the many children who became orphans after the American Civil War. The first building on the school's current land was built in 1875.

In 1914, the Cherokee National Council allowed Chief William Charles Rogers to sell the school's land and buildings. The United States Department of the Interior bought the 40 acres (160,000 m²) for $5,000. In 1925, the school's name changed to Sequoyah Orphan Training School. This was to honor Sequoyah, a famous Cherokee who created the Cherokee syllabary (a writing system).

For a short time, the school was also called Sequoyah Vocational School. In its early years, the school had a working dairy farm and other farming areas. The Bureau of Indian Affairs ran it as a boarding school until 1985.

In November 1985, the Cherokee Nation took over running Sequoyah High School from the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Now, the Cherokee Nation operates the school with a special grant. The school currently has 90 acres (360,000 m²) of land and more than a dozen main buildings. It is about 5 miles (8 km) southwest of Tahlequah, Oklahoma.

Jolyn Choate became the principal around 2012. In 2020, the school needed more teachers for math and science. Patrick Moore was the superintendent until he left in 2020.

School Campus

The school is located on 90 acres (36 hectares) of land. It's in an unincorporated part of Cherokee County, Oklahoma. The campus is about 5 miles (8 km) southwest of Tahlequah. Even though it's outside the city, it has a Tahlequah mailing address.

In 2003, the school's cafeteria could hold 280 people. The whole campus was built to serve about 300 students. Only high school students can live in the dorms.

How to Get Admitted

To be accepted into Sequoyah High School, a student must have a Certificate of Degree of Indian Blood. This shows they are a member of a Federally Recognized Tribe. As of 2007, there were no other strict rules for getting in.

In 2007, Jeff Raymond said that many students wanted to attend Sequoyah. He mentioned that getting in was competitive, and there was often a waiting list.

The school does not charge tuition fees. The tribal government and the BIE pay for all the school's costs.

What Students Learn

The school offers special classes about the Cherokee people. These include courses on the tribe's history, arts, the Cherokee language, and other parts of their culture. In 2007, Oklahoma required high school students to earn 23 credits to graduate. However, Sequoyah High School required its students to complete 28 credits.

Student Population

About 430 students attend Sequoyah High School. Around 47% are male, and 53% are female. There is one teacher for every 15 students. All the students at Sequoyah High School are American Indian. This is much higher than Oklahoma's state average, where about 18% of students are American Indian.

In 2007, there were 436 students, and over 100 of them lived on campus. In 2006, the school had 360 students. In 2003, there were 363 students, which was the highest number at that time. These students came from 16 different states and belonged to 39 different tribes.

School Sports and Mascot

The school's mascot is the Indian. Around September 2005, there were rumors that the school might change the mascot's name to the eagle. However, Chad Smith, the Principal Chief of the tribe, issued an order saying the mascot would stay the same if the school board agreed. In 2006, Gina Stanley, the superintendent of Cherokee Schools, said that students liked the mascot.

State Championships

Sequoyah High School has won 21 state championships in seven different sports:

• Powerlifting – 2016
• Boys Basketball – 2003
• Girls Basketball – 2005, 2006, 2007, 2015, 2017, 2018
• Boys Cross Country – 1964, 1965, 1969, 1993, 1995, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006
• Girls Cross Country – 1992, 2005
• Slow Pitch Softball – 2012
• Fast Pitch Softball – 2018

Famous Alumni

Some well-known people who went to Sequoyah High School include:

• Angel Goodrich, a WNBA basketball player
• Jackson Narcomey, a painter and printmaker
• Nathan Stanley, an American football player
• Ryan Helsley, a pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team

Related Schools

Here are some other boarding schools for Native Americans:

• Off-reservation boarding schools run by the BIE:
  • Chemawa Indian School
  • Flandreau Indian School
  • Riverside Indian School
  • Sherman Indian High School
• Off-reservation boarding schools run by tribes:
  • Circle of Nations Wahpeton Indian School
  • Pierre Indian Learning Center