The Seminole State College Native American Serving Non-Tribal Institutions federal grant program will host the Cherokee National Youth Choir on Dec. 7 at 7 p.m. in the Jeff Johnston Auditorium. The choir will perform traditional Cherokee songs in the Cherokee language. The event is free and open to the public.

The CNYC is made up of middle and high school youth in 6th-12th grades from northeastern Oklahoma communities. The students compete in rigorous auditions every year for inclusion in the group. CNYC was formed to keep youth involved in the Cherokee language and culture. Choir members function as goodwill ambassadors, demonstrating that Cherokee language and culture continue to thrive in the modern era.

Founded in 2000, the group has recorded 12 albums and has performed with artists such as Foreigner, Dolly Parton, Vince Gill, Roy Clark, Kenny Rogers and the Oak Ridge Boys.

The group has performed at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., and at the Smithsonian’s grand opening of the National Museum of the American Indian.

This performance will cap off NASNTI’s series of cultural events for the fall, which included a performance by the Osage Ballet in August, a presentation by “Killers of the Flower Moon” author David Grann in September, a presentation on photography and native culture by Matika Wilbur in October, and a screening of the documentary “Searching for Sequoyah” in November.

SSC’s NASNTI grant program is 100% federally funded in the amount of $450,000 annually. In addition to hosting cultural experiences on campus, the grant also provides support for students with disabilities by training faculty and staff in best practices, implementing assistive devices and technology and redesigning foundational courses to ensure they best support online students with disabilities.