Cherokee Nation (Oklahoma)

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Posted: July 7, 2020

Edna “Dolly” Raper. February 26, 1953 – July 4, 2020. Courtesy photo

Cherokee Nation mourns the loss of one of its fluent Cherokee speakers and elders to COVID-19. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of Edna “Dolly” Raper, 67, of Kenwood. Raper retired from Kenwood School, and passed on Saturday.

“On behalf of the Cherokee Nation, we send our thoughts and prayers to Dolly’s family during this difficult time, and grieve with them as we have lost an outstanding Cherokee citizen. My wife January, and I, want Dolly’s, children and grandchildren to know how truly sorry we are. When we lose our language, we lose our identity, and COVID-19 has been the single most threat to our language in this generation, taking from us speakers such as Dolly. Dolly’s life and her death are deeply meaningful to her family, community and our Nation. We can give her life and passing even more meaning by recommitting ourselves to language preservation and keeping each other safe by wearing masks, social distancing and listening to health experts so that we do not lose any more of our most precious resources.” – Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin, Jr.

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