Cherokee language learners bridge generations with iPad and Mac

apple stories Cherokee language learners bridge generations with iPad and Mac Download Video education May 28, 2026 At the Cherokee Immersion School in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, the hallways are buzzing with young learners traveling from one classroom to the next. Serving students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade, the immersion school — a branch of the Durbin Feeling Language Center — is tasked with creating the next generation of Cherokee language speakers. “They’re really language warriors,” says Erlinda “Daksi” Soap, a fifth grade teacher at the immersion school. “Our mission here at Cherokee Nation and the Durbin Feeling Language Center is to find our future Cherokee leaders, those who are willing to share the language and continue growing the language.” Today, there are fewer than 1,500 fluent speakers in a population of over 480,000 Cherokee people around the world. Apple has been supporting Cherokee Nation — and their partners at Oklahoma City University (OCU) — in their efforts to help revitalize the language and culture. Through its Community Education Initiative, Apple is helping to equip teachers and young learners with iPad and Mac at the Cherokee Immersion School and nearby Sequoyah High School. .image-3eec35a1d3172627354eadc96812e427 { width: 100%; padding-top: 66.734695%; height: auto; } @media only screen and (max-width: 1068px) { .image-3eec35a1d3172627354eadc96812e427 { width: 100%; padding-top: 66.76301%; height: auto; } } @media only screen and (max-width: 734px) { .image-3eec35a1d3172627354eadc96812e427 { width: 100%; padding-top: 66.82692%; height: auto; } } At the Cherokee Immersion School in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, the staff is devoted to creating the next generation of Cherokee language speakers. Here, assistant teacher Minnia Whitener works with students who use iPad to help them learn. .image-da89a0f9fe164ad5ec72e1663ae78a89 { width: 100%; padding-top: 66.734695%; height: auto; } @media only screen and (max-width: 1068px) { .image-da89a0...