Chepota Chikasha Anumpoli language club students received first place in the third-through fifth-grade group spoken language category.

Kelsey and Jolie Morgan placed second with their production of “Choctaw Cheers” in the group language performance with music and dance category.

Brooke, Amanda and Skye Shackleford, back row from left, with siblings Katy and Dale after receiving first-place honors in spoken language presentations.

Thirkiel and Chelsea Wedlow performed in the third-through fifth-grade group language performance singing Choctaw Hymns.

NORMAN, Okla. -A number of Chickasaw students gave full voice to our Chickasaw language during the sixth annual Oklahoma Native American Youth Language Fair March 31 and April 1 at the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History in Norman. The students brought home awards in many categories.

The Chepota Chikasha Anumpoli (children speaking Chickasaw) language club received first place in the third-through fifth-grade group spoken language category. Katy and Dale Shackleford won first place in the sixth-through eighth-grade group spoken language presentation, with Amanda, Brooke and Skye Shackleford winning first place in the ninth-through twelfth-grade small group spoken language presentation.

The language club students performed the skit “Chikasha Sipokni Osapa Ahunta Mitcha Eho Bunna” (Old Chickasaw Lives on a Farm and Wants a Wife). The skit is about a Chickasaw farmer who is looking for a wife. The setting is a barnyard atmosphere with students dressed as cows, dogs, pigs and mice.

The students performed the skit utilizing exclusively Chickasaw language, bringing home first-place honors.

Chepota Chikasha Anumpoli students included Jesse Clark and Trevor Clark, of Stratford; Chelsea Wedlow and Thirkiel Wedlow, of Allen; and Maycee Davis, Johnathon Delfrate, Sunzie Harrison, Taylor Harrison, Lauren

John, Kendra Smith and Colton Wilson, all of Ada.

The Shacklefords have participated in the Youth Language Fair the last few years, placing in different categories. This year in the prejudged competitions, Katy placed third in the fifth-through eighth-grade book category, Amanda placed second in the language advocacy essay category and Dale placed in the top 10 in the third-through fifthgrade poster category. Last year, Brooke won the grand prize in the poster competition. Her design, which included three turtles to represent the Chickasaw language at different periods in history, adorned t-shirts worn at this year’s event.

“It is great to see young children learning the Chickasaw language and taking pride in their culture,” said Chickasaw Nation Governor Bill Anoatubby. “We congratulate the students for their participation and accomplishments during the Oklahoma Native American Youth language fair.”

Other Chickasaw students participated in the fair, including Jolie and Kelsey Morgan and Thirkiel and Chelsea Wedlow. Jolie and Kelsey placed second with their production of “Choctaw Cheers” in the group language performance with music and dance category. The Morgan sisters also received second place in the third-through fifthgrade book category.

Thirkiel and Chelsea Wedlow performed in the third-through fifth-grade group language performance singing Choctaw hymns.

Twenty Chickasaw Nation Madill Head Start students presented their own production of “The Thirsty Buffalo,” an adaptation of the book, “The Thirsty Moose,” by David Orme. The students portrayed animals and scenery while speaking in Chickasaw.

Madill Head Start students included Ellary Awalt, Selena Bautista, Dakota Beshirs, Brylee Bruster, Sagrario Camacho, Angel Campos-Vargas, Carina Castaneda, Fernanda Hernandez, Angel Hernandez-Estrada, Zoey Hillsberry, Haylee Howard, Gracie Jones, Shylee Kenedy, Jharyrimiel Marquez, Conner Mathis, Rafael Quiroz Jr., Andrea Segura, Reyes Silva, Misti Tynes and Kaylee Young.

“Language Lives in Laughter” was the theme for the 2008 Oklahoma Native American Youth Language Fair. Participants of all ages demonstrated language skills as groups or individuals in the spoken lan-guage and language with music or dance categories.

Participants across Oklahoma and neighboring states, including dozens of Chickasaw students, attend the fair. This year’s competition nearly doubled in registration with more than

1,000 students, parents and chaperones involved in the event, compared to approximately 600 for the 2007 Youth Language Fair.

For more information about the annual Oklahoma Native American Youth Language Fair, visit www.snomnh.ou.edu.