Cherokee History, Community, And Connection In Kern County

From a Resilient Nation to At-Large Gatherings Today, Kern County’s Cherokee Community Comes Together to Learn, Remember, and Move Forward

Published: Jan. 03, 2026 | Featured Photo Credit: Kaylie Cotton

Across the United States, Cherokee citizens live far beyond the boundaries of the Cherokee Nation’s capital in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. These at-large communities exist in cities, valleys, and small towns, shaped by family, work, and generations of movement. They remain connected through shared history, cultural education, and opportunities to gather, learn, and support one another wherever they live.

Kern County is home to one of these at-large communities. Here, Cherokee citizens and their families come together to strengthen relationships, pass down knowledge, and create space for cultural continuity. These gatherings focus on education, connection, and keeping Cherokee history present within everyday community life.

Gathering With Purpose in Kern County

Credit: Deann Smith, at-large Cherokee community gathering in Bakersfield, CA.

In Kern County, at-large gatherings focus on participation, learning, and shared presence. While the Cherokee community plans and leads its own gatherings, other cultural happenings unfold alongside other tribal communities as well. Citizens come together around food, dance, conversation, and cultural exchange, creating space for learning, connection, and mutual respect across communities.

Deann Smith, Facilitator of the Cherokee Community of Central California, says:

“I love our indigenous community. We are all related and try to help each other. Gadugi, Tasalgai for community.”

Speaking to the importance of gatherings, Smith says:

“When we gather together, we are stronger. Community, connection, and culture are what make my heart sing.”

Learning Together In Kern County

This January, that connection takes center stage with an upcoming educational event hosted by the Kern County Cherokee at-large community. A two-day Cherokee History class will be held Jan. 24–25 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., offering an in-depth exploration of Cherokee history from pre-contact through modern sovereignty. Lunch will be provided.

The class will be facilitated by Catherine Grey, Historian and History and Preservation Officer of the Cherokee Nation, whose work focuses on preserving and accurately sharing the Nation’s story.

Cherokee History Lesson location

January 24 & 25, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Rasmussen Senior Center

115 E. Roberts Lane

Bakersfield, CA 93308.

More than a class, the gathering reflects what at-large communities do best: create space to learn, remember, and carry Cherokee history forward together, right here in Kern County.