Ayosta Lossie, an EBCI tribal member from the Wolftown Community, won third place in the Dairy Foods category in the 11-13 age group. (Photos courtesy of EBCI 4-H Program)
Two Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) 4-H members placed at the State 4-H Presentation Competition recently at N.C. State University in Raleigh. 80 counties from across the state were represented with over 365 presenters competing in 32 different categories. Youth must prepare a 5- to 12-minute demonstration or illustrated talk that is presented to three judges.
Ayosta Lossie, an EBCI tribal member from the Wolftown Community, won third place in the Dairy Foods category in the 11-13 age group. She did a presentation entitled “What’s for Dinner? Dairy!” Her presentation involved making chicken alfredo and discussing the value of dairy in your diet.
Joanna Shipman, an EBCI tribal member from the Wofltown Community, won third place in the Foods and Nutrition category in the 8-10 age group. She did a presentation entitled “Jedi Pancakes”. Her presentation involved making pancakes and discussing nutrition in your diet from her meal.
“This 4-H public speaking program allows our youth to speak in front of people they don’t know, present on something they are passionate about, and it also has a significant cultural piece,” said Sally Dixon, EBCI 4-H agent. “All of our kids introduce themselves entirely in the Cherokee language at the beginning of their presentations… and many of them are choosing culturally focused presentation topics.”
Joanna Shipman, an EBCI tribal member from the Wofltown Community, won third place in the Foods and Nutrition category in the 8-10 age group.
According to Psychology Today, 25 percent of people are scared of public speaking as adults. 4-H offers a robust public speaking program on the Qualla Boundary with a Cultural Presentation Team that meets throughout the year to learn about Cherokee history, language, and culture to develop workshops for youth and adult audiences. Youth also participate in the district and state presentation competitions each summer.
– EBCI 4-H Program release
