About 50 faculty, staff and students gathered on the top floor of Dale Hall Tower to celebrate the career of Cherokee language instructor Christine Armer.
Armer has taught at OU for 20 years, joining the university in 2005. Armer was recruited by Patricia Gilman, then-chair of the OU Department of Anthropology, and tasked with creating and teaching the Cherokee language courses at OU.
Bryan Warner, deputy principal chief of the Cherokee Nation, opened the event, speaking about Armer’s legacy at OU and her efforts preserving Native languages.
“It is individuals like Mrs. Armer that help us find center when we don’t understand something, and it’s that visual world of Indigenous languages that we have to understand,” Warner said. “We’re talking from the heart. We see from the heart. We hear from the heart. That’s what language really is, so don’t ever let anybody tell us that it is not important, because it is of the utmost importance.”
Cherokee Nation Deputy Principal Chief Bryan Warner during Christine Armer’s retirement celebration on April 24.
Warner thanked Armer for her service to the Cherokee Nation and the rest of Indian Country.
“I know she’ll remember each and every one of you that have touched her life and her heart because that’s what Cherokees do. That’s what Native people do,” Warner said. “They don’t forget one another.”
Warner gifted Armer a blanket on behalf of the Cherokee Nation to commemorate her impact on the community.
Armer addressed the crowd thanking attendees for coming together to celebrate her time at the university. She spoke about the importance of language for historical preservation and remembering ancestors.
“OU students and community members, I urge you to embrace your heritage and be proud of who you are and recognize your inner strength through your language that God our creator has given you,” Armer said.
Armer said education is a powerful weapon, and she urges community members to persevere through difficulties because learning is an enriching journey.
“Education is your passport to the future,” Armer said. “For tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today, and that is what you are doing.”
Various audience members spoke about Armer’s impact.
Farina King, Native American studies professor, thanked Armer’s family for sharing Armer’s love and wisdom with the OU community.
“I want to say wado to you and your family for sharing your mother with us,” King said. “Wado” means “thank you” in Cherokee.
“She is a beloved woman,” King said. “Thank you so much for sharing her because I know how precious she is, and the hours of time she sacrificed with family for us.”
Two students from Armer’s Beginning Cherokee class, Bee Cary and Eyan Williams, thanked Armer for all she has taught them.
Cary said she first experienced Cherokee from her great grandmother who passed away when she was 10. Cary said being in Armer’s class allowed her to reconnect with that part of her culture.
“I miss (my great grandmother) a lot every day, and just being in Mrs. Armer’s class has made me feel like that part of her is still with me,” Cary said. “Every day, getting to learn the language, not only am I closer to her, but I’m closer to all my ancestors, and that’s just the most amazing feeling in the world.”
A poster commemorates Christine Armer during her retirement celebration on April 24.
Williams lauded Armer’s ability to connect with her students and form long-lasting relationships.
“She just has a way in her classroom. She knows exactly what you need just by looking,” Williams said. “She’s seen me on days when I’ve been low and told me a good joke, told me a funny story, and picked me right back up.”
In an interview with OU Daily after the event, Armer said she was sad to be leaving but happy to see her faculty and students grow. Armer said she plans to spend more time with family during her retirement.
“I’ve learned a lot from my colleagues, … and it hurts me to leave my students but I’m happy because I’ll be with my husband,” Armer said.
Anusha is news managing editor and covers the OU campus community and administration. She wants to amplify underrepresented voices, promote inclusivity and diversity in her reporting and serve her community as a storyteller. Anusha is originally from Stillwater, Oklahoma and can be contacted at anusha.fathepure@ou.edu.