(Theme music) JENNIFER LOREN>> Coming up.... Cousins Matthew Creekkiller and Jacob Foreman grew up playing games side by side.

Now they've turned pro in the unlikeliest of sports, cornhole.

DELBERT FOREMAN>> I believe that they can possibly win a national title.

That is what I'm hopin' for for them.

And I know in their mind they're wantin' the same thing.

JENNIFER>> And... JESSIE LYNN NICHOLS>> It's almost a surreal moment.

You've seen it in a dream, but then you look back in you're like, Oh my gosh, we're here in this moment doing it.

Hey, can you do the National Anthem on horseback?

We've, that, that's never been done.

Sure.

JENNIFER>> Saddle up with Jessie Lynn Nichols, America's Singing Cowgirl as she takes the arena by storm as Miss Rodeo USA.

Plus, Brad Carson is a natural born leader.

We hear what it takes to succeed as the 21st President of the University of Tulsa.

BRAD CARSON>> I hope people think that whatever I've done, I had an impact on making life better here.

(Theme music begins) MAN 1>> The Cherokees.

WOMAN 1>> A thriving American Indian tribe.

MAN 2>> Our history... WOMAN 2>> our culture... WOMAN 3>> our people... MAN 1>> our future.

MAN 3>> The principles of a historic nation MAN 1>> sewn into the fabric of the modern world.

WOMAN 2>> Hundreds of thousands strong... WOMAN 3>> learning... WOMAN 1>> growing... MAN 1>> succeeding... MAN 3>> and steadfast.

WOMAN 1>> In the past, we have persevered through struggle, WOMAN 2>> but the future is ours to write.

MAN 1>> Osiyo!

WOMAN 2>> Osiyo.

WOMAN 1>> Osiyo!

MAN 1>> These are the voices of the Cherokee people.

(Theme music fades out) CHUCK HOSKIN JR.>> Osiyo.

Welcome to the Cherokee Nation.

I'm Principal Chief, Chuck Hoskin, Jr.

For generations others have told the Cherokee story.

But now, through this groundbreaking series, we're taking ownership of our own story and telling it as authentically and beautifully as possible.

I hope you enjoy these profiles of Cherokee people, language, history, and culture.

Wado.

JENNIFER>> Osiyo.

It's how we say 'Hello' in Cherokee.

I'm your host, Jennifer Loren, on the Cherokee Cultural Pathway in Tahlequah, Oklahoma.

This pathway connects visitors to museums and cultural sites here in the Capitol of the Cherokee Nation.

Later in this episode, we'll learn about another kind of pathway through our nation that promised prosperity, but (Slow music plays) instead brought hardship and troubling times; the introduction of railroads.

ROGER BELL>> I don't know that anyone really trusted the railroads.

Certainly the Tribes had no reason to trust the railroads.

JENNIFER>> We'll have more on that coming up a little bit later in our Cherokee Almanac.

But first, (Slow music ends) Matthew Creekkiller and Jacob Foreman are cousins who grew up playing sports together.

The latest sport they've mastered is cornhole, making it all the way to pro status.

Matthew and Jacob have their eyes on the prize and have set their sights on being the Number 1 cornhole team in the country.

(Upbeat music plays) MATTHEW CREEKKILLER>> What I've learned from cornhole is you gotta be patient and you gotta work hard.

'Cause if you don't work hard, you don't be patient, you're not gonna be good at this game.

JACOB FOREMAN>> The game is 90% mental and 10% skill.

So, you gotta be able to when you miss a bag you can't get mad.

You just gotta keep movin' on to the next bag and just keep tryin' puttin' 'em in the hole.

MATTHEW>> My name is Matthew Creekkiller and I'm a professional cornhole player for the American Cornhole League.

JACOB>> My name is Jacob Foreman and I am also an ACL pro.

MATTHEW>> Ever since we were four or five years old, we've been playin' like Little League baseball, and basketball, and all that.

And then cornhole just came around and we started playin' that together, too.

So, on my 18th birthday, my sister actually brought the Walmart boards down to the house.

And he was there, so we all just started playing on that.

JACOB>> We are here in Eucha, Oklahoma, and this is where I live.

We also have a shop on our property where we practice cornhole.

MATTHEW>> So, we are both competitive.

Like before cornhole we played Indian marbles, and I think we really wanted to get good at that.

So, that's where the competitiveness comes from.

Our family would like get together and we'd have a group of like 20 people out there playin' marbles.

Cherokee people, I think, playing cornhole together is just no different as playing marbles together.

It brings people, it brings us together and we're here to have a good time.

So, in 2020, during the pandemic, we went to Tahlequah to just play cornhole.

And they had a league up there, so we started going like every week.

JACOB> We was just out travelin' playin' in different tournaments and different leagues, and just tryin' to get good enough to become a pro.

MATTHEW>> So, the way cornhole's played, the boards are 27 feet apart from the front of the board to the front of the board.

And then if you make a bag on the board, that's one point.

If you make it in the hole, it's three points.

Whoever makes it to 21 first wins the game.

JACOB>> Really, the technique to throwin' is your own, at your own style of throwin'.

Just like in baseball you got like side arm pitchers, and stuff like that.

There's people that throw in between their legs, and there's people that just, they have different grips that they use.

They, everyone just has their own unique throw.

In the 2021-2022 cornhole season is whenever we became ACL pros.

MATTHEW>> In doubles we're actually ranked 11th in the world.

And in singles I'm ranked 7th.

Making cornhole a full-time job, I think we're almost there.

It's like we, we put in the work and I think we're one of the best teams in the world.

JACOB>> So, DC Cornhole is the name of our team.

Then my mom just become like the manager I guess you could say over DC Cornhole, and she started gettin' like the cornhole jerseys, the hats, the stocking caps, and all that stuff just to try and get DC Cornhole out there and become a team name.

SHAWNA FOREMAN>> So, Jacob and Matthew, they're cousins.

They're nine months apart.

Matthew's 20, Jacob's 19.

They grew up together their whole life.

They played baseball, Indian marbles, basketball, all that together.

We never thought we would be playin' professional cornhole together, but here we are.

I'm definitely proud of them.

They've accomplished a lot in the first year as a rookie season.

Matthew's won a national in singles.

Jacob and Matthew's was runner-up in a national event against the Number 1 team in the world.

They've come a long way.

The world championship is in Rock Hill in South Carolina, in August.

I'm definitely hopin' to see them in the top four of that.

They can do it.

MATTHEW>> The world championship is just basically like another national, but for us it's double points as pros.

So, if you go there as a pro, it's double points and will count toward your seating, like your over all seating at the end of the year.

JACOB> I think after our first national we's ranked 50 or 60 somethin'.

Then after the last two, we've went from that to Number 11.

So, you can climb really fast if you are doin' really good.

JEN CREEKKILLER>> We don't get to come to a lot of the big events, but I'm so happy to be able to be here at the worlds and see, I mean, this is amazing.

It's awesome.

So, I'm so happy to be able to be here.

We try to go to some of the local stuff, you know, as much as we can.

But, yeah, if we're not here, I have two phones ready to go and we are on the score zone lookin' at stuff.

We're watchin' live feeds.

Shawna texts me updates.

So, if I'm not here, I'm just sittin' on my porch watchin' everything.

MATTHEW>> As long as we both throw good, I think we'll be just fine.

I think we'll be able to make a good run this weekend.

JEN>> You will.

Yeah, I think so too.

You guys are locked in and ready to go.

And drying time.

Right?

ALAN CREEKKILLER>> It's like I always say, They gotta beat you, so.

Have that confidence.

You got this.

JEN>> Yep, you got this.

ALAN>> I mean, you guys know how each other plays, so we got no worries.

MATTHEW>> So, this year at the world championships, we came in, into worlds as the 10th ranked team in the country, and we came out the Number 8th.

So, I think we did pretty good over all.

As far as the main goal of bein' professional cornhole players, I think we are one step closer just because of how high we were ranked.

And being rookies, that's pretty good.

JACOB>> So, for this upcoming season we got about a month break or so.

So, now we'll start goin' to like to opens and try and get our points up so we can just try and have better seeds at these tournaments that we go to.

MATTHEW>> So, the season's over.

We had a pretty good year; strong performances as rookies and we're ready for the next one.

DELBERT FOREMAN>> Them as a team, I believe they are really good team, and I believe that they can possibly win a national title.

That is what I'm hoping for for them.

And I know in their mind they're wantin' the same thing.

So, each day they're out here throwin', tryin' to get better at their shots and everything.

JACOB>> Now we've gotten a lot of support from like our sponsors, obviously, and our family, our friends.

MATTHEW>> Having that kind of support is definitely motivating and it makes you wanna keep workin' hard just so you can make them proud.

As of the future for us, I think it's just more cornhole and just trying to keep, stay on the grind and get better and try to win a world title.

(Upbeat music ends) (Theme music) JENNIFER>> Miss Rodeo USA, Jessie Lynn Nichols, is a young Cherokee woman of many talents.

Whether she's in the rodeo arena or performing as America's Singing Cowgirl, Jessie Lynn is ready to take on the world.

(Upbeat music plays) JESSIE LYNN NICHOLS>> Horses have brought so much enjoyment and so much love into my life.

You know, you never think that you're gonna find something that loves you so much, but you come home to your horse every day and they're there waitin' on you.

Of course wanting food, but also they're plenty willing to give plenty of hugs and kisses.

My name is Jessie Lynn.

I am the reigning Miss Rodeo USA 2022.

And today we are at my beautiful farm here in Prattville, Alabama.

My mom, you know, she was a former Miss Rodeo Alabama.

And the best part about it is she grew of rodeoing and grew up loving horses.

So, when I came along, I just naturally followed the trend there, and was put on my first horse at three months old.

And then won my first ever costume lead line at nine months old.

There's always that competitive edge.

I have that competitive edge.

I love competing; that, that drive and that need to know that I've accomplished a goal.

But really at the end of the day, at rodeos what I love in the competition factor is everybody's still family.

I just love that family and the comradery aspect of competing in the sport of rodeo.

You don't see that in many sports.

Music, like the horses, started very early for me in life.

I was three years old when my grandmother taught me my first ever song.

She plays the piano and she taught me This Little Light of Mine, I'm Gonna Let It Shine.

It didn't matter if there was one person in the audience, it didn't matter if there was 25,000, I was just happy to be singing a song.

Age 7, I was deemed Alabama Singing Cowgirl 'cause that was the first time I'd ever done the National Anthem on horseback, carrying an American flag, and a horse that was also rearing at the same time.

(Chuckling) It's just been a part of my life that again, is that passion.

It's a part of who I am.

I wanna say it's, it's part of my blood just like the horses are.

And I decided back in 2013 that I wanted to take it professional and wanted to make something out of it.

I wanted to make the Dirt to Diva a brand.

I wanted to make Alabama Singing Cowgirl, America's Singing Cowgirl.

Why did I do it?

So, this is a great question that I asked myself first out the gate.

Here I was trucking along; music industry going great.

Came off of Christmas break, was getting ready to go back out, and in January of 2021, it's like I heard this voice say, you need to go run for Miss Limestone County Sheriff's Rodeo Queen and then Miss Rodeo USA.

And I'm like, (Scraping sound) Where did that come from?

It was like a little tap on the shoulder same thing.

And I said, Oh.

I, I have learned when the Lord's urging you to do something, you, you might wanna do it 'cause otherwise there might be regrets later.

So, May 2021, rolls around.

I go complete at Miss Limestone Sheriff's Rodeo Queen; win the whole kit and kaboodle.

As it got closer to Miss Rodeo USA, there were my fair share of struggles and questions of like, Why did I, why do You have me here when we were on such a good road here?

And finally, the Lord answered me and He said, I'm just asking you to trust Me.

Okay, fair enough.

(Chuckling) I, I trusted Him.

I gave Him everything that I had, the music career and my life.

I said, Here we go.

If this is where I'm meant to be, put me here.

And He did.

But what he had planned for me this year was so much better than probably what I ever could have imagined.

And my entire weekend competing at Miss Rodeo USA was by far one of the best competition weeks I have ever had in my life.

And He put me in this spot and in this role for a reason.

And I firmly believe that with my whole heart, and I believe that whatever He has set the stage up for now, He is going to see it all the way through.

My current title as Miss Rodeo USA.

So obviously, I'm kinda more the forefront person.

I'm the face.

I'm the PR side.

It's almost a surreal moment.

You've seen it in a dream, but then you look back in your like, Oh my gosh, we're here in this moment doing it.

Hey, can you do the National Anthem on horseback?

We've, that, that's never been done.

And sure.

I started havin' venues call and say, We want you to come and appear as Miss Rodeo USA, but can you bring your guitarist and do a show for us?

And so, it kinda all fell into place and America's Singing Cowgirl became a real reality at that point.

There's so many emotions that run through your mind.

So, singing the National Anthem is a task in enough of itself.

(Chuckling) But when you add in a 1200-pound animal that has a mind of its own, you add in an object that you're having to carry, plus handle the horse at the same time, you can have a lot of different things go through your mind.

But you know, having the honor and the privilege to carry that flag, carry Old Glory day in and day out is one thing, but when you add singing the National Anthem on the back of a horse that's probably one of the most majestic creatures that's ever walked the face of this planet, it's a feeling and it's a quiet.

There is an ultimate peace that comes over the rodeo grounds that you have to be there to experience.

You have to bask in every second of it, 'cause otherwise it may fleet very quickly.

It's been music, rodeo, the Miss Rodeo USA venture.

My family is my biggest support ring and support group that I could ever ask for.

They've been there every step of the way.

There's never been a moment where they faltered or shifted in any way, shape, form and fashion.

You know, you always have these big dreams as a kid, and you think, Well they're just dreams.

They're nothing exciting, you know.

What's the likelihood of it really happening.

What's the reality?

What's the ratio?

I've been fortunate enough in my life that every big dream that I have dreamed I have achieved thus far.

You may have hard knocks in life, but you get back up and you figure out a different way to do it.

I want people to know that they matter, they're worth something.

They are, they are more valuable than probably they realize.

So, I try to daily invest in somebody.

And I love the fact that everything that is a part of who I am is actually embodied in the Cherokee culture.

So, family, working towards a goal and a common purpose, and then making sure that we're being uplifting to everyone around.

I absolutely love the fact that I share such a rich and diverse heritage with so many people across the world, actually.

And it's a part of me.

So, it's pretty awesome.

(Upbeat music ends) (Theme music) JENNIFER>> By the mid-1800's, railroads were eager to cross Indian Territory, vowing to bring new opportunity and prosperity to Cherokee Nation.

In this Cherokee Almanac, we see instead the reality of what the railroads brought, hardship and new struggles.

(Slow music plays) In the mid-1800's the railroad companies were eager to cross Cherokee Nation's land in Indian Territory.

The companies tried to entice our Nation with promises of new opportunities and prosperity.

But Cherokee Nation was wary of what railroads would bring with them.

CATHERINE FOREMAN GRAY>> Indian Territory was definitely viewed as a, as a hindrance to expanding and to, to growing.

They often looked at it as frustrating when they had to travel around Indian Territory, or they were needing resources.

ROGER BELL>> I don't know that anyone really trusted the railroads.

Certainly the Tribes had no reason to trust the railroads.

They had no reason to trust any of the "White men" in the country that had brought them to Indian Territory.

JENNIFER>> In 1866, after the U.S.

Civil War, Cherokee Nation signed a Reconstruction Treaty with the United States.

The treaty stipulated that the Cherokee Nation would have to allow two railroads to cross our land in Indian Territory.

ROGER>> And I think there was a lot of give and take in this treaty.

There was a lot of talk that supposedly this was a punishment for the Confederate elements in the Tribes to force them to use this railroad corridor through, through their Native lands.

JENNIFER>> The major railroad companies were now in a race to gain the right to build tracks through Indian Territory.

Per the U.S.

federal government, the first railroad company to reach the border of Indian Territory would be awarded the right to build.

DR.

JULIE REED>> The Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad, also know as the Katy was the first one to reach the northern border.

And this gave them the right to build the north-south line through the Cherokee Nation.

JENNIFER>> The right to build a railroad crossing Cherokee land from east to west was still up for grabs.

DR.

REED>> Railroad developers were in a race to reach the northern and eastern borders.

The first to reach the eastern border is the Atlantic-Pacific.

CATHERINE>> The establishment of both of these railroads coming through Cherokee Nation, the Katy Railroad running north and south, and the Union Pacific running east and west, they both intersect in the town of Vinita in the northeastern part of the Cherokee Nation.

JENNIFER>> Now the two companies have gained access to Cherokee Nation, the railroad construction would bring new struggles.

Problems would arise concerning land ownership, our natural resources, and our livestock.

ROGER>> But they were looking for economic gain, whatever it may be.

But it just couldn't be stopped.

They came in.

They cut down timber, what we would basically call clear cutting.

CATHERINE>> Another toll that it takes on us is the actual physical loss of land.

This is Cherokee Nation communally owned property, and we're having to give some of that up to allow the railroads to be able to come in and, and come through.

JENNIFER>> Along with the devastating toll on our land and resources, the railroads also bring more outsiders into our land.

DR.

REED>> The arrival of railroads also means the arrival of, of various people.

Some of those people are gonna come to build the railroad.

Some of those people are going to come to settle in your community.

Some of those people are gonna come for nefarious means, for exploitation purposes.

But ultimately many of these people are gonna put pressures on Cherokee people to give up additional lands.

CATHERINE>> So, there was a lot of negative effects to the railroads; one of those being introduction of alcohol, you know, whiskey, prostitution.

Whenever there was down time from, from some of the rail workers, what kinda trouble are they gonna get into?

JENNIFER>> Often, these people brought adversity to the individual citizens of the Cherokee Nation.

DR.

REED>> Most of the workers accompanying the railroads are men.

And those men are gonna drink to excess.

They're going to exploit and abuse women.

And they're not going to be adequately policed.

And that's because they're relying on the federal marshal system to police a vast territory that is sorely under-resourced.

CATHERINE>> In my opinion, the railroads did pave the way for allotment here in Indian Territory.

They're lookin' for land.

They're lookin' for resources.

But with that was a lot of criminal activity.

And so, that was one of the excuses that they were using for pushing for Oklahoma statehood in general, was that the crime that was being committed here, and that they would be able to oversee that a little bit better if Oklahoma became a state.

JENNIFER>> We see that the railroads did not bring the promised prosperity to Indian Territory, but rather trouble and hardship.

Railroads crossing the Cherokee Nation would be a catalyst for the troubling times that the Cherokee government would continue to face with the U.S.

federal government for the next century.

(Slow music ends) (Language segment music begins) GASILA>> (Speaking Cherokee language) SINASD>> (Speaking Cherokee language) GASILA>> (Speaking Cherokee language) SINASD>> (Speaking Cherokee language) GASILA>> (Speaking Cherokee language) SINASD>> (Speaking Cherokee language) GASILA>> (Speaking Cherokee language) SINASD>> (Speaking Cherokee language) GASILA>> (Speaking Cherokee language) SINASD>> (Speaking Cherokee language) (Language segment music ends) (Theme music) JENNIFER>> Cherokee Nation citizen Brad Carson has dedicated his life to serving his community, the state of Oklahoma, and the federal government.

Now as the 21st President of the University of Tulsa, he's brought his leadership skills home with renewed focus.

(Marching band music playing) BRAD CARSON>> The leader has to establish a vision.

And that's what separates a leader from a manager.

(Snare drums and cheering) BRAD>> My name is Brad Carson, and I'm the President of the University of Tulsa.

I often tell people I'd pay others to let me do this job.

I find being President of the University fun, I found being in congress, fun.

I feel really lucky, though that for most of these jobs that I've talked about, work and play are the same thing.

You know, that I got paid for it was a remarkable thing.

And so, for me, my work has often been my hobbies, what I do.

I said, It was just fun for me.

I said, That's a rare thing.

So, the Cherokee's it's your ancestral home that really matters.

My father is a Carson.

The Carsons have a lot of businesses in the town of Stilwell.

My father was a rancher by vocation till he actually became agricultural extension agent for the Bureau of Indian Affairs out on the Navajo Reservation.

So, I was born on the Navajo, as was my brother.

My parents spent a long time out there before moving to the Eastern Band of the Cherokee, also with the BIA.

So, we moved around a lot from kind of reservation to reservation, until I was 15.

He retired and we came back to Tulsa, where I graduated from Jenks High School.

Definitely growing up with my father working for the BIA had a profound influence on me because I saw a part of the country that most people hear about but never visit themselves.

And when you grow up in these kinda small towns, reservations towns like we did, you could see how much the government played a role in people's lives.

And good government could help.

Bad government could really hurt.

But I was always a kid who wanted to be interested in politics.

My parents believed it was the highest calling.

They actually said there are only three vocations worth pursuing; preacher, teacher, or politician.

I worked on campaigns when I was a teenager, my twenties.

I licked envelopes and knocked doors, put up yard signs, until the day came when I turned thirty then I decided I'd run myself for office.

And so, I was a politician.

What was in the Second District of Oklahoma, you're representing the most Native American congressional district of the nation.

You have a lot of responsibility and a lot of expectation for you.

You know, it's not just the laws or policies I pushed.

I can still meet people today, twenty years after I was first elected whose lives I helped in some small way.

It means a lot.

And that's what politics can do; is politics may not be able to save the world, but it can contribute to saving the world in some way.

My mother so strongly identified with being Cherokee, and this was like the key aspect of who she was.

Growing up in Piney, this meant a lot, explained her politics, explained her views of the world.

It's probably the one key aspect of our identity that, you know, has been a thread for everyone.

After I got out of congress, I joined the faculty at the University of Tulsa.

And I now still teach here at the University of Tulsa, three classes, because you have the chance to directly interact with people who, you know, you can shape them in some way.

I, myself, get smarter from the interaction that I have with these like brilliant young people.

MAN>> This is, this is Connor.

CONNOR>> Hi.

WOMAN>> Hi, Connor.

MAN>> This is Mrs.

Carson.

BRAD>> So, my job is going around the university seeing like why didn't we have more Native students here?

What groups can we reach out to?

How can we make the university affordable if it's not to some?

How can we provide housing?

If students are coming in with unique needs, how do we meet them?

Like how do we get them up to speed?

Things like special scholarships for Native Americans.

So, across the university we think that we should be a center for Native American intellectual life, whether that's Native American literature, anthropology, law, as well as a place where any Native American student who wants to come to the University of Tulsa, we make that available to them.

It is a lot of great TU traditions.

But the most fun thing is having all these alumni come back from across the country; people who really love the university.

This university made a huge difference in their life.

And you get to hear those stories.

And to me, that's the reason you do this.

Like someday the students that I teach, thirty years from now will be those distinguished alumni.

And I want them to say, like Yeah, I know President Carson made an impact on my life.

This university made an impact on my life.

I light the bonfire, yes.

Thanks for coming out again, you guys.

MAN>> We're glad to be here.

BRAD>> The distinguished alumni, we all light the bonfire together.

So, we have a great bonfire, right out here on the commons, and it's one of the kinda signature events of our homecoming.

So, the president is always there helping light that.

I wanna be remembered for having dedicated my life to the betterment of Oklahoma.

Growing up here, the idea that I didn't choose Oklahoma, Oklahoma chose me, and that my goal is to try to improve it.

And that's what I'm trying to do; whether it was in politics, whether it's teaching, whether it's University President, I wanna make an impact on the world.

So, I hope people think that whatever I've done, I tried.

I had an impact on making life better here.

(Music fades out) JENNIFER>> We hope you enjoyed our show.

And remember, you can always watch entire episodes and share your favorite stories online at Osiyo.tv.

There is no Cherokee word for goodbye because we know we'll see you again.

We say, Dodadagohv'i, Wado.

(Theme music)