About Founders Walosi & Tsasuyed

Firstly, everyone wants to know how I got my name.

I did not choose it.

It was given to me.

First--

Luke 3:27--The Hebrew name יוֹחָנָה Yôḥānnāh is the feminine form of the name "John"; The Hebrew name יוֹחָנָה Yôḥānnāh is changed in the KJV to Joanna [remember, England [source of the KJV] typically drops the "h" sound that is so prevalent in Hebrew]- since there was no "j" sound at the time, literally it would now be Johannah. At times, the Hebrew name יוֹחָנָה Yôḥānnāh was used for both men and women; In Luke 3, it is a man named in the family tree of Jesus, but in Luke 8 and in Luke 24, it is a woman who was one of the early evangelists of the good news who followed Jesus and used her wealth to support the ministry of Jesus and the disciples.

My name ᏣᏑᏰᏓ came to me as a baby from my dad's mother Agnes (aka Cardinal Flower), daughter of Birdie (Tsisqua) and Granddaughter of Mary (Meli) nee Baker. My family has called me this all my life.

Grandma called me this because she claimed me into her clan or family. When asked why I was called this, if he did not tell you a very long story about it (he usually only told the story to folks once), my dad would simply answer, "Because that is what you are" or "because that is what you Grandma called you", or "Your name means "Chosen"" but some days he would say, "you're a bird just like your grandma!"

Close friends also call me this.

As I have gotten older, thankfully, that list of people who call me friend-- and therefore call me ᏣᏑᏰᏓ -- has grown longer.

My mother chose the name "Johannah" based on the saint Johanna who became one of the first messengers of the resurrection. Unknowingly (at the time) she chose the spelling favored by some of the Moravians, one of the earliest friends of the Cherokees to bring the gospel to the Cherokee.

[aside: for awhile, I wrote my name as ᏦᎭᏀ or Tsohanah but a Cherokee elder said despite how it is spelled in English, I should write it as ᏦᎭᎾ Tsohana, so I switched; also, I believe my grandma spelled my name with a different syllable on the end, but I no longer have that document so I am not sure and I spell it the way another Cherokee elder told me I should]

My husband and I met at college in Nashville, TN in September of 1982.

We were married in a small church in Whispering Hills (in Nashville) in 1984.

We were blessed to have the ceremony performed by my dad & by the maternal grandfather of Walosi.

He eventually obtained a BS Degree in Technology, and I continued by studies through and extension school after we relocated next door to his maternal grandparents in Pennsylvania.

I received a certificate of completion in religious studies and was ordained in July of 1998.

I was honored to have my father, also an ordained minister, there to "lay hands" on me as I was anointed.

His name was Rev. James Huston Meeks, son of Rev. Marvin V. Meeks and Agnes nee Sanders.

We worked as bivocational /tentmaker ministers for many years and continue to believe our work with the Bible Project is what we do and everything else is done to support that work.

I began working on the Bible during conversations with my Father in 1998. He was an enrolled member (and proud of it!!) of the CTNEAL- the Cherokee Tribe of Northeast Alabama.

He also enrolled me in that tribe.

To facilitate this work, after my father passed in January of 2000, our family made preparations to relocate to North Carolina and in early spring of 2001 we moved here.

Since moving here, I was able to learn from a lady here in Franklin, and several folks on the Qualla.

I was also able to participate in classes at WCU.

If I had the funds, I would take every class they offer in Cherokee!

My daughter took online classes from the CNO and shared that material with me.

I also, in order to not be affiliated with any one political group but to become (hopefully) a servant of all Cherokees, I also asked to be un-enrolled from the CTNEAL.

This was done not as a reflection on them or anything about them but I hoped it would allow me to be seen as someone not involved in the political aspects of tribal recognition, but to be seen as a friend of all Cherokee people, federal, state, and what many call "disenfranchised".

I am not sure if it helped or if it actually alienated more people.

That was not my intent.

It was my attempt to be non partisan.

I distresses me that my intentions were misinterpreted.

All my life and to this day, I call anyone who is a friend of the Cherokee my friend as well.

I am not here to be involved in discussions about who is or who is not Cherokee. I am not here to debate those opinions.

I am merely working to do what I can to preserve the language as it is recorded and as it was taught to me in words from my father and his mother and from elders in Big Cove, Snowbird, Oklahoma, Texas and even Mexico who share words and documents, tools and resources, with me to help me do what I am trying to do.

I ask for prayers as I am not by any means the best person for this job, but I will work the best I can to do what I can until others come alongside to do better.

Places I have lived:

I was born in a small clinic off the mountain in Sewanee, TN.

My first home was in Tracy City, TN.

After my grandmother's passing, we moved to Texas where my dad completed his degree from a Bible College and where he began pastoring small churches.

In 1971 we moved back to Tennessee to his hometown.

I lived in Grundy County, Tennessee until 1979 and lived for almost 2 years in Piedmont, Alabama, then we moved back to Grundy.

I lived in Grundy and graduated from High School in 1982. I lived in Grundy until I went to College in Nashville, TN.

I lived in Nashville, TN from 1982 until 1989.

I lived in Mercer, PA from 1989 until mid Autumn of 1994.

I lived in McDonald, PA from 1994 until March of 2001.

I have lived in North Carolina ever since 2001.

My husband Dale, aka Walosi, was born in Nashville, TN and loves being a Tennessean but says he is happy to be here in North Carolina with all the wonderful people we have met here.

Walosi had a maternal great grandfather who told his family he was native American (Carlisle School) but due to boarding school lost his identity as one.

Walosi plays cello, works with pottery, and made darts and blow guns with a kindly Cherokee gentleman who asked him to let him show him how it was done. [of course! Walosi said "YES!"]

He still makes darts, also river cane flutes which he plays, and carves some wooden items. He tells stories that his grandfather taught him.

Without his support and help I could never have done anything and I rely on him every day.