Broadcasting in Cherokee

A Tahlequah radio station is trying to help preserve an endangered piece of Native American culture. <br/><br/>Experts say the Cherokee language could be extinct in two generations. Tahlequah's KTLQ

Friday, March 10th 2006, 6:18 am

By: News On 6

A Tahlequah radio station is trying to help preserve an endangered piece of Native American culture.

Experts say the Cherokee language could be extinct in two generations. Tahlequah's KTLQ is trying to keep it alive.

Thursday, Dennis Sixkiller and David Scott called the Sequoyah High School's state championship quarterfinal game in Cherokee.

Basketball fan BJ Frogg: "itâ€™s very important to keep our language alive cause once your language is gone, itâ€™s gone.â€

Jim Trickett with KEOK: "we have a lot of people that still speak the Cherokee language and it gives them a chance to hear the ball games, they may not understand English, they understand Cherokee."

Announcer David Scott says there aren't Cherokee words for some basketball terms, so they have to improvise. For three pointers, they use the Cherokee word for the number three. And for coach, they use the Cherokee word for leader.