fbpx
facebook app symbol  twitter  linkedin  instagram 1
Donate Get Newsletter
Donate Get Newsletter
 

Cherokee Nation to Dub Prime Video Content in Cherokee

Tags

Details
 

The Cherokee Nation and Prime Video are partnering to bring the Cherokee language to a global audience. As part of this collaboration, Prime Video is exploring ways for the largest Native American tribe in the U.S. to dub and subtitle select titles from its original content library into Cherokee.

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. announced this initiative at an annual gathering of fluent, first-language Cherokee speakers, sharing that the first production to be translated into Cherokee will be the popular Prime Video series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.

Never miss Indian Country’s biggest stories and breaking news. Sign up to get our reporting sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. 

“In our efforts to preserve, share and promote our language, Cherokee Nation continually illustrates the importance of immersing both speakers and learners in Cherokee as much as possible, and not just in a classroom,” Chief Hoskin said. “This is the first of many endeavors in what we envision as an incredibly beneficial and long-term relationship with our allies at Amazon. Together, we are making great strides to bring the Cherokee language to a global audience.”

The Cherokee-dubbed premiere episode of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 1 will debut during a special screening on November 9 at SkasdiCon, held at Cherokee Casino Tahlequah. All episodes of the first season are expected to be available in Cherokee by Spring 2025.

Cherokee Nation’s Film Office and Language Department have led this initiative to bring the Cherokee language to mainstream global content, and they’ll continue working together to make more film and television content accessible in Cherokee.

“We are so excited to see the Cherokee language featured in such a prominent way,” Howard Paden, Cherokee Nation executive director of language programs, said. “This unique cultural collaboration with Prime Video can absolutely play a role in the helping us preserve and perpetuate the language. As we create modern content that is both engaging and entertaining, we are putting a real spotlight on the Cherokee language. This will be a series that our speakers can return to time and time again.”

The Cherokee Nation chose The Lord of the Rings franchise for its universal appeal and the technical challenges involved in translating the series into Cherokee. This initiative is part of the tribe’s strategic investment in its language-speaking community, creating opportunities for Cherokee language speakers and learners, and building dubbing expertise within the Language Department and Cherokee Film.

More Stories Like This

"Your'e No Indian" Examines the Disenrollment Issue
Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians to Open New Exhibition: Section 14 – The Untold Story
Actor Jonathan Joss, Voice of John Redcorn, Killed in Texas Shooting
Celebrate Summer and Father’s Day at the Chickasaw Cultural Center – June 14
After 30 Years, Berkeley's Turtle Island Monument Foundation Will Be Built

Help us tell the stories that could save Native languages and food traditions

At a critical moment for Indian Country, Native News Online is embarking on our most ambitious reporting project yet: "Cultivating Culture," a three-year investigation into two forces shaping Native community survival—food sovereignty and language revitalization.

The devastating impact of COVID-19 accelerated the loss of Native elders and with them, irreplaceable cultural knowledge. Yet across tribal communities, innovative leaders are fighting back, reclaiming traditional food systems and breathing new life into Native languages. These aren't just cultural preservation efforts—they're powerful pathways to community health, healing, and resilience.

Our dedicated reporting team will spend three years documenting these stories through on-the-ground reporting in 18 tribal communities, producing over 200 in-depth stories, 18 podcast episodes, and multimedia content that amplifies Indigenous voices. We'll show policymakers, funders, and allies how cultural restoration directly impacts physical and mental wellness while celebrating successful models of sovereignty and self-determination.

This isn't corporate media parachuting into Indian Country for a quick story. This is sustained, relationship-based journalism by Native reporters who understand these communities. It's "Warrior Journalism"—fearless reporting that serves the 5.5 million readers who depend on us for news that mainstream media often ignores.

We need your help right now. While we've secured partial funding, we're still $450,000 short of our three-year budget. Our immediate goal is $25,000 this month to keep this critical work moving forward—funding reporter salaries, travel to remote communities, photography, and the deep reporting these stories deserve.

Every dollar directly supports Indigenous journalists telling Indigenous stories. Whether it's $5 or $50, your contribution ensures these vital narratives of resilience, innovation, and hope don't disappear into silence.

Levi headshotThe stakes couldn't be higher. Native languages are being lost at an alarming rate. Food insecurity plagues many tribal communities. But solutions are emerging, and these stories need to be told.

Support independent Native journalism. Fund the stories that matter.

Levi Rickert (Potawatomi), Editor & Publisher

 
 
About The Author
Native News Online Staff
Author: Native News Online StaffEmail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Native News Online is one of the most-read publications covering Indian Country and the news that matters to American Indians, Alaska Natives and other Indigenous people. Reach out to us at [email protected].