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CHEROKEE MAN SAYS THERE'S NO
WAY HE COULD HAVE MADE IT
THROUGH HIS DESPAIR... WITHOUT
HIS CULTURE. NEWS
13'S JOHN LE EXPLORES THIS
TRUE WARRIOR'S POWERFUL
PERSPECTIVE IN A SPECIAL
REPORT... "A HEALING HERITAGE."
HERITAGE."
JOHN LE REPORTING
11:08 "THAT'S JUST A
LITTLE BIT OF PARADISE THAT'S
LEFT." THE CHEROKEE HAVE A
WORD... 12:40 (CHEROKEE
WORD) "A-WOH-DE-HEE..
.. DESCRIBING THEIR
MOUNTAIN TERRAIN. 12:42
... WHICH MEANS BEAUTIFUL"
THE STOMPING GROUNDS...
.. FOR AWE-INSPIRING
ARTISTRY.
3:22 "THIS IS
WHAT MY PEOPLE WORE." EACH
BRUSH STROKE, PAINTS THE
PORTRAIT.. OF A MAN ON A
MISSION... (TAPE 1) 17:33
"I HAVE NO OTHER CULTURE
BUT THIS CULTURE." ..
TO PRESERVE TRADITION.
1:40 ( ) "I WANT THEM TO
COME TO CHEROKEE TO LEARN
ABOUT US... NOT A CASINO."
SONNY LEDFORD IS A CENTRAL
FIGURE IN A CHEROKEE DANCE
GROUP CALLED WARRIORS OF
"ANIKITUHWA." (((PRONOUNCER
THE FACE OF JOLTING
JOURNEY.
22:49 "WOO
HOO!!!" LEFORD'S LEGWORK
EMPOWERS AND ENLIGHTENS HIS
PEOPLE. AN OFFICIAL
AMBASSADOR FOR THE EASTERN
BAND OF CHEROKEE.
1:21 "WELL I GET LOT OF
PEOPLE JOKING ABOUT THAT..
CALL ME POSTERBOY." HE
INSPIRES INTRIGUE.. AND A
TOUCH OF TERROR. FROM
BOYHOOD.. TRAINED TO BE A
CHAMPION FOR CHEROKEE.
1:52 "AT ONE POINT MY
FATHER TOLD ME.. YOU'RE GONNA
BE TESTED." THE
CRAFTS OF THE CULTURE..
PREPARED HIM WITH A SENSE OF
PATIENCE. 27:50
(LEDFORD) "ANYTHING I
MAKE.. I DELIBERATELY PUT
SOMETHING IN IT THAT'S A
FLAW.. THAT ONLY I CAN SEE."
HE FOLLOWED
THE WISDOM...
:52 ( ) "'ADELLAGWALDEE'."
...OF AN ANCIENT
VOCABULARY. 1:02 ( )
"IT REPRESENTS THE FEELING
YOU KNOW IN YOUR HEART.. THAT
YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE... AND
WHERE YOU CAME FROM." ALL
OF THOSE THINGS COMBINED GAVE
HIM A CORE OF STRENGTH.
17:53 "(WOULD YOU BE HERE
TODAY IF NOT FOR YOUR CULTURE)
PROBABLY NOT." THAT
SECURITY BLANKET WAS CRUCIAL..
IN A SUMMER OF DARKNESS.
8:51 ( ) "I WENT TOTALLY
BLIND." HIS WORLD..
9:05 ( ) "MY HEARING WAS
LIKE PEOPLES VOICES WERE
FADIING." ... SHOWED SIGNS
OF CRUMBLING. 10:07
"IT'S JUST LIKE I WASN'T IN
THIS WORLD.. I WAS AN ENTITY
FLOATING AROUND. I DIDN'T KNOW
WHERE REALITY STARTED AND
ENDED." THE IMAGE OF
VITALITY.. SHOWS SIGNS OF
MORTALITY. SONNY HAD A
STROKE. BEDRIDDEN FOR
MONTHS. WHEN HIS HEALTH
DECLINED... SO DID THE
WARRIOR'S WILL. 22:28
"SUICIDE WAS AN OPTION AT THAT
TIME.. BUT NOT ANYMORE.. I
THOUGHT OF HOW MY PEOPLE WOULD
HAVE DEALT WITH IT." THE
KNOWLEDGE OF THAT PROUD PAST..
GAVE HIM HOPE. 13:52
"I THOUGHT ABOUT ALL MY
PEOPLE.. THEY SUFFERED WORSE"
BUT HIS SUFFERING HAD JUST
BEGUN. A FEW MONTHS AFTER
THE STROKE... SONNY'S
REHABILITATION CAME TO A
CRASHING HALT. A PICKUP
TRUCK SLAMMED HEAD-ON INTO THE
CAR CARRYING HIS WIFE..
DAUGHTER AND SON. NOAH
NEEDED PLASTIC SURGERY AFTER
HIS HEAD SMASHED INTO THE
WINDSHIELD.
21:29-43 "BUT I WALKED
INTO THIS TRAUMA ROOM.. AND MY
SON LAYING THERE.. FROM HERE
DOWN COVERED IN BLOOD.. AND I
LOOK AT THE OTHER TABLE AND MY
DAUGHTER-- THEY HAD TO SEDATE
HER. (SWALLOWS)" THE
DAY AFTER... HE BROKE DOWN.
13:02-09"I WAS ADMITTED
FOR SEVEN DAYS IN THE HOSPITAL
BECAUSE I LOST IT." HE
FELT USELESS. .. AS HIS
FAMILY RECOVERED WHILE HE WAS
IN A HOSPITAL BED. SIMPLY
UNABLE TO FACE THE PROSPECT OF
MORE LOSS. 7 RELATIVES
RECENTLY DIED IN A FIVE YEAR
STRETCH. INCLUDING THE
MOTHER AND FATHER WHO
INSTILLED SUCH INTEGRITY.
1:08 "AND I NEVER
REALLY RELEASED THE SADNESS..
THE SORROW." THE "EAGLE
DANCE" WOULD HELP SET HIS
EMOTIONAL BURDEN FREE.
... WHEN HE REJOINED THE
WARRIORS OF
ANIKITUWAH (((PRONOUNCER
58:22 (ON DANCING AGAIN)
"IT WAS LIKE BEING REBORN."
EACH STEP SEEMED TO SOOTH HIS
BRUISED SOUL....
58:33 "I NEVER KNEW HOW
GOOD THAT FEELING WAS..."
DIVINE INSPIRATION THAT BRINGS
HIM BACK TO THAT CHEROKEE
BUZZWORD.. :10
(CHEROKEE WORD) "HE SAID
REMEMBER 'ADELLAGWALDEE'.. "
.. DRIVEN HOME BY HIS DAD.
7:50 ( ) "IT'S A FEELING
OF HONOR THAT THE CREATOR HAS
PUT ME HERE FOR A REASON. "
LIFE EXPERIENCE REVEALS HIS
TRUE CHEROKEE COLORS.
23:17 "I MEAN IF I GAVE UP
I WOULDN'T BE SITTING HERE
TALKING TO YOU."
IT'S EASY TO FORGET THAT
BENEATH THE PAINT.. HE IS
FLESH AND BLOOD. 23:25
"I DIDN'T GIVE UP.. AND I OWE
A LOT OF THAT TO MY PEOPLE."
AND BY SHOWING US HIS
PATH...
.. SONNY LEDFORD REVEALS
THE INNER BEAUTY OF TERRITORY
WITH SACRED SOIL.. ... AND
A RICH HISTORY OF HEALING.
IN CHEROKEE.. JOHN LE NEWS 13.
13.
LAST WEEK... THE ADVERTISING
CAMPAIGN FEATURING SONNY
LEDFORD WON THREE AWARDS FROM
THE PUBLIC RELATIONS
ASSOCIATION OF WESTERN NORTH CA.
CAROLINA. LEDFORD SAYS HE
APPEARS IN THE ADS FOR FREE.
HE THINKS DRAWING PEOPLE TO
LEARN MORE ABOUT HIS CULTURE
IS COMPENSATION ENOUGH.