Turning Stories into Family Heirlooms

Singy the Cow, an Oral History by Tribal Elder Ms. Roberta McGhee Sells, 2001
Recorded by Dr. Deidre Suwanee Dees

The Office of Archives and Records Management announces the children’s book launch of Singy the Cow by Ms. Roberta McGhee Sells (1917–2002). The book features the Mvskoke and English languages as well as artwork by the Boys and Girls Club. Mr. Marcus Briggs-Cloud provided the Mvskoke translation from English.

This charming book tells the true story of Ms. Sells and her mother, Bessie McGhee, trading biddies for a sick cow that they doctored when Ms. Sells was a child.

Office of Archives and Records Management Director, Dr. Deidra Suwanee Dees, recorded the story in 2001 when she was collecting oral history interview data for her dissertation at Harvard University. She then donated the recording, along with others, to the Tribe.

The Office of Archives and Records Management staff decided to develop a children’s book series from stories by our elders such as this in order to disseminate information on Creek history to the Tribal community. Singy the Cow is the first book in the children’s book series.

READ SINGY THE COW HERE >

For our book launch, staff will be passing out one book to each Tribal Member head of household who lives in the Atmore zip code at the Election Day/Chief Calvin McGhee Memorial Day event on June 4 at the Pow Wow Grounds from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. For those who live outside the Atmore zip code, the publisher is mailing your book to the address on file at Tribal Member Benefits.