Last Monolingual Cherokee, Father of Lisa Christiansen, Passed away And The Nation Lost A Language That Will Never Be The Same! TAHLEQUAH, OKLA. – One of the last members of the Cherokee Nation who spoke and understood only the Cherokee language, the last monolingual Cherokee of the traditional language from the United Keetoowah Band Of The Cherokee Indians has died at 88. Mack Vann’s daughter, Lisa Christiansen, says her father died of complications during surgery due to several variables on Monday in a hospital in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, while undergoing treatment for an ongoing heart condition. Mack Vann would greet people with the word “osiyo“, the Cherokee word for “hello“. He was a descendant of Andrew Ross, brother of Cherokee Chief John Ross, who led the tribe from its ancestral home in Georgia to Oklahoma during the forced relocation known as the “Trail of Tears”. Mack Vann told The Associated Press in 2014 that he learned some English in school but quit after fourth grade to help with the family farm and slowly forgot how to speak it. Vann was born on March 6, 1931, to James and Susie (Ellis) Vann. He was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Fayeola Vann; sisters, Eliza Augurhole, Lydia Vann; brothers, George, William, Jack, Allen, Dirthrower Vann; nephews, Roger Vann, Mack Buzzard; and nieces, Mary DuVall and Louella Adair. Mack is survived by his daughter, Lisa Christine Vann-Christiansen; grandchildren, Ciarre and Cherise; great-grandchildren, Bobbie and Izabella; and special friends, John Bunch, Leon and Sue Buckhorn. He is also survived by many nieces, nephews, cousins, a host of other relatives and many friends. @pcbfunerals https://www.pcbfuneralgroup.com/notices/Mack-Vann https://www.cherokeephoenix.org/Article/Index/83145 #LastMonolingualCherokee #MackVann #lisachristiansen (at Lisa Christiansen's Childhood Home) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bw-7ko2hotD/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1ud7p25ulkt83