Patrick Del Percio [they, them, theirs] is a Cherokee language teacher and translator. They are a Lector of Cherokee language in the Department of Linguistics at Yale University. Patrick holds a B.A. in International Studies from DePaul University in Chicago. They are certified to teach the Cherokee language through the Cherokee Language Department.
Alongside being a Lector, they have also served as a contract translator and curriculum developer for the Cherokee Nation Language Program [ᏣᎳᎩ ᎦᏬᏂᎯᏍᏗ ᎠᏂᏫᏒᎥᏍᎩ] since 2012. During this time, they have worked on such projects as translating Google and Microsoft interface from English to Cherokee, co-authoring a beginning Cherokee language textbook, and creating online language materials for adult learners.
Before coming to Yale, Patrick served as an Instructor of Cherokee language in the Department of Native American Studies at the University of Oklahoma where they taught three levels of Cherokee language courses. Through their teaching, writing, and language advocacy, Patrick works to raise awareness of and create inclusive spaces for the continuation of Indigenous languages, histories, and cultures.