The Inter-Tribal Council of the Five Civilized Tribes is an
organization that unites the tribal governments of the Cherokee, Chickasaw,
Choctaw, Muscogee (Creek) and Seminole nations, and it represents approximately
750,000 Indian people throughout the United States. Together our tribes
represent about a quarter of the entire population of American Indians
throughout the United States. This year, I proudly serve as president of the
council. The other executive board members are Seminole Nation Principal Chief
Greg Chilcoat, Chickasaw Nation Governor Bill Anoatubby, Choctaw Nation Chief
Gary Batton and Muscogee (Creek) Nation Principal Chief James Floyd.
The ITC meets quarterly at revolving locations hosted by
member tribal governments. Its mission is to protect our tribal sovereignty and
advance issues critical to our people. It is one of the oldest and largest
tribal organizations in America.
These quarterly gatherings are a unique opportunity for our
tribal governments to convene and share ideas and best practices. We are
stronger as tribes when we share in one another’s success and hear the
important things we are all working on for our citizens. As tribal leaders and
senior staff working for our respective nations, we all benefit from this time
together. It strengthens Cherokee Nation’s efforts when we are able to
collaborate with other tribal governments to promote an agenda at both the
federal and state levels.
A spirit of cooperation fuels our collaborative work at ITC,
and the joint resolutions we create support issues that ensure we continue to
protect our inherent tribal sovereign rights. At the staff level, multiple
committees—including housing, education, health care, cultural preservation,
government relations and communications—offer an opportunity to share best
practices and ideas between the five tribal governments. ITC ensures our five
tribes remain united in important decision making on issues important to our
collective populations.
The council, which was originally founded in 1949, had gone
dormant for many years, but in 2012, we worked hard to rejuvenate the ITC and
fulfill the mission of the original founders, who created a constitution with a
clear and noble goal for the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Muscogee (Creek) and
Seminole:
“…to secure to ourselves and our descendants the rights and
benefits to which we are entitled under the laws of the United States of
America, and the State of Oklahoma; to enlighten the public toward a better
understanding of the Indian race; to preserve Indian cultural values; to
enhance and promote general educational opportunity among members of the Five
Civilized Tribes; to seek equitable adjustments of tribal affairs; to secure
and to preserve rights under Indian Treaties with the United States; and
other-wise to promote the common welfare of the American Indians…”
Tribal issues are both national and statewide, and that
means our tribal governments must work as equals with both the federal and
state governments.
We have taken a formal position on a wide range of issues on
the federal and state spectrum, including funding issues, voting rights,
cultural preservation and increased access to quality health care. We believe
in protecting our tribal rights and will always be an advocate for our tribal
sovereignty. Through the ITC, we have in the past, and will again in the coming
year, create a progressive legislative agenda for our five tribal nations. In
2018, that is just as important as it was in 1949 when this organization was
founded. A spirit of togetherness and unity defines the council. We are all
very distinct tribal governments with unique histories and cultures, but the
five tribes have similar issues and concerns, including protecting our right to
self-govern and providing critical services to our citizens.
I look forward to working for this organization this year as
its president. Together, we can do more good for our people, our governments
and our state.