Wednesday, January 24, 2018

Inter-Tribal Council plays important role for Five Tribes


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.

Thursday, January 18, 2018

CNB investment allows Cherokee language program to expand


Preserving the Cherokee language is preserving Cherokee identity, as the heritage and traditions of the tribe are rooted in our language. Our language allows us to pass along traditional Cherokee knowledge and values to our children and grandchildren. That is why I am so proud that Cherokee Nation Businesses has pledged unprecedented financial support to the Cherokee Language Master Apprentice Program.  

Through a signed memorandum of understanding, CNB is providing $180,000 to cover the costs of a language program called the 14th Generation Master Apprentice Program, a pilot program designed for students who originally learned to speak Cherokee at the tribe’s Cherokee Immersion Charter School.  We hope it encourages language usage as they progress through junior high and high school. CNB’s monetary commitment will further advance the preservation and usage of the Cherokee language, as graduates of the adult master apprentice program are placed in supervised teaching and mentoring roles. 

The new endeavor can be a bridge that unites the mission of our Cherokee Immersion Charter School and the Cherokee Language Master Apprentice Program, which has graduated six students since it began three years ago and is expected to graduate six more students in 2018 and another eight students in 2019. Both programs have proven successful in their respective area, and now we can connect their goals and participants.   

This multigenerational effort will help preserve and promote the use of the Cherokee language for generations to come and fill the gap between the immersion school and high school. Our youth, who have been educated in the immersion school, are among the most valuable Cherokee language assets going forward. We have made significant investments in these children, and we must keep exposing them to language-learning opportunities after completing the sixth grade.


Now that we have graduates of the Cherokee Language Master Apprentice Program, we have developed an expert pipeline and grown the personnel to keep our youth engaged after immersion school graduation. That means language lessons can be utilized at Sequoyah High School as well as within community settings.


Creating new Cherokee speakers, and in turn letting them pass along what they have learned, will keep our language flourishing for generations to come. Supporting cultural education and growing the language curriculum will help Cherokee children succeed on their lifelong journey and allow them to reach their God-given potential in school, in life and as Cherokee speakers.


The 14th Generation Master Apprentice Program already has about a dozen Sequoyah High School students gathering for lessons after school. Plans are in place for a summer program with participants gathering from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. for 10 weeks. Those students, if they participate over multiple summers, could potentially get about 2,000 hours of language education just through summer participation.


CNB continues to support the tribe in its pursuit of preserving Cherokee culture and heritage. Without the aggressive commitment from our tribal government and our business endeavors, the future of the Cherokee language would be in jeopardy.

Monday, January 8, 2018

Giving back to your community on Martin Luther King Jr. Day


"Not everybody can be famous, but everybody can be great because greatness is determined by service." - Martin Luther King Jr.
Reciting the many great words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. has become a treasured part of the day that commemorates his service to the cause of advancing civil rights. His remarkable gift of the written and spoken word has provided an inspiration to millions of people who share his dream of hope and fairness for all people in America, regardless of race, religion, gender or creed. He was a remarkable advocate for equality for all people of color in America, including Indian Country.
I recently signed an executive order formally recognizing Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the third Monday of each January, as a Cherokee Nation national holiday, closing all of the tribe’s government offices and granting paid administrative leave to employees. However, on that day, I encourage all Cherokee Nation employees to dedicate the day in service to others. By devoting this day to service and care of others, we move closer to Dr. King’s vision of living and working together as one community. Through our deeds, we honor Dr. King’s legacy. Going forward, that commitment to service on the third Monday of January will better unite and strengthen each of us, and the entire Cherokee Nation. "A Day On, Not a Day Off" can be a day to connect community service to the social justice issues that Dr. King fought for during his lifetime. On that day, and every day, we should all be an advocate for people who face injustices in their lives.
While we have certainly made positive progress for people of color, we still have far to go to meet true equality and opportunity for all. Now more than ever, we should make standing for the voiceless a priority in our country and community.
Part of Dr. King’s enduring legacy are the seeds of hope he planted in the hearts and minds of millions of Americans that life could be and should be better. That hope carried a generation forward, and it continues to inspire me today. Real hope is believing life will be better soon. It is not a fleeting wish that things will get better, but a true belief that a brighter future lies ahead. At Cherokee Nation, our goal is to build brighter futures for all of our citizens. A brighter future today, tomorrow and seven generations from now.
Dr. King devoted his life to serving others and fighting for justice and equality for all people. Beyond a celebration of his life, MLK Day is also a reminder that every day each of us can play an important role in continuing his work. Dr. King once said, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’” We are forever indebted to Dr. King. His fight increased the opportunities and freedoms that we all enjoy today.  And, a most fitting tribute would be for each of us to rise every day and ask ourselves, “What can I do to help someone today?”