Friends –
Today I am traveling to Washington D.C. As Chief of the Cherokee Nation, the largest tribe in the U.S., reaching out to our federal lawmakers and policymakers about issues important to Cherokee citizens is something I have and will always make a priority. It is critical to make sure our U.S. Senators and Representatives know what issues are important to the Cherokee Nation and to Indian Country in general.
But what makes this trip unique is that it coincides with the inaugural meeting of our D.C. area Cherokee community group. Wednesday, Jan. 30 will be the first ever official gathering of Beltway area Cherokee citizens. These types of at large community meetings allow us a chance to communicate with our citizens on tribal programs, opportunities and tell about some of the successes the Cherokee Nation has recently experienced.
I made a commitment to enhance and improve communication with Cherokee citizens, and that applies to our families living outside the 14 County jurisdictional boundaries. In Washington, D.C. we have several hundred citizens in the area with federal jobs, or an IHS position or involved in the legislative process in some capacity.
We are proud of our people doing amazing work in D.C. This community meeting will allow them to come together, maybe make some new connections and hopefully coordinate future gatherings down the road. Cherokee staff and elected officials will be on hand to answer questions and also help local Cherokee citizens get new photo tribal ID cards.
I look forward to meeting with each and every citizen in attendance, learning more about their lives and forging relationships that will last a lifetime.
Wado, and hope to see some of you soon in our nation’s capitol.