Cherokee Nation hosts important National Native American Veterans Memorial conversation

Cherokee Nation recently hosted a gathering for a public and open discussion on a project that is important to me and all of Indian Country: the future Native American Warrior Memorial in Washington, D.C. The forthcoming memorial will be housed on the campus of the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian.

Our good friend Kevin Gover, director of the NMAI, led the discussion along with other members of the advisory committee for the memorial, including Deputy Chief S. Joe Crittenden, a U.S. Navy veteran. The advisory board is comprised of tribal leaders and veterans from across Indian Country and represents every branch of the Armed Forces.

The Native American Veterans Memorial is important because Indian people serve at a higher rate than any other racial group in this country, and our Native warriors have fought in every American battle since the Revolutionary War. Sadly, outside of Indian Country most Americans do not know these facts.

I am proud of all the contributions Cherokees and American Indians have made to America and to the U.S. military. Throughout centuries, many fine, young Native men and women have served. To all of them, through the generations, we owe a debt of gratitude. They are true American heroes and deserve to be included when Americans come to the U.S. capital to remember their veterans. These men and women represent every tribe in America, more than 565 unique sovereign governments, and each one has its own culture and customs.  

Of all the monuments that are in Washington, none of them recognize Native veterans. All of our tribes have always honored and revered our warriors, and it’s time we change this disservice. Honoring and taking care of the very people who keep us free is our way, the Native American way, of showing appreciation. It’s the right thing to do.

A nod of gratitude goes to Cherokee Nation citizen and U.S. representative from the second district, Markwayne Mullin, for pushing through a bill in Congress that would set aside space on the National Mall in D.C. as a sacred place to honor the sacrifices and service of so many Native American warriors.

The estimated date of unveiling the monument will be sometime in 2020, which allows ample time for consultation, fundraising and design discussion. The NMAI was dutiful in coming to Oklahoma to seek input for our local Indian veterans about what the memorial should include and how it should look and feel for visitors and families of those who have served.

I look forward to seeing what it will look like one day. It will represent in perpetuity our respect and admiration of Native veterans in a meaningful way. Our heritage as soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines and coast guard is something we should all take pride in.

If you have ideas or input on the memorial, there is still time to comment. Please visit http://www.nmai.si.edu/support/national-native-american-veterans-memorial/ or send an email with your input to nmai-nativeveteransmemorial@si.edu.

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An endorsement for Hillary Clinton for President of the United States

Hillary Clinton is our best choice to serve as President of the United States. Having served in the roles of Secretary of State, U.S. Senator and the sometime under-appreciated role of First Lady, she has unprecedented experience in international and domestic policy, which includes tribal sovereignty. As the elected leader of the largest tribal government in America, that level of experience is invaluable to Indian Country.

Hillary Clinton will continue the legacy of meaningful government to government consultations between tribal nations and the United States established by Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, and will build on that foundation. She truly grasps the federal trust responsibility to our tribal nations, while being empathetic to the problems facing Indian Country.

Secretary Clinton has heard the call of tribal leaders and will take action on the issues most important to our people. She will ensure the issues facing the First Americans will not be the last to be addressed.

I had the pleasure of attending a tribal leaders meeting at the White House many years ago when I served on the Cherokee Nation Tribal Council and it was then First Lady Hillary Clinton who led our discussion. This was an historic moment, as there was direct engagement between tribal leaders and the White House like never before in modern history. She promised a true government-to-government relationship and a real partnership to address our unique needs and the result of that meeting was Executive Order 13175 on tribal consultation that was issued by President Clinton.  Secretary Clinton understands Indian people must have a seat at the table with federal officials in the development of federal policies affecting our communities. 

She has been a vocal and visionary leader for tribal citizens as a supporter of the Violence Against Women Act, Tribal Colleges, the Indian Health Care Improvement Act and the UN’s Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Secretary Clinton is the most qualified candidate to be president because she understands that our brightest future lies in strong relationships, especially as we strive to bring equality and economic development to Indian Country. History teaches us that failure to include the voices of tribal leaders leads to devastating results for Indian people. This dialogue is critical to productive federal-tribal relationships.  

As President, Hillary Clinton will continue an active dialogue with tribal governments.  She will focus a progressive agenda on the needs of our youth, our women, our veterans, our natural resources and access to quality health care for our people for generations.

I hope you join me in supporting Hillary Clinton as this race moves forward, as she is the best equipped and most experienced person in the race to become our next commander-in-chief. 

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An endorsement for Hillary Clinton for President of the United States

Hillary Clinton is our best choice to serve as President of the United States. Having served in the roles of Secretary of State, U.S. Senator and the sometime under-appreciated role of First Lady, she has unprecedented experience in international and domestic policy, which includes tribal sovereignty. As the elected leader of the largest tribal government in America, that level of experience is invaluable to Indian Country.

Hillary Clinton will continue the legacy of meaningful government to government consultations between tribal nations and the United States established by Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, and will build on that foundation. She truly grasps the federal trust responsibility to our tribal nations, while being empathetic to the problems facing Indian Country.

Secretary Clinton has heard the call of tribal leaders and will take action on the issues most important to our people. She will ensure the issues facing the First Americans will not be the last to be addressed.

I had the pleasure of attending a tribal leaders meeting at the White House many years ago when I served on the Cherokee Nation Tribal Council and it was then First Lady Hillary Clinton who led our discussion. This was an historic moment, as there was direct engagement between tribal leaders and the White House like never before in modern history. She promised a true government-to-government relationship and a real partnership to address our unique needs and the result of that meeting was Executive Order 13175 on tribal consultation that was issued by President Clinton.  Secretary Clinton understands Indian people must have a seat at the table with federal officials in the development of federal policies affecting our communities. 

She has been a vocal and visionary leader for tribal citizens as a supporter of the Violence Against Women Act, Tribal Colleges, the Indian Health Care Improvement Act and the UN’s Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Secretary Clinton is the most qualified candidate to be president because she understands that our brightest future lies in strong relationships, especially as we strive to bring equality and economic development to Indian Country. History teaches us that failure to include the voices of tribal leaders leads to devastating results for Indian people. This dialogue is critical to productive federal-tribal relationships.  

As President, Hillary Clinton will continue an active dialogue with tribal governments.  She will focus a progressive agenda on the needs of our youth, our veterans, our natural resources and access to quality health care for our people for generations.

I hope you join me in supporting Hillary Clinton as this race moves forward, as she is the best equipped and most experienced person in the race to become our next commander-in-chief. 

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Native veteran memorial discussion being held at Hard Rock

The U.S. Congress has authorized the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C., to create a National Native American Veterans Memorial.

Native American veterans and other community members are invited to a discussion on July 21 at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa about the memorial, which will honor the military service of Native Americans. The event will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Sequoyah 2 room.

Principal Chief Bill John Baker will provide the opening remarks at the event. Kevin Gover, director of the National Museum of the American Indian, will lead the discussion, joined by members of the advisory committee for the memorial. 

Cherokee Nation Deputy Chief S. Joe Crittenden is a member of the the advisory committee, which is comprised of tribal leaders and veterans and represents geographic diversity of Indian Country. Additionally, the advisory committee represents the various branches of the Armed Forces. Deputy Chief Crittenden is a veteran of the U.S. Navy. 

Native Americans, including Cherokees, are thought to have more citizens serving in the military per capita than any other ethnic group according to the U.S. Department of Defense.

For more information, contact Rae Wacoche at rae-wacoche@cherokee.org or Gina Ward at wardgi@si.edu.

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RES Economic Summit at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa offers tribes, business leaders unique networking opportunity

From July 11-14, the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development will host its regional Reservation Economic Summit at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa. Cherokee Nation is honored to sponsor and host the annual RES conference in Tulsa, as we are the heart of Indian Country here in Oklahoma.

RES Oklahoma will bring together tribal leaders, elected officials, industry leaders and the American Indian business community to collaborate and network in an innovative and entrepreneurial atmosphere.

As the host tribe for this important event, we are proud to be an integral part of this tribal economic development conference.  The gathering, which is spearheaded by NCAIED Executive Director Gary Davis, a Cherokee Nation citizen, represents a unique opportunity for our most visionary economic leaders to share innovative ideas and successful practices and create new business development possibilities.

Creating business growth and quality jobs infuses our tribal communities with new revenue, and that makes all of Indian Country stronger and more formidable than ever. For our sovereign governments in Oklahoma, we know our economic contributions help the state thrive. Collectively, the state’s 38 tribes have an economic impact of more than $11 billion on the Oklahoma economy and support thousands of quality jobs.

Every day we see our growing economic diversity and expanding American Indian business ventures in Oklahoma grow to new heights. We must keep striving to create jobs for tribal citizens and within our tribal communities, which are often rural and historically fall short on providing career opportunities.

RES is one of the best gathering places for ideas and products for Indian Country to find a wider audience, where attendance also means access and education to keep abreast of the latest federal regulations and policies. It enables and encourages creative brainstorming with other tribal businesses about new opportunities for improvements, procurement, expansions and idea development. No other gathering has successively brought together tribal leaders, tribal enterprises, corporations and a host of federal agencies to the table to discuss expanded business opportunities not just for tribes and tribal businesses, but also for individual American Indian business owners.

The director of the U.S. Minority Business Development Agency, Alejandra Castillo, will be the keynote speaker and will moderate a breakout session on entrepreneurship. For the Cherokee Nation, creating new entrepreneurs is critical to our long-term future, and it’s something I have always championed as a small business owner myself.  Our Kawi Café, located in downtown Tahlequah, was recently named Best Educational Program by the Native American Finance Officers Association. Kawi Café was started two years ago as a hands-on business training program for aspiring Native American entrepreneurs.

The community of Tulsa and the Cherokee Nation remain focused on supporting and growing entrepreneurs, and RES Oklahoma reinforces this mission with a specifically designed boot camp designed for Native American high school and college-aged students interested in business and entrepreneurship. It is a rare chance to learn more about what it takes to succeed in business.

For more information or how you can attend, please visit http://res.ncaied.org/.

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