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Animal Advocate
Ebola Epidemic
Open for Business
In 2011, Kristin Vickrey started working
at the Regional Animal Care Center as
an associate veterinarian. NEWS, 6
Three Cherokee officers are serving in
the U.S. Government’s response to the
ebola outbreak in Liberia. HEALTH, 12
The new Tahlequah tag office provides
more lobby room than its prior location
and offers more parking. SERVICES, 14
February 2015 • cherokeephoenix.org
CHEROKEE
187 Years of Cherokee Journalism
PHOENIX
CN wins IHS Joint Venture Program project
It is for a new W.W.
Hastings Hospital that
Cherokee Nation officials
hope to have built in two to
three years.
BY JAMI MURPHY
Reporter
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – Cherokee Nation
officials in 2013 announced an expansion to
the tribe’s Health Services, which included a
new W.W. Hastings Hospital in Tahlequah. On
Jan. 15, tribal officials said the Indian Health
Service has awarded the CN a Joint Venture
Program project to help pay for a new Hastings.
As part of the agreement between the CN
and IHS, the tribe will fund the construction
of a more than 250,000-square-foot facility on
the hospital’s Tahlequah campus. IHS initially
provides up to $30 million per year for 20 years
for staffing and operations, according to CN
Communications.
The tribe was among more than 30 applicants
and one of the top three selected for the project.
“Cherokee Nation Health Services cannot
be more excited about the future of W.W.
Hastings Hospital and our tribe’s health system
as a whole,” Health Services Executive Director
Connie Davis said. “With the millions of dollars
from the joint venture project, the Cherokee
Nation will continue to offer first-class health
service at a state-of-the-art health facility.”
Davis said she’s worked within the walls of
the current hospital since 1988 and knows
firsthand the challenges of not having enough
room as both a patient and a nurse.
“And so when I had the opportunity to
have this job it was more than I could have
ever dreamed when the (principal) chief (Bill
John Baker) readily said ‘OK, let’s make some
expansions’ and had support of the council and
put that money where their mouth is,” Davis
said. “We’ve got a great team of people and the
chief pushing forward to get this done.”
Davis said in August 2013 the Tribal Council
passed a resolution to apply for the joint venture
with IHS. The resolution was submitted that
September.
“We were notified Oct. 15 of the same year
See JOINT VENTURE, 3
BURN ON, BIG RIVER CANE
A man and woman go into the Cherokee
Nation’s W.W. Hastings Hospital in
Tahlequah, Oklahoma. The tribe has been
awarded a Joint Venture Program project by
the Indian Health Service that will pay for
salaries and operations at a new Hastings
Hospital. JAMI MURPHY/CHEROKEE PHOENIX
Energy official
says power line
an economic
opportunity
Plains & Eastern Clean
Line says it is committed
to working with local
companies along the line’s
undetermined route.
BY WILL CHAVEZ
Senior Reporter
Roger Cain, Cherokee Nation River Cane Initiative researcher, right, discusses the plan to burn underneath river cane near Sallisaw
Creek in southern Adair County with CN Wildlife Fire Coordinator David Comingdeer. Areas under the cane were burned on Jan. 9 to
help the cane grow better in the spring. PHOTOS BY WILL CHAVEZ/CHEROKEE PHOENIX
Tribe helps river cane thrive with fire
Cherokee Nation River
Cane Initiative and
Wildlife Fire workers help
river cane grow by burning
off its competition.
BY WILL CHAVEZ
Senior Reporter
LINE SWITCH, Okla. – A river cane field
located on Cherokee Nation land in southern
Adair County got some needed help using fire.
On land adjacent to Sallisaw Creek, Roger
Cain, researcher for the Cherokee Nation
River Cane Initiative, joined Cherokee Nation
Wildlife Fire Coordinator David Comingdeer
and his son Spencer for a “controlled burn”
under the native river cane growing next to
the creek.
The river cane project began in 2011 to
preserve, map and perpetuate the growth of
river cane in the CN.
“So far we’ve identified 60 acres of river
cane on tribal land out of about 18,000 acres.
We’re here today on this plot that has been
partially poisoned, and we’re trying to correct
Cherokee Nation Wildlife Fire Coordinator David Comingdeer lights a fire line near a river
cane field on Jan. 9 in Adair County. Areas under the cane were burned to help the plant
grow better in the spring.
the problem by burning off the old cane,
and hopefully we’ll connect two separate
cane breaks together,” Cain said. “Burning
cane breaks hasn’t been done since before
statehood. Before statehood we were able to
burn and do all sorts of stuff as a tribe...so this
is pretty unique. We’re doing something other
tribes wish they could do, and we’re glad we
can do it and protect our tribal resources.”
Cain said the burn is done in the winter
to remove the river cane’s competition. River
cane grows in the winter, and if its competition
is eliminated it will get a head start in the
spring and grow taller and larger. When the
cane reaches a certain height it will develop
a canopy and won’t have to compete as much
with other plants around it because it will
block out the sun, he said.
Comingdeer said he and his son attempted
a “controlled burn” on Jan. 9, while the
conditions were good with good humidity
and little wind. However, the “fuel” or leaves
needed to keep the fire going were compacted
due to recent rainfall.
“A lot of our native species and our plants
that are in this area that we use for our
artwork, our basketry, our materials that we
harvest for certain things like our medicine...
are fire dependent. If you don’t have fire
See CANE BURN, 4
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – Despite opposition
from Sequoyah County residents and Cherokee
Nation lawmakers, a Plains & Eastern Clean
Line official said building a transmission
line to carry wind energy from Oklahoma
to Tennessee would be a major economic
opportunity for the state.
“Wind energy is a growing part of our energy
economy, and Oklahoma has a huge natural
advantage especially because of the wind
speeds in the western part of the state,” P&ECL
Executive Vice President Mario Hurtado
said. Hurtado is in charge of the line’s overall
development.
He said the project would provide jobs and
higher incomes for thousands of state-based
workers who would construct the 700-to-750mile line, which would include 120-to-200-foot
towers and wind farms.
“It would have a large impact during
construction, but it would also have positive
ongoing impacts during the operating phase of
the project, which will be for a very long time,”
he said.
Hurtado said P&ECL officials are
“committed” to working with local companies
to be sub-contractors and manufacturing
suppliers along the line’s undetermined route.
The project would have endpoints in
Oklahoma’s panhandle region near Guymon,
according to the company’s website, and in
western Tennessee. P&ECL has worked to get
input from various stakeholders, including the
CN, about potential routes, Hurtado said. In
meetings with the tribe, he said, work has been
See POWER LINE, 6
A Plains & Eastern Clean Line map of
Sequoyah County shows a proposed route
for the company’s transmission power
line, which would carry wind energy from
western Oklahoma to western Tennessee.
PLAINS & EASTERN CLEAN LINE
CN to get $2M from Arkansas Riverbed lawsuit dismissal
The case stemmed from a 2003 complaint filed in federal
claims court in which the United Keetoowah Band
claimed right, title and interest in the riverbed.
BY JAMI MURPHY
Reporter
WASHINGTON – The Cherokee Nation
is expecting to receive more than $2 million
following the dismissal of the United
Keetoowah Band’s lawsuit against the U.S.
government regarding the Arkansas Riverbed
settlement.
CN Attorney General Todd Hembree said
since 2007 a settlement of $2 million has been
held in escrow until a court decision on the
case could be made. The case stems from a
2003 complaint filed in federal claims court in
which the UKB claimed right, title and interest
in the Arkansas Riverbed.
In 1970, the U.S. Supreme Court determined
that certain sections of the riverbed belonged
to the Cherokee, Choctaw and Chickasaw
nations.
“The Cherokee Nation was involved in a
suit involving the ownership of the Arkansas
Riverbed with the United States. After decades
of litigation this case was settled in 2005,”
Hembree said.
The CN received $20 million for its riverbed
property. However, prior to the distribution of
funds the UKB officials filed suit saying they
were entitled to a portion of the funds because
the UKB was the successor-in-interest to the
historic CN, Hembree said.
“Our position has always been that we are
the Cherokee Nation and have always been,”
he said. “As a result of the UKB suit, $2 million
of the $20 million settlement was placed into
escrow until this issue was determined. After
years of litigation, the UKB dismissed their law
suit ‘without prejudice’ meaning that no result
was made.”
After the U.S. Court of Federal Claims
See RIVERBED, 4
2
CHEROKEE PHOENIX • February 2015
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February 2015 • CHEROKEE PHOENIX
3
AG asked to investigate Editorial Board member
Todd Hembree says his office will investigate
a complaint filed against Kendra McGeady
for her attendance at a campaign event.
BY JAMI MURPHY
Reporter
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – Cherokee Nation
citizen Cheryl Brown filed a formal complaint
with the CN Attorney General’s Office on Jan.
15 requesting an investigation regarding the
attendance of Cherokee Phoenix Editorial
Board member Kendra McGeady at Principal
Chief Bill John Baker’s Jan. 6 campaign kickoff
in Tahlequah.
Brown, an At-Large CN citizen, said she filed
the complaint because the “Cherokee people
deserve a tribal paper that is free from all
political influence.”
“With Ms. Kendra MeGeady’s attendance
at
what
was
clearly
defined
and
promoted
as the ‘Re-Elect
Baker/Crittenden
Cherokee Nation
Campaign Kickoff,’ I question if she is capable
of following and if she has followed the criteria
set forth for the members of the Editorial Board
on which she currently serves, as defined by the
Free Independent Press Act.”
The Independent Press Act, or Legislative
Act 16-09, states “board members shall not
participate in any political campaign or be
involved in any tribal political activity, except
to exercise his or her right as a citizen to express
his or her individual opinion and cast his or her
right to vote.”
McGeady said her attending the event was
“lawful.”
“I’m confident that my attendance at a public
matter, but added that at this time it’s too early
event was lawful,” she said.
Brown said the Attorney General’s Office to speculate on what could happen to a board
should serve and protect the interest of all member who may or may not have broken
Cherokees and hopes Attorney General Todd tribal law.
Hembree would “thoughtfully consider this
“The
appointed
issue” and “make a
official can be moved
determination as to
from office through
if this member of the
the
impeachment
board has violated the
process,” he said.
Free Press Act.”
“However that’s far too
“If
that
premature to speculate
determination
is
on this,” he said.
made, I believe she
should be removed,”
“We
got
the
Brown added. “The
complaint from a
Cherokee
people
Cherokee
Nation
– Independent Press Act, or
should be able to trust
citizen
yesterday
(Jan.
Legislative Act 16-09
and know without any
15), and so literally
uncertainty that their
the investigation has
newspaper is indeed without influence from just now commenced. We will do so in a very
any political entity.”
timely fashion, but as to potential ramifications
Hembree said his office would investigate the I wouldn’t even comment on that,” he added.
Board members shall
not participate in any
political campaign
or be involved in any
tribal political activity.
Lynn Burris sworn in as
Supreme Court justice
BY TESINA JACKSON
Reporter
A video from the group Showing Animals Respect & Kindness shows Principal Chief
Bill John Baker’s tribal vehicle on federal land in Lone Wolf, Oklahoma, for the Sept. 5
pigeon shoot for Sen. James Inhofe. Following the shoot, Baker released a statement
acknowledging he attended the event but spent most of the time shooting clay pigeons.
SHOWING ANIMALS RESPECT & KINDNESS
No investigation for Baker’s
pigeon shoot attendance
The shoot Principal Chief
Bill John Baker attended
raised the concerns of some
tribal citizens.
BY STACIE GUTHRIE
Reporter
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – Cherokee Nation
Attorney General Todd Hembree said there
would be no criminal investigation of Principal
Chief Bill John Baker regarding his involvement
in the Sept. 5 pigeon shoot held by Oklahoma
Sen. James Inhofe as a political fundraiser.
The fundraiser, held in Lone Wolf, was
labeled as a dove hunt. However, the Illinoisbased group Showing Animals Respect &
Kindness, or SHARK, reported that 1,000
pigeons, some tame, were used.
Video recorded by SHARK shows event
workers throwing pigeons into the air toward
hay bales. People with shotguns, located
behind the bales, fired upon the pigeons as they
attempted to fly away.
The video shows some pigeons falling to the
ground dead, while others fell injured. Some
made their way off the shooting field only to
be recaptured by workers and thrown back into
the air to be fired upon again.
In a letter to Hembree following the shoot,
CN citizen Michael E. Moore requested
that Hembree appoint an impartial special
prosecutor, or a grand jury, to view and hear
evidence to determine if charges should be filed
against Baker.
“It is with trepidation that I send this letter
demanding a criminal investigation of our
Principal Chief Bill John Baker,” Moore’s letter
states. “However, I will not stand idle or remain
silent after watching the brutal and horrific
killing of a thousand pigeons for pure pleasure
and entertainment.”
Moore accuses Baker of violating the tribe’s
“injury to animals” law, CN Code, Title 21,
Section 1685: “Any person who shall willfully
or maliciously overdrive, overload, torture,
destroy or kill, or cruelly beat or injure, maim or
mutilate, any animal in subjugation or captivity,
whether wild or tame, and whether belonging
to himself or another, deprive any such animal
of necessary food, drink or shelter; or who shall
cause procure or permit any such animal to be
so overdriven, overloaded, tortured, destroyed
or killed, or cruelly beaten or injured, maimed
or mutilated, or deprived of necessary food,
drink or shelter; or who shall willfully set on
foot, instigate, engage in, or in any way further
any act of cruelty to any animal, or any act
tending to produce such cruelty, shall be guilty
of a crime.”
In an email to the Cherokee Phoenix,
Hembree stated the tribe’s criminal “cruelty to
animals” charge was never intended for “the
mere killing of an animal, but for extreme
conduct such as starvation, or torture of an
animal.”
“Certainly, the practice of hunting or
shooting birds is not a criminal act nor does it
equate to animal cruelty within the Cherokee
Nation,” he stated.
Hembree also stated the CN does not have
criminal jurisdiction concerning events that
took place in Kiowa County.
“For that reason alone, no investigation has
been or will be conducted by Cherokee Nation
law enforcement,” he stated. “As for other
jurisdictions, the officials in each government
decide what constitutes a crime under their
own laws. To date, there have been no charges
filed by any state or county agency that has
been made aware of the event.”
He stated that Title 20 C.N.C.A. §§ 24-25
defines the jurisdiction of the Nation’s District
Court.
“It defines territorial jurisdiction to include
all ‘Indian country’ within the 14-county area
of northeastern Oklahoma as defined by the
treaties of 1838, 1833 and 1835 and the patent
of 2838 between the United States of America
and the Cherokee Nation, and at such other
locations within the Unites States which qualify
as “Cherokee country,” he stated.
On Oct. 1, Baker released a statement
regarding his presence at the pigeon shoot. In
it he acknowledged that he went to Inhofe’s
canned hunt with the hopes of talking to
federal delegates and informing them of the
“current challenges and accomplishments of
the Cherokee Nation.”
He added that he was surprised to see what
would be going on during the “dove hunt” and
that he did not expect it.
“After a brief but uncomfortable period of
time, I left the main event area and spent most
of my time shooting clay pigeons in a different
area,” Baker said.
He added that he would not have accepted
the invitation if he knew what would truly be
taking place.
JOINT VENTURE
from front page
that we were in the top running. And just this past year, or this
week, notified that we were selected,” she said.
Hastings CEO Brian Hail said in conjunction with IHS,
CN would begin the planning process with the new hospital
following program requirements.
“We estimate we’ll have that completed by the end of the
summer then hopefully we can have construction completed
within the next two to three years,” Hail said.
Principal Chief Baker said it took work from several people
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – On
Jan. 2, Lynn Burris was sworn
in as a Cherokee Nation
Supreme Court justice inside
the Cherokee Courthouse.
“I am highly honored and
excited to be a Cherokee
Nation Supreme Court
Justice,” he said. “All I can say
is that I’m going to do the best
job I can and look forward to
serving with the other justices
on the Supreme Court.”
The
Tribal
Council
unanimously
approved
Burris’ appointment on Nov.
13 with Tribal Councilor
Jodie Fishinghawk absent.
Burris
was
most
recently a judge for the CN
Administrative
Appeals
Board, where he presided
over Tribal Employment
Rights Office appeals.
Tribal Councilor Julia
Coates questioned Burris’s
involvement with the EAB
and his brother Lyle, who
was also serving on the EAB.
“We currently have some
cases in front of the Supreme
Court involving dismissals
of employees, alleged illegal
termination of employees
that Mr. Burris has already
ruled on as a member of
the EAB that he will be
potentially having a second
opportunity to rule on as a
justice of the Supreme Court,”
Coates said on Nov. 13. “In
addition, he’s got a brother
who continues to serve on
the Employee Appeals Board,
and it’s not inconceivable
that there will be additional
cases of this kind coming in
front of the Supreme Court
as there have been over these
past several years. And I feel
as though there are some
things here that I’m very, very
uncomfortable (with), again
family relationships and
conflicts that come forth.”
Secretary of State Chuck
Hoskin Jr. reiterated at the
November Tribal Council
meeting what Lynn Burris
discussed at a Rules
Committee meeting earlier
in the day, saying Lynn Burris
confirmed that his brother
would resign if he were to
receive approval. Hoskin said
he had no doubt Lynn Burris
would follow rules in place to
recuse a judge.
On Jan. 7, Hoskin said that
Lynn Burris places his left hand on a Bible held by his
daughter, Amber George, as he is sworn into office as a
Cherokee Nation Supreme Court Justice. COURTESY
Lyle Burris announced his
resignation Nov. 18, which
became effective Jan. 1.
Lynn Burris is Principal
Chief Bill John Baker’s third
Supreme Court appointment.
Justices John C. Garrett and
Angela Jones are the others.
“Judge Lynn Burris brings
a wealth of legal experience
and expertise to the
Cherokee Nation Supreme
Court,” Baker said. “He will
be a true asset to our people
as a defender and interpreter
of our tribal constitution.
I know Justice Burris’
substantive knowledge in
Indian law will significantly
serve the Cherokee legal
system for years to come.”
Lynn Burris, of Tahlequah,
will serve a 10-year term
on the tribe’s five-member
Supreme Court bench. The
Supreme Court interprets
CN laws and decides child
custody cases, Cherokee
citizenship issues and other
cases affecting the Cherokee
people and tribe.
He joins Justices Garrett,
Jones, Troy Wayne Poteete
and James Wilcoxen. He
replaces former Chief Justice
Darrell Dowty, whose term
expired Dec. 31. The five
justices were expected to
select a new chief justice.
Lynn Burris earned his
bachelor’s and master’s
degrees from Northeastern
State University and his law
degree from the University
of Oklahoma. He has served
as an attorney or judge for
more than 45 years in county,
federal and tribal courts.
He has also served as an
adjunct professor at NSU
and is a member of the
Oklahoma Bar Association
and Cherokee County Bar
Association.
Taylor named to Claremore
Indian Hospital board
The board meets quarterly
to siscuss hospital policy
and operations.
BY STAFF REPORTS
CLAREMORE, Okla. – Principal Chief Bill
John Baker named Tribal Councilor Janees
Taylor as the tribe’s representative to the
Claremore Indian Hospital advisory board.
Taylor, of Pryor, replaced Tribal Councilor
Dick Lay who resigned in December. As a
board member, Taylor will work to promote
the CN’s interest in decisions that are made at
the Indian Health Service-operated hospital.
“A lot of positive changes have been made
at Claremore Indian Hospital in the last
and departments to bring the tribe’s health services where it is
today.
“But I stand before you today to tell you that this is probably
the greatest news of the modern Cherokee Nation,” he said. “Yes,
we started gaming some 10 years ago and that was great news,
but over those 10 years we averaged about $20 to $25 million
a year coming into the tribe for direct services to our people.
But because of this announcement today we have been approved
for a joint venture on the W.W. Hastings Hospital campus to
proceed...right away.”
He added that CN official would do everything in their power
to maximize the dollars to make the lives and the health care of
the Cherokee people.
“So we don’t know exactly how it’s going to look because there
couple of years, and I hope to be a part of
it,” Taylor said. “Claremore Indian Hospital
is unique in that it is not controlled by the
Cherokee Nation, like our other health
centers and W.W. Hastings Hospital are. For
that reason, continuing to have a Cherokee
Nation representative on this board will help
our own health care system work toward a
seamless transition for our citizens using
Claremore Indian Hospital.”
The advisory board meets quarterly to
discuss current hospital policy and operations.
“Councilor Taylor brings a wealth of
experience and knowledge to the board of
directors. She will be a strong advocate for the
hospital’s commitment to quality health care
for Native people in northeast Oklahoma,”
Baker said.
is going to be some negotiations and give and take, but it very
likely could mean more dollars per year than the dollars they
gave us when we took over Hastings Hospital five years ago,”
Baker said.
According to a press release, the “expanded hospital campus
will help alleviate the strain on the current hospital, which was
built 30 years ago to serve 65,000 outpatient visits each year. The
hospital currently serves more than 400,000 patient visits per
year. The new facility will include more than 100 exam rooms
and dozens of specialty rooms.”
The release also states that in the early 1990s, IHS started a
Joint Venture Program to help tribes develop better health care
facilities for its citizens “while alleviating financial strain on the
federal government.”
CHEROKEEPHOENIX.ORG
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CHEROKEE PHOENIX • February 2015
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Tribe purchases 6
properties in 2014
BY JAMI MURPHY
Reporter
Cherokee World War II veteran Robert Dye, of Fort Gibson, Oklahoma, is thanked for his service by fellow
veteran and Tribal Councilor Don Garvin during the Jan. 12 Tribal Council meeting. Dye served in the Pacific
Theater during the war and was wounded in battle. Assisting with the presentation of the Cherokee
Warrior Award was Cherokee Veterans Center Director Dr. Ricky Robinson, left, and Principal Chief Bill
John Baker. WILL CHAVEZ/CHEROKEE PHOENIX
Council opposes power line
BY WILL CHAVEZ
Senior Reporter
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – During its
Jan. 12 meeting, the Tribal Council
unanimously approved a resolution
opposing the construction of a
transmission power line that would
carry power generated by windmills
in western Oklahoma through the
state and Arkansas into Tennessee.
With Julia Coates absent, the 16
Tribal Councilors present voted
against the 750-mile project being
proposed by the Plains & Eastern
Company based in Houston.
Legislators are particularly opposed
to the line running through
Sequoyah County, which is within
the tribe’s jurisdiction.
Tribal Councilor Cara Cowan
Watts initially abstained from voting
for the resolution in committee
because she said she did not have
enough information.
“We don’t have information, all
the information, I think. Even if it
is accurate and it’s going to impact
our facilities or places and locations
and historic places and routes, not
just in Sequoyah County but also in
Arkansas, we have a lot of work to
do,” Cowan Watts said. “What came
out in committee was potentially
they had been contacting the tribe
for three years, and we (council)
hadn’t been informed. So, I think
there’s additional investigations
that need to occur about what did
or didn’t happen with involvement
with the tribe.”
Tribal
Councilor
Janelle
Fullbright, who helps represent
Sequoyah County, said she has
attended public meetings regarding
the transmission line and heard
from landowners who may be
affected and who do not want to
give up lands.
She said landowners, some of
them CN citizens, also do not want
to see 200-foot towers on their lands
or hear humming noises emitted
by transmission lines. There is also
the possibility that the lines would
emit a low-grade level of radiation,
Fullbright said.
She said 800 Sequoyah County
residents have signed a petition
against the transmission line
and that Sequoyah County
commissioners are also against it.
Also, the line would run near and
parallel to the marked Trail of Tears
trail in the county, she said.
Tribal Councilor Jack Baker,
who serves as the president of the
national Trail of Tears Association,
said the superintendent who
oversees the Trail of Tears National
Historic Trail is also opposed to
the project because it would affect
Trail of Tears sites in Oklahoma and
Arkansas.
“I’m also opposed to it simply
because of the affect it will have on
Cherokee citizens as it crosses their
property,” he said
CATOOSA,
Okla.
–
The
Cherokee Nation and Cherokee
Nation Entertainment purchased
three properties each in 2014. The
properties total approximately 152
acres with the largest being in Rogers
County.
CNE purchased 89.98 acres on
Sept. 30 from John and Velma
Mullen. According to Rogers County
records, the cost was $3.7 million.
The land is located west/northwest of
CNE’s Cherokee Hills Golf Course.
The golf course is located at the Hard
Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa.
The Cherokee Phoenix reported in
September that the acquired property
would be used for the golf course.
According to artist renderings,
“Cherokee Outlets” a premium outlet
shop and entertainment and dining
zone that was announced on Sept.
10 is expected to be built behind the
Hard Rock and could possibly use
land occupied by the golf course and
its clubhouse.
CNB officials said they were
awaiting a master plan for “Cherokee
Outlets” as well as a plan from a golf
course architect.
“We are in the process of
negotiating with the golf course
architect. I anticipate getting that
agreement in place in the next
couple of weeks and starting to do
some preliminary work there,” CNB
Executive Vice President Charles
Garrett said in September.
According
to
CNE
Communications, CNB officials are
still planning work to be done on the
golf course.
CNE also purchased approximately
6 acres for $256,500 in Sequoyah
County, according to county
records. Cherokee Nation Property
Management purchased the land
from Benjamin and Judy Cowan and
later deeded it to Cherokee Nation
Construction Resources for housing.
CNCR will build 23 homes
that the Housing Authority of the
Cherokee Nation will purchase after
construction is complete.
On July 2, Jim and Connie Jolliff
sold 57.75 acres in Delaware County
to CNPM for $85,000, according to
county records.
“This property is directly south/
east of and abutting the Saline
District Courthouse property owned
by the Cherokee Nation,” CNE
Communications officials said.
However, CNB officials did not
release the land’s intended use
citing “competitive information
exemption.”
The three properties the CN bought
are located in Cherokee County. Two
properties were purchased from
HLD Investments, a corporation in
Tahlequah owned by the Mason and
Minor families.
On Nov. 3, the CN purchased a
property and its building known as
the “Clinic in the Woods,” which is
located near W.W. Hastings Hospital
off Boone Street.
According to CN Communications,
the tribe paid $1,078,500 for the 1.536
acres, and the building’s anticipated
use will be for the tribe’s Behavioral
Health Program.
Also purchased on Nov. 3 was the
Cascade property totaling less than
1 acre. It’s located near Northeastern
Health System Tahlequah and
Hastings Hospital. The property cost
$771,500 and will be used for Health
Services. The tribe also bought
property located at 120 E. Balentine
Road in Tahlequah for its motor
vehicle tag office. It was purchased on
Jan. 30 from Don Smith for $300,000,
according to county records.
Election Commission to correct candidate packet error
BY JAMI MURPHY
Reporter
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – Officials with the
Cherokee Nation’s Election Commission have
fixed the remaining candidate packets that
contained an error on the Directive to the
Candidate Form.
The EC on Jan. 5 began distributing packets
to potential candidates for the June 27 tribal
election.
The mistake on the form reads “Residency
requirements will not apply to At-Large
Council candidates.”
“After reviewing current candidate packet
materials, it was discovered that the word
‘not’ in the Directive to the Candidate Form
for Residency Requirements for At-Large
candidates was not omitted,” EC officials stated.
According to CN election law an in-district
candidate “shall have established a bona fide
permanent residence in the district for which
CANE BURN
from front page
occasionally in those areas, than those native
species simply die off. Other invasive species
will come in and choke them out,” Comingdeer
said. “The fire didn’t carry well through most of
the cane itself, but if it doesn’t burn, it doesn’t
need fire right now, so we’ll come back when
the conditions for fire are a little bit better.”
Comingdeer said the plants growing in the
area near Sallisaw Creek are similar to plants
that grew in the Cherokee’s eastern homelands,
so that’s why many Cherokee gravitated to the
area after the forced removal.
Another problem for the river cane on this
piece of tribal land is cattle are continuously
eating the cane and preventing it from growing
taller. Cain said the cattle are after the protein
in the cane, which is a grass and is 30 to 40
percent protein. On the other side of the fence
where the cattle are not able to graze, the river
cane is much taller.
Cain said tribal leaders have pledged to
fence in the river cane to prevent the cattle
from eating it.
A third problem for the river cane is
poisoning. Some of the cane near the creek
was killed by poison possibly used by the
rancher leasing the land to kill milk thistle and
other weeds in the pasture next to the cane
field. Milk thistle can cause nitrate poisoning
in cattle and push out beneficial plants.
RIVERBED
from front page
dismissed the UKB’s case to the Nation’s
portion of Arkansas Riverbed Settlement
funds in 2005, UKB officials won an appeal in
2007 to again argue its case against the federal
government for a portion of the Arkansas
Riverbed settlement.
However, officials with the UKB and U.S.
agreed on Dec. 8 to dismiss the lawsuit.
“This is extremely beneficial to the Nation,”
Hembree said. “This means that the $2
he or she is a candidate for no less than 270
days immediately preceding the day of the
general election in which he or she is seeking
election… If elected to office, the candidate
shall maintain a bona fide permanent residence
in the district which he or she represents.
Failure to meet this requirement shall subject
the person to disqualification and removal
from office.”
In past elections, At-Large Tribal Council
candidates did not have to adhere to any
residency requirements. However, in 2014, the
Tribal Council amended the law with Legislative
Act 4-14 requiring At-Large candidates to live
in the district they would represent if elected.
Legislators struck through the word “not” in
the sentence “Residency requirements will not
apply to At-Large Council candidates.”
With that change At-Large candidates must
now establish a “bona fide permanent residence
located outside the jurisdictional boundaries
of the Cherokee Nation no less than 270 days
“The resulting run off from the poison
washed down the field and bisected a
canebrake as it washed into the creek,” he said.
River cane can be used to make blowguns,
and milk thistle bulbs are used to help make
blowgun darts.
Also, when ranchers mow over larger cane
stalks they create spikes that are dangerous
to animals and people, Cain added. People
cutting cane and leaving spikes is one of Cain’s
major complaints and safety concerns in
canebrakes.
River cane was the Cherokees’ plastic, Cain
said. It was used for shelter, weapons, mats,
chairs, food and supplied material for baskets.
Unfortunately not much of the river cane
found on the 60 acres of tribal land is fit for
“traditional art” such as baskets, Cain said,
because it has not been taken care of and is
attempting to grow under the canopy of trees.
River cane once grew 40 feet tall in the area, but
now cane growing only 20 feet tall can be found.
“What we are finding is that river cane
is best when a man is working with it and
helping maintain it,” he said. “That’s what we’re
trying to do here is help its visibility to the sun
increase as well as trying something we’ve
never done as a tribe in using our traditional
fire knowledge to improve the environment.”
SCAN CODE WITH SMARTPHONE TO SEE VIDEO
million plus interest is going to be sent to
the Cherokee Nation under the terms of the
original settlement. We are very pleased with
the result and happy that this matter can be
brought to a close.”
Hembree added that an aspect of the
settlement funding was that any property
bought by the CN with the funds went directly
into trust status.
As of Jan. 8 time, the $2 million had yet to
be distributed, but Hembree said the CN was
working with the U.S. to release the money held
in escrow. He said it was his understanding
that the money could only be used to purchase
property.
immediately preceding the day of the general
election to which he or she is seeking election,”
EC officials said.
EC officials said individuals who picked
up packets with the erred Directive to the
Candidate Form prior to Jan. 9 could review
the current election law that was included in
the packets.
For questions or concerns regarding
candidate packets, tribal citizens can call 918458-5899.
OPINION • Zlsz
2015 Ewf #>hAmh • Kgl
February 2015 • CHEROKEE PHOENIX
5
Talking Circles
Wado for transmission line coverage
February 2015
Volume 39, No. 2
The Cherokee Phoenix is published
monthly by the Cherokee Nation, PO Box
948, Tahlequah, OK 74465.
Application to mail at Periodicals postage
rates is pending at Tahlequah, OK 74464.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to
Cherokee Phoenix, PO Box 948, Tahlequah,
OK 74465
Bryan Pollard
Executive Editor
bryan-pollard@cherokee.org
918-453-5269
Travis Snell
Assistant Editor
travis-snell@cherokee.org
918-453-5358
Mark Dreadfulwater
Multimedia Editor
mark-dreadfulwater@cherokee.org
918-453-5087
Thanks to Senior Reporter Will Chavez for telling of the opposition
people of Sequoyah County communities have to the electric
transmission high line proposed to cross Oklahoma that would feed
wind energy produced in Oklahoma to Tennessee. The remarks I
made in reference to the Plains and Eastern Clean Line transmission
line representative who dropped by my home unannounced were
in response to his reference to imminent domain, saying I had no
recourse but to let them take the land. This brought to my mind
the losses of the past and sacrifices our people have made that have
resulted in providing this home area for my descendants and me.
Cherokees know the costs from the past, and the efforts we make to
keep our communities and families intact.
I appreciate the fact that I am blessed with the remaining 30 acres of
my Uncle John Adair’s allotment land. My uncle was able to keep the
30 acres where my grandparents established a home when they came
from Goingsnake District after the Civil War. The 200-foot-wide strip
proposed to be taken from this land could provide home sites, but not
if the land is seized and 200-foot-tall metal poles and cables are put
across it, carrying lines with harmful emissions.
The wind energy produced in Oklahoma should be used here to
supplement and replace the use of out-of-state coal for production
of electricity. Oklahomans will gain nothing from such a transfer of
electric power to another state. Bulldozers might be hired to clear
the land, but workers will be brought in from out of state to build
the line. The state will be asked to grant a tax-free exemption to the
out-of-state private company building it. The line will then be sold to
another corporate investor. The investors will be the only ones who
gain anything, and they will continue to live elsewhere.
The resources of our water and land are limited and we need to
protect and preserve them for our future. We need to prevent their
loss to corporate greed. Contact “BLOCK Plains and Eastern Clean
Line: Oklahoma” on Facebook for information and to sign a petition.
Mary Adair HorseChief
Sallisaw, Oklahoma
CN law contrary to Oklahoma law
preventing voter fraud
In September 2012, the Oklahoma legislature addressed absentee
ballot voter fraud. During the debate, the House sponsor of SB 1466
cited one case in Adair County where 492 absentee ballots were sent
to the same address and notarized by the same notary public. All 492
ballots supported the same candidate. To stop this apparent abuse,
Oklahoma enacted a law that a notary: 1) is limited to notarizing
only 20 absentee ballot affidavits in a single election, 2) is prohibited
from assisting a voter in requesting absentee ballots, and 3) may not
complete absentee ballots on a voter’s behalf.
That is how you curb election fraud.
On Feb. 11, 2013, six months after Oklahoma passed its law,
(Principal Chief Bill John) Baker signed a Cherokee Nation law that
provided: 1) Oklahoma law regarding notaries public does not apply
to the CN notaries, 2) there is no limitation on the number of absentee
ballots a CN notary can notarize; and 3) there is no restriction to a
tribal notary assisting the voters. The Cherokee law, 49 CNCA § 11
LA-04-13, was sponsored by (Tribal Councilors) Chuck Hoskin Jr.,
Jodie Fishinghawk and Tina Glory Jordan and approved by Baker.
So what happened in the next Cherokee election? Tribal Councilor
Don Garvin’s opponent, Mike Dobbins, requested a recount of the
June 2013 council race. I represented Garvin. During the recount, Sean
Nordwall, who worked Dobbins’ campaign and was one of Baker’s
2011 campaign workers, acknowledged he brought in 178 absentee
ballots. We discovered that only two out of those 178 absentee ballots
were marked for Garvin.
I believe this practice is to go to a Cherokee voter’s home urging
them to request an absentee ballot. After the ballot is mailed to the
voter, the staff returns with a notary to notarize their ballot and takes
the ballot with them.
Voting is supposed to be secret with no one intimidating you or
knowing how you voted. The legislation signed by Baker opens the
door for abuse by allowing a notary or campaign worker to influence
the voter, watch how the voter voted and then get rid of the ballot if
not marked right.
During the Dobbins recount, I saw ballots for Garvin crossed out
and changed. What is the safeguard if a voter gives their ballot to a
campaign worker but it is never received by the Election Commission?
The lesson is clear: never give your ballot to someone you don’t know
and trust.
Chad Smith
Tahlequah, Oklahoma
Dena Tucker
Administrative Officer
dena-tucker@cherokee.org
918-453-5324
Will Chavez
Senior Reporter
will-chavez@cherokee.org
918-207-3961
Jami Murphy
Reporter
jami-murphy@cherokee.org
918-453-5560
Tesina Jackson
Reporter
tesina-jackson@cherokee.org
918-453-5000 ext. 6139
Stacie Guthrie
Reporter
stacie-guthrie@cherokee.org
918-453-5000 ext. 5903
Roger Graham
Media Specialist
roger-graham@cherokee.org
918-207-3969
Samantha Gordon
Advertising Representative
samantha-gordon@cherokee.org
918-207-3825
Joy Rollice
Secretary
joy-rollice@cherokee.org
918-453-5269
Justin Smith
Distribution Specialist
justin-smith@cherokee.org
918-207-4975
Anna Sixkiller
Linguist
anna-sixkiller@cherokee.org
918-453-5145
Editorial Board
John Shurr
Robert Thompson III
Maxie Thompson
Luke Barteaux
Kendra McGeady
Cherokee Phoenix
P.O. Box 948
Tahlequah, OK 74465
(918) 453-5269
FAX: (918) 207-0049
1-800-256-0671
www.cherokeephoenix.org
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Back Issues may be purchased for $2.50 postage and
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Copyright 2015: The entire contents of the Cherokee
Phoenix are fully protected by copyright unless otherwise noted and may be reproduced if the copyright
is noted and credit is given to the Cherokee Phoenix,
the writer and the photographer. Requests to reprint
should be directed to the editor at the above address.
Material provided through membership with Associated Press NewsFinder, identified by (AP), may not be
reproduced without permission of the Associated Press.
Oklahoma Press
Association
Native American
Journalists Association
Election season is upon us
but our job doesn’t change
BRYAN POLLARD
Executive Editor
The 2015 general election
season is ramping up and
candidates, campaigns and citizens
are tuning in to what will likely
be a contentious competition for
seats in the administration and the
Tribal Council.
Each candidate will try to
convince you of their virtues
while their campaign attempts
to denigrate their competition.
Many things will be said – some
true, some not – to win support
from voters. Many things will
change during the coming
months as voters listen and
decide how they will cast their
votes, and our government has
new faces and ideas.
But one thing will not
change: The Cherokee Phoenix
will continue to be a source of
accurate and unbiased news and
information.
Since the passage of the
Independent Press Act in 2000,
the Cherokee Phoenix has been
mandated by law to “report
without bias the activities of the
government and the news of
interest to have informed citizens.”
The act does not specify how we
should accomplish this mission
but provides some tools and
direction to reach this goal. In the
past 15 years we have gradually
added strategic plans, policies
and features to add structure and
consistency to this mission.
The members of the Editorial
Board, the executive editor and
Cherokee Phoenix staff are
prohibited from participating
in political activities. This
prohibition is specified in the
act and although it does not
guarantee the removal of bias,
it does at least remove the
appearance of impropriety.
Editorial policies have been
enacted by the Editorial Board
to provide sound guidance in the
acceptance or denial of letters
and columns submitted for
publishing. These policies have
been gradually strengthened
in recent years to include
prohibitions on untruthful or
unverifiable claims, insulting
someone’s
character
and
political lobbying.
Advertising policies have
also been enacted to ensure
that political advertisements are
labeled to include who paid for
the ad and the relevant contact
information.
This
should
provide readers and voters with
necessary information about
who is placing an ad and for
what purpose.
All candidates for any Cherokee
Nation office can publish a free
campaign announcement in
the newspaper. To avoid the
appearance of favoritism, the
Cherokee Phoenix does not
cover campaign events or rallies.
Instead, we offer equal campaign
publicity to all candidates through
an announcement written in the
candidate’s own words.
A “Meet the Candidates”
guide will be published in the
May 2015 newspaper. The
guide will consist of responses
received to a questionnaire
we send to all filed candidates
for Tribal Council. This guide
provides a level playing field
for all candidates to respond to
the same questions about issues
affecting the CN and its citizens.
The Cherokee Phoenix
will also host a public debate
between the candidates for
principal and deputy chief.
The debate, which will be
attended by a live audience
as well as broadcast live on
the Internet, will provide all
candidates a fair opportunity
to respond to questions and
offer their perspectives on
important issues.
In addition to everything
mentioned,
the
Cherokee
Phoenix will also be devoting
a substantial amount of news
coverage to many of the issues
raised during the campaign
season to provide greater detail or
important context to statements
that deserve more than just
a “sound bite.” The Cherokee
Phoenix staff is required to
report in a way that honors the
journalistic ethics of accuracy
and fairness, and this will be true
of all election coverage.
One element of this coverage
will be in the form of a “Truth
Report” that will be published
as necessary in the newspaper.
This report will examine public
statements made by candidates,
and provide feedback to our
readers about its accuracy
or authenticity based on our
independent investigation of the
statement. We began publishing
the Truth Report in 2011 at the
suggestion of Editorial Board
Chair John Shurr, and we have
received much praise from
readers who value an impartial
assessment of campaign rhetoric.
These policies and features to
ensure fairness did not happen
overnight, but are the results of
years of journalism experience
working within a tribal setting.
I believe that ethical reporting
and fairness must be the guiding
principles
that
determine
how we conduct ourselves
and perform our duties. The
Cherokee people and our readers
have come to rely on us as a vital
source of news and information
about Cherokee society, history
and language.
The CN was the first Indian
Nation to enact a tribal press
and to publish a newspaper for
Cherokee people by Cherokee
people. The legacy of the
Cherokee Phoenix – a legacy
that we still forge today – must
always be one of truth before
rumor, fairness before bias,
and principles before politics.
The Cherokee people have
come to depend on it, and we
must always be committed to
delivering it.
bryan-pollard@cherokee.org
918-453-5548
CHIEF’S PERSPECTIVE
IHS joint venture means $30M annually to Hastings
By Bill john baker
Principal Chief
Over the past three
years, we have worked
diligently to improve
the overall quality
of health care for
Cherokees. Providing
world-class
health
care in a timely manner has been our
priority from the day I took the oath of
office, and today we take another giant
leap in serving that level of care to our
citizens.
We were notified this week that
Cherokee Nation was selected for the
Joint Venture Construction Program
with the Indian Health Service. Under
the program, tribes that build health care
infrastructure can receive federal funding
for decades to assist with staffing and
operations. This means our new hospital
campus at W.W. Hastings in Tahlequah
will receive an additional $20 million to
$30 million per year for at least 20 years,
and quite possibly many more decades
beyond that.
A new state-of-the-art facility is
now closer than ever before and will be
among the finest health care facilities in
all of Indian Country. The additional $20
million to $30 million will support our
citizens and all American Indians who
seek quality care, by funding more doctors
and more equipment and providing more
services than ever. Under the partnership,
IHS will pay the salaries of our talented
health care providers, increasing the size
of our medical staff faster than would have
been possible otherwise. Construction
should begin soon.
This partnership with IHS will improve
the health outcomes of Cherokees for the
next two to three generations and beyond.
Thanks to this program, our grandchildren
and even their grandchildren will be
healthier and happier than we could have
ever imagined just a few years ago.
The CN is the largest tribal health care
system in the country. We service more
than a million patient visits annually and
have more than 130,000 active charts.
That’s quite a strain for any health system,
and has been a strain on W.W. Hastings
in particular. Built 30 years ago to
serve 65,000 outpatient visits each year,
Hastings now serves more than 400,000
outpatient visits annually. To put that in
perspective, the current size of Hastings is
one-third of the size needed to adequately
serve our population. It’s not difficult to
see that it is a health system in danger
of cracking if something isn’t done right
away. We saw that, and we took action.
The door was shut tight on this IHS
Joint Venture Program just a few years
ago, and it did not appear as though it
would be reopened. But our Government
Relations and Health Services groups
lobbied IHS and congressional leaders
to open the process and let us prove that
we could be good partners in providing
the best health care possible to Native
Americans in our area. I testified before
Congress, pleading with them to give us
this opportunity. We met with leaders on
Capitol Hill for two years, and our hard
work paid off.
The Joint Venture Program was
reopened for all tribes to apply, and our
staff here at CN worked diligently to
ensure our application was the most viable
and successful plan of action. I cannot
underscore enough how important this
team’s hard work was in making this
day a reality, and I’m so grateful to the
congressional leaders who signed on to
give us a shot at this partnership. After all
the dust settled from two years of phone
calls, visits, congressional testimony and
so much work on the ground, we learned
that our application was selected in the
top three from a pool of 37 applicant
tribes. We were over the moon.
I believe IHS saw that we had already
committed $100 million from tribal
casino profits to construct this health
facility and other clinics, and they knew
we were serious about rebuilding our
aging health care infrastructure. I believe
they saw CN as a good bet, putting our
money where our mouth is. All the
hard work was worth every moment, to
improve the lives of our fellow Cherokees.
It’s a great time to be Cherokee, and
we have much to be proud of. We’re
experiencing a true renaissance in the CN,
ushering in an era of sweeping changes
in health care and making decisions that
will have a ripple effect for generations to
come. It truly doesn’t get better than this.
God bless all of you, and God bless the
Cherokee Nation.
bill-baker@cherokee.org
918-453-5618
6
CHEROKEE PHOENIX • February 2015
News • dgZEksf
Ewf #>hAmh • Kgl 2015
POWER LINE
from front page
done to identify tribal property, cultural resources and culturally
sensitive areas.
However, on Jan. 12, the Tribal Council unanimously
approved a resolution opposing the line passing through
Sequoyah County. Also, a citizens group called “Block Plains
& Eastern Clean Line – Oklahoma” based in Sequoyah County
continues to gather petition signatures opposing the project and
has met with state and county officials to get their support.
Hurtado said the company began working on the project in
2009 and “has tried really hard to make sure they are out there
giving information to people and receiving input” to determine
its best route. He said the company has been sensitive to avoiding
cultural and historical sites on any chosen route.
He added that the company has participated in CN job fairs
to find Cherokee workers and contractors to work on the line.
Hurtado said some Cherokee-owned businesses have registered
as potential suppliers for the project.
He said P&ECL has also met with CN officials since 2010,
including in 2011 and 2012 before the company started the
project’s formal permitting process. He said the company met
with the tribe’s real estate department, environmental group,
geographic information system staff and Cherokee Nation
Businesses in 2012.
CN voters elected a new principal chief and new Tribal
Councilors during elections in 2011, 2012 and 2013, which
accounts for some CN officials reporting that they did not meet
with P&ECL officials and did know of the project.
During the Jan. 12 meeting, Tribal Councilor Cara Cowan
Watts said she initially abstained from voting for the resolution
in committee because she felt as if she did not have enough
information. She also said in committee she learned P&ECL had
“potentially” been in contact with the tribe for three years, but
the current council had not been informed.
Hurtado said P&ECL held public meetings in 2012 in
Sequoyah County and other areas that may be affected by the
line’s construction and that those meetings were advertised in
local newspapers.
“We’ve put multiple ads out and we’ve met with hundreds
of people. After that there were the scoping meetings that the
Department of Energy held that we participated in. Those
were held at the beginning of 2013, and those were very widely
advertised,” Hurtado said.
He said P&ECL also held meetings this past summer in
smaller Oklahoma communities, including Muldrow in
Sequoyah County, and those meetings were advertised via
newspapers and radio.
However, most Sequoyah County residents who attended a
Dec. 15 community meeting in Akins said they had never heard
of the line or that it may come through their lands. Residents
voiced concerned about having to provide 150-to-200-foot wide
easements for the line, which Hurtado said would be needed.
They also said they were concerned about giving up land
through eminent domain for the line.
But P&ECL’s focus is on voluntary acquisition of easements
from landowners, Hurtado said.
“When a landowner grants an easement, we will pay 100
percent of the market value of the land. They don’t sell us the
land; they grant us some limited rights to be able to build the
transmission line and operate it. But we will pay them as if we
were buying the land at the market rate,” he said. “In addition to
that we’ll pay them if they have an electric transmission structure
on their land, and with those payments the owner has the option
of receiving a one-time payment or annual payments. If they’re
annual payments they’ll go up 2 percent a year.”
Sequoyah County residents said they were also concerned
about possible radiation produced by the high-voltage direct
current, or DC, line.
Hurtado said anything that has electricity running through
it has electrical and magnetic fields, including microwaves,
phones and computers.
“A direct current line is a little different in that the current
doesn’t oscillate, so the nature of those fields is a somewhat
different than an alternating current, but what’s important is the
intensity or the level of the electrical fields and magnetic field
are similar or less than what we encounter in daily life all of the
time,” Hurtado said. “So, the magnetic field...directly under the
transmission lines, that’s where they are the strongest, is about
the same level as the magnetic field that’s created by the Earth.”
He said P&ECL is aware of the Tribal Council opposing the
line and other concerns expressed about the project. Hurtado
said the company wants to avoid serious impacts and minimize
any impacts from the line.
“We really want to make sure that we’re responsive to those
concerns. We’re very much committed to being able to have
more information and engaging in respectful dialogue with the
Cherokee Nation and members of the Nation,” Hurtado said.
“We want to continue to do the right thing by Sequoyah County
and make this line something that’s good for as many folks as
possible in the community.”
To read the project’s Draft Environmental Impact Statement,
visit http://plainsandeasterneis.com/draft-eis. The DOE is
inviting the public to comment on the EIS until March 19. For
more information, visit http://www.plainsandeasterneis.com.
EC approves attorney contract
BY JAMI MURPHY
Reporter
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – In
preparation for the election
season, the Cherokee Nation
Election Commission added
$24,000 to the contract of its
attorney at its Jan. 13 meeting.
EC Administrator Madison
Cornett said the $24,000
follows a discrepancy on
Harvey Chaffin’s amended
contract from this past fall.
“It was made what you all’s
(commissioners’ contracts)
were, which is $15,600, when
it should’ve been, I believe,
$24,000,” she said.
Chaffin’s contract was
amended last in September
and the remaining amount
of the first allocation was
unavailable as of publication.
Commissioners discussed
how much to add to the
contract and determined
that it made more since to
add $24,000 rather than
the remainder to make the
contract total $24,000, so that
they could get farther into
the election season before
amending it again.
“We’ll be right in here again
doing it again,” said Election
Director Connie Parnell.
Commissioner
Shawna
Calico made the motion and it
passed unanimously.
Cherokee Nation citizen Dr. Kristin Vickrey spays a puppy that was found by Zoi’s Animal Rescue in Claremore,
Oklahoma. Vickrey attended Oklahoma State University where she received her bachelor’s degree in animal science
and veterinary doctorate. In 2011, she started working at the Regional Animal Care Center in Claremore as an
associate veterinarian. TESINA JACKSON/CHEROKEE PHOENIX
Cherokee veterinarian serves
as advocate for animals
In 2011, Cherokee
Nation citizen Kristin
Vickrey started working
at the Regional Animal
Care Center as an
associate veterinarian.
BY TESINA JACKSON
Reporter
CLAREMORE, Okla. – After growing
up on her father’s ranch, Cherokee
Nation citizen Dr. Kristin Vickrey knew
she wanted to become a veterinarian.
“I’ve always wanted to be a vet,” she
said. “I grew up raising cows so my
dad always had cows. I was always out
there working, and I always loved the
medicine side of things. Going out and
actually helping make the animals feel
better, it was just something I’ve always
wanted to do. It led to where I am today.”
Vickrey attended Oklahoma State
University where she received her
bachelor’s degree in animal science and
veterinary doctorate. In 2011, she began
working at the Regional Animal Care
Center in Claremore as an associate
veterinarian with Dr. Jerome Yorke.
While Vickrey still attends larger
animals for her family, her focus is small
animals such as cats and dogs with the
occasional ferret, rabbit and guinea pig.
“I think my smallest patient is a little
2-pound Chihuahua and my biggest
patient is a 200-pound Bull Mastiff,” she
said. “So there’s a big range difference.
It makes my job interesting, going from
one to the next and everybody is just
a little bit different. They might have
the same problem but it doesn’t always
present the same.”
Kimberlee Coates, pet owner and
Claremore resident, said she began
going to Vickrey after being assigned to
her two years ago.
“…we just really loved her and the
compassion that she had for our pets
and the fact that she was very personable
and attentive to them and reassured
us that everything was going to be OK
whenever we had to have a procedure
done,” Coates said. “It just gives us a lot
of piece of mind to know that our pets
will be well taken care of and that we
don’t have to worry.”
Coates has four cats and one dog that
she has brought to Vickrey.
“They can’t speak for themselves, and
so as a pet parent you really feel like you
need a doctor that can tune into them and
can show them the compassion because
there’s that gap in communication that
you so much wish your pets could just
talk,” Coates said. “Because if they could
it would just make everything so much
easier, but they can’t so you really have
to have somebody that can fine tune into
looking for the signs and the things that
we as pet parents sometimes miss and
don’t see, and she’s excellent at being able
to do that.”
Regional Animal Care Center
offers several types of surgeries and
services such as exploratory surgery,
SCAN CODE WITH SMARTPHONE TO SEE VIDEO
spaying, neutering, bone surgeries,
dental, vaccinations, micro chipping,
amputations,
general
medicine,
therapeutic lasers, digital x-rays,
endoscopic ear exams and blood work.
“I think probably my favorite part
is that I really like orthopedic work,”
Vickrey said. “I like fixing the broken
bones and repairing torn ACLs (anterior
cruciate ligaments). Those I get the
biggest reward out of because I fixed
it and now it’s better. I like those big
rewarding cases.”
Vickrey said the most challenging
part of her job is telling owners that their
animals will need to be put down.
“We’re the advocate for the animal.
The animals can’t tell you what they’re
going through so we have to come to
the owners and tell them ‘unfortunately
your animal is not going to make it or it’s
suffering’ and it’s not always the easiest
part because the owners love it. They
want to keep it alive. They want to do
everything they can for it, but at the end
of the day if I don’t tell the owner that
their animal is suffering and is in pain,
the only thing it’s hurting is the animal,”
she said. “I wish I could save them all,
but unfortunately you just can’t.”
Vickrey also works with a nonprofit
animal rescue group called Zoi’s Animal
Rescue, which are no-kill animal rescues
in Claremore and Navasota, Texas.
Cherokee Springs Plaza site in pre-development
CNB officials say
they have completed
assignments since
September in
preparation for its
development.
BY JAMI MURPHY
Reporter
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – Cherokee
Nation Businesses officials said before
work on any site to be developed can
begin they must do due diligence with
regards to pre-development steps.
Currently, that is where CNB officials
area at on the Cherokee Springs Plaza.
Since the project’s September
announcement, CNB officials said they
have done several “behind the scenes”
tasks in preparation for construction.
From September to December,
CNB officials said they met with
Tahlequah officials to review city permit
requirements, located all existing utilities
and completed some infrastructure
planning. They also they developed and
posted a request for proposal for civil
engineering work, completed the land
survey for the site, as well as competed
an aerial topography of the site for
elevations and civil engineering design.
CNB Executive Vice President Charles
Garrett said CNB officials selected a
civil engineer in November for master
Cherokee Nation Businesses continues preliminary work on the Cherokee
Springs Plaza location in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. As of Jan. 22 there was no
date for when CNB would break ground on the project.
JAMI MURPHY/CHEROKEE PHOENIX
planning and design and are conducting
a traffic impact study that’s required
prior to roads being designed or built.
CNB officials said they also began civil
engineering design of utilities, roads
and temporary storm water, as well as
identified what parts of the land would
be submitted for a trust application.
In September, Garret said the first
phase was establishing the infrastructure
that creates access and provides
the necessary utilities and the “civil
engineering” portion of the project that
would consist of road construction and
pad sites where potential businesses will
be developed.
“(CNB) Developed, posted and
selected a geotechnical firm to do a soils
investigation report that is required
by civil engineering for the design of
foundations, utility and roads,” Garrett
said. “In January we will be drilling 56
borings throughout the site. With the
soil borings taking place, we will have
the information required to develop a
grading plan and start turning dirt to
develop Phase I of the site.”
The continuation of the project will
include two other phases, one being the
construction of a new Cherokee Casino
Tahlequah that will include a resort hotel,
convention center and golf clubhouse.
The third phase will create a retail strip,
centering along Grand Boulevard, which
will enhance the shopper experience.
Overall, it is anticipated 1.3 million
square feet will be developed at an
estimated cost of $170 million.
News • dgZEksf
2015 Ewf #>hAmh • Kgl
February 2015 • CHEROKEE PHOENIX
7
CNE to operate simulcast signals at 3 casinos
Will Rogers Downs would operate
the simulcast signal for WRD and
two other Cherokee casinos.
BY TESINA JACKSON
Reporter
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – On Jan. 9, the Cherokee Nation
Gaming Commission approved a cutover plan that would allow
Cherokee Nation Entertainment to operate its own simulcast
signal through the tribe’s Will Rogers Downs Cherokee Casino.
To operate the simulcasts, CNE previously contracted with
the Oklahoma City-based Remington Park Dissemination
Company. Simulcast is a simultaneous transmission of the same
program on radio and television, or on two or more channels.
The agreement between CNE and the Remington Park
Dissemination Company was that Remington was to provide
the off-track betting services at Cherokee Casino West Siloam
Springs and Cherokee Casino Sallisaw.
“There was a decision on Remington’s part that they wanted
to exit that agreement, and in order to transition the services
that Remington has provided up to this point over to a new
provider, which in this case is going to be a company that is
created by CNE and ran through Will Rogers Downs,” Jamie
Hummingbird, CNGC director, said.
Hummingbird said the plan is to take what the Remington
Park Dissemination Company had been previously offering in
terms of signal, wagering and reporting and put that over onto
A jockey guides a horse in a race at Will Rogers Downs
Cherokee Casino in Claremore, Oklahoma. The Cherokee
Nation Gaming Commission has approved a plan to allow
the Cherokee Nation Entertainment-owned company, Will
Rogers Downs Dissemination, to operate the simulcast
racing signals at three casinos. COURTESY
the new CNE company, Will Rogers Downs Decimination.
“So it’s taking the services that were provided by one
company, transitioning them over to another one and providing
for all of the transitional services that are required, primarily
the redemption of any outstanding wagering that have not been
redeemed prior to going to a Remington system to a WRD
system,” he said.
SCAN CODE
Like the Remington Park
WITH SMARTDissemination
Company,
PHONE TO SEE
Will
Rogers
Downs
VIDEO
Dissemination will also
be providing totalisator
equipment that controls parimutuel betting.
“Will Rogers Downs Dissemination will just simply be doing
the exact same thing Remington Park would,” CNE Chief
Operating Officer Mark Fulton said. “When they informed us
that they would not be renewing the contract to provide those
services our decision became ‘do we want to keep our facilities
or parlors open at West Siloam or Sallisaw?’ and ‘yes we do.’’
Because CNE will no longer be contracting with the
Remington Park DisseminationCompany, Fulton said Cherokee
Nation Businesses, which is CNE’s parent company, would
save some costs but not a lot because it isn’t a heavy volume of
business.
“We don’t have a heavy volume of business that utilize that
so it was probably more of an administrative burden to them
(Remington Park DisseminationCompany) then the revenue
they were generating,” he said.
Fulton added that the creation of Will Rogers Downs
Disseminationwould not need CNB board approval.
“The operating agreement is executed and falls within the
authorities that already exist. It’s not a new entity for large
revenue generation or profitability,” he said.
Plans to have Will Rogers Downs Disseminationrunning are
expected to be in mid-February.
General Election 2015
Corey Bunch: District 8
General Election 2015
Betsy Swimmer: At-Large
Osiyo! My name is Corey Bunch
and I am seeking the Cherokee Nation
Dist. 8 Tribal Council seat, which
consists of the communities located
east of Hwy. 59 and the northern-most
portion of Adair County.
My family and I reside on a small
farm in the Peavine Community.
We attend Antioch Baptist Church.
My wife Mistie and I are both proud
to work in public schools, me as a
principal at Maryetta School and Mistie
as a teacher at Dahlonegah School. We
each come from families of educators
and my grandmothers paved the way
for me, with both retiring from Bell
School. Edith (Shell) Fourkiller as a
teacher and Inola (Locust) Bunch as
a cook. My grandfathers were the late
Eugene Pruitt and Charlie “Suyette”
Bunch. My parents are Tony Bunch
and Diane England. Being Cherokee
to me is an honor and I understand
that holding an elected office within
My greatest asset is my Cherokee
heritage. My family genealogy can
be traced from Georgia to Indian
Territory in the early 1800s. They
settled near the Grand River. Related
families include the Martins, Callisons,
Crittendens, Harlans, Bakers, Wards
and the Mayes.
I was born in Pryor Creek,
Oklahoma, in 1943 and raised in rural
Mayes County. I graduated from Pryor
High School and attended Oklahoma
State University where I studied real
estate business. By age 21 I had my
broker’s license and my own firm. I am
currently associated with Chinowth
and Cohen Realtors in Tulsa,
Oklahoma. I also own a company that
invests in real estate and coordinates
events. In 2000 I coordinated an art
show in Celle, Germany.
My memberships include the
National & Oklahoma Association
of Realtors; Tulsa Global Alliance;
our government
would carry a
big responsibility
and shouldn’t be
taken lightly.
After earning a
bachelor’s and a
master’s degree in
education from
NSU, I gained valuable experience
working for the Cherokee people at
Sequoyah Schools and the Cherokee
Heritage Center.
I would like to serve you by working
to strengthen our future through
improved education and health
programs, by promoting our history
and culture, and by working with our
Cherokee Nation-owned businesses
and government to hire and promote
more of our fellow Cherokees for
leadership roles.
Please consider voting for me in
June 2015. Wado!
Sister
Cities:
Celle, Germany,
Amiens, France;
and
Indian
W o m e n ’ s
Pocahontas Club.
I
carried
petitions
that
gave
us
the
right to elect our chief. I have always
advocated for positive actions and
improved services. I will help ensure
proper health care and adequate
nutrition for all. I will work hard
to implement opportunities for
greater participation by At-Large
tribal citizens; find homes for the
1,500 Cherokee children currently
in custody of Indian Child Welfare;
improve housing for elders and the
disabled and create assisted living and
Alzheimer’s units; and expand downpayment assistance for home purchase
so it will include At-Large citizens.
General Election 2015
Keith Ausin: District 14
General Election 2015
Chad Smith: Principal Chief
Small business owner Keith Austin
announced that he would seek
election to the Cherokee Nation Tribal
Council.
“The decision to enter this race was
not made lightly,” said Austin. “I have
watched many councilors spend their
terms working to position themselves
to run for higher office. I vow to you
that I will spend my time on the
Tribal Council working to further the
interest of the Cherokees of District
14. Together we can change Cherokee
lives.”
Austin was born and raised in Rogers
County and is the owner and operator
of All Points Delivery in Tulsa.
He has spent his life volunteering
for our community. His mother Ollie
Starr is also a well-known community
leader.
Keith Austin and his wife Pam have
two children, Alyssa and Matt Austin.
Both Matt and Alyssa are attending a
Over the past 3-1/2 years, I have
been urged by many concerned
citizens of the Cherokee Nation
to seek re-election to the Office of
Principal Chief, a position of great
responsibility and honor that the
people bestowed upon me from 1999
to 2011. These concerned Cherokees
have expressed to me a great urgency
because the current administration
has derailed the progress made when
I had the privilege of working with so
many members of the Nation. This
work successfully kept the Nation on
a pathway of greatness.
Together, we can and will find our
way back onto a pathway of greatness.
Once again, we will be a Nation that
creates economic opportunities and
jobs for the Cherokee people, once again
we will make progress to effectively
deliver much needed services, once
again we will move forward as a Nation
supporting education for both future
university using
Native American
scholarships.
Austin is the
Lay Leader at
Verdigris United
Methodist
Church.
“For
The
Cherokee Nation to continue the
progress we have seen in recent years
it will require good councilors who
will work together to change Cherokee
lives,” said Austin.
District 14 is located in Rogers
County and includes Claremore,
Verdigris, Talala, Oologah, Owasso,
Collinsville, Foyil and Chelsea.
It is currently represented by Lee
Keener who is not seeking re-election
in June 2015.
Learn more about Keith and his
campaign at austinforcouncil.com.
General Election 2015
Cara Cowan Watts: Principal Chief
Cara Cowan Watts has entered
the race for principal chief of the
Cherokee Nation. “There is nothing
more important than our people, our
Nation, and our future,” Cowan Watts
said. “I see ways to improve the lives of
all our people.”
She places importance on education,
an expanded economy for all families,
including ensuring career readiness for
tribal citizens and restoring emphasis
on Cherokee language and culture. She
has served on the Tribal Council since
2003 and worked on all six standing
committees. She was elected deputy
speaker of the Council from 2007-11,
and was acting Council speaker in
2011. During her time in office, she
has developed a reputation for having
a strong work ethic, determination to
solve problems and a big heart.
“I’ve lived the importance of
education,” Cowan Watts said. “I was
able to finish engineering college
because I found
scholarships
outside of the
Tribe.”
She
established
and
teaches
programs that
show
citizens
how to obtain
the same scholarship opportunities.
Her leadership and work ethic have
been recognized outside the Nation.
She has been appointed to boards and
commissions, including the Cherokee
Nation on the Oklahoma Water
Resources Board Technical Advisory
Committee on Scenic Rivers, National
Congress of American Indians
Executive Board and the HHS Office
of Minority Health American Indian
Alaskan Native Health Research
Advisory Council. Contact her at
www.caracowan.com, 918-732-9678
or cara@caracowan.com.
generations and
those
needing
help and new
skills to succeed
in
today’s
economy. And
once again, we
will as Nation
hold our language
and culture scared.
What we will not do is fritter away
our nation’s resources with misguided
actions without real benefits to our
people. Buying wasteful golf courses
and other such actions cheat our people
out of meaningful improvements in
their lives.
Therefore, I announce my candidacy
to serve you as Principal Chief of the
Cherokee Nation.
I ask you to join me and many
other concerned Cherokees in a
commitment to put the Nation back
on a path of greatness.
8
CHEROKEE PHOENIX • February 2015
Community • nv 0nck
Community Meetings
Feb. 2
Belfonte, 6:30 p.m.
Glen Qualls 918-427-1700 or 427-0227
Eucha Indian Fellowship
Eucha Community Building, 8 p.m.
Marble City Community Organization
MCCO Building, 7 p.m.
Lost City Community Organization
6 p.m., Native American Association of
Ketchum, 280 East Gregory, Ketchum,
6:30 p.m.
Feb. 3
Tulsa Cherokee Community Org., 6 p.m.
George Hoos 918-402-4667
Or tulsacherokees@gmail.com
Muldrow Cherokee Community
Organization, MCCO Building, 6 p.m.
Pat Swaim 918-427-5440
Vian Peace Center, 604 W. Schley, 5:30 p.m.
Feb. 5
Greasy Fellowship Community
Organization, Greasy Community Building,
7 p.m.
Washington County Cherokee Association,
300 E. Angus Ave., Dewey
7 p.m., Ann Sheldon 918-333-5632
Feb. 7
Cherokee Elders Council, Inc.
101 Market Place, Locust Grove, 10 a.m.
Feb. 8
Rogers County Cherokee Association
2 p.m., beverlycowan@sbcglobal.net
Feb. 9
Marble City Pantry, 7 p.m.
Clifton Pettit 918-775-5975
Four Corners, 7 p.m.
Sue Fine 918-386-2352
Brent Community Association
461914 Hwy. 141, Gans, 6 p.m.
918-774-0655, brentcomm@live.com
Feb. 10
No-We-Ta Cherokee Community
Cherokee Nation Nutrition Site, 6:30 p.m.
Call Carol Sonenberg at 918-273-5536
Victory Cherokee Organization
1025 N. 12th St. Collinsville, 7 p.m.
Ed Phillips 918-371-6688
Or email victorycherokee@att.net
Feb. 12
Lyons Switch, 7 p.m.
Karen Fourkiller 918-696-2354
Native American Fellowship Inc.
215 Oklahoma St., South Coffeyville
6:00 p.m., Bill Davis 913-563-9329
Okay Senior Citizens, Inc.
Okay Senior Building, 3701 E. 75th Street
7 p.m.
Adair County Resource Center
110 S. 2nd St., Stilwell, 6:30 p.m.
Stilwell Public Library Friends Society
5 N. 6th St., Stilwell, 5 p.m.
Feb. 16
Neighborhood Association of Chewey
Chewy Community Building, 7 p.m.
Feb. 17
Central Oklahoma Cherokee Alliance
Oklahoma City, BancFirst Community
Room, 4500 W. Memorial Road
6 p.m., Franklin Muskrat Jr. 405-842-6417
Oak Hill/Piney, 7 p.m.
Dude Feather 918-235-2811
Rocky Mountain Cherokee Community
Organization, 7 p.m.
Vicki McLemore 918-696-4965
Fairfield Community Organization, Inc.
Fairfield Baptist Church, Road 4720 North,
6:30 p.m.
Feb. 23
Christie, 7 p.m.,
Shelia Rector 918-778-3423
Feb. 24
Fairfield, 7 p.m.
Jeff Simpson 918-696-7959
Dry Creek, 7 p.m.
Shawna Ballou 918-457-5023
Feb. 26
Tri-County (W.E.B.) Association
J.R.’s Country Auction, 6 p.m.
Orchard Road Community Outreach
Turning Point Office, 6 p.m.
Ewf #>hAmh • Kgl 2015
Community Calendar
Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays
Marble City Nutrition Center
711 N. Main
Marble City, Okla. 918-775-2158
The Marble City Nutrition Center serves hot
meals at the Marble City Community Center at
11:30 a.m.
First Friday of every month
Concho Community Building
Concho, Okla. 405-422-7622
Year Round
Will Rogers Memorial Museum
Claremore, Okla. 918-341-0719
Fourth Thursday of each month
American Indian Chamber of Commerce of
Oklahoma – Eastern Chapter monthly luncheon
at Bacone College
Muskogee, Okla. 918-230-3759
The lunch begins at 11:30 a.m. at Benjamin
Wacoche Hall. Please RSVP one week ahead of time.
Second Saturday of each month
Cherokee Basket Weavers Association at the
Unitarian Universalist Congregation
Tahlequah, Okla. 918-456-7787
Monthly meetings are at 6 p.m.
Second Tuesday of each month
Cherokee Artists Association at 202 E. 5th Street,
Tahlequah, Okla. 918-458-0008
www.cherokeeartistsassociation.org
The CAA meets at 6 p.m. the second Tuesday of
each month.
Every Friday of each month
Dance at Tahlequah Senior Citizens Center
230 E. 1st St. in Tahlequah, Okla.
For seniors 50 and over, 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Admission is $2.50, includes pot luck dinner
Every Tuesday of each month
Dance at Hat Box Dance Hall
540 S. 4th St. in Muskogee, Okla.
For seniors 50 and over, 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Admission is $2.50, includes pot luck dinner
To have an event or meeting listed, fax
information to 918-458-6136 attention:
Community Calendar. The deadline for
submissions is the 10th of each month.
In Memoriam
In Loving
Memory of
Garrett Lee Brown
July 6, 1990 – Jan. 3, 2015
Robert Lee
Truitt Sr.
Levi Bruce Brown
March 29, 1989 – Jan. 3, 2015
March 29, 1937 –
Dec. 24, 2014
Rebecca Scarberry Smith
March, 4, 1966 – Jan. 3, 2015
Classifieds
SERVICES
Handyman, experienced with carpentry, concrete, maintenance and up-keep, yard work, mechanics and
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ANNOUNCEMENTS
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Education • #n[]Qsd
$40M added to Bureau
of Indian Education
BY STAFF REPORTS
WASHINGTON – Assistant Secretary for
Indian Affairs Kevin K. Washburn announced
Dec. 19 that the Bureau of Indian Education
has received an additional $40 million as part
of the Consolidated and Further Continuing
Appropriations Act of 2015.
“It’s heartening that Congress and the Obama
Administration are working together to ensure
American Indian students attending BIEfunded schools receive a world-class education
delivered by tribal nations,” Washburn said.
“The Consolidated Appropriations Act takes
a step in the right direction by addressing
critical educational needs identified in the BIE
Blueprint for Reform developed by the White
House Council on Native American Affairs.”
The Consolidated Appropriations Act
includes an additional $19.2 million for school
replacement over fiscal year 2014 funding
levels. The school replacement funding
completes the requirements for the school
construction project started in fiscal year
2014 and covers design costs for the final two
schools on the 2004 priority list.
The agreement also includes an increase of
$14.1 million for Tribal Grant Support Costs
for tribally controlled schools, $2 million
for the development and operation of tribal
departments of education and an increase of $1.7
million for Science Post Graduate Scholarships.
“This additional funding will help us to
implement reforms, ensure tribal communities
receive sufficient funding to operate their
schools, and enable us to begin the longer
process of replacing many of our dilapidated
schools,” BIE Director Charles “Monty”
Roessel said. “We have much work to do, but
we are more determined than ever to work
with Congress and tribal communities to reach
our shared goal of improving educational
outcomes for American Indian children.”
Under an initiative of
the White House Council
on Native American
Affairs, Secretary of the
Interior Sally Jewell, who
chairs the council, and
Secretary of Education
Arne
Duncan,
after
consultation with tribal
leaders, issued a Blueprint Kevin K.
for Reform in June 2014 Washburn
to redesign the BIE.
Building
on
the
Blueprint’s
recommendations, Jewell issued a secretarial
order to begin restructuring BIE from solely
a provider of education to a capacity-builder
and education service-provider to tribes. The
goal of this transformation is to give tribes the
ability themselves to provide an academically
rigorous and culturally appropriate education
to their students, according to their needs.
The blueprint also made recommendations
regarding the BIE’s budget, including
that Interior invest in the school system’s
infrastructure, including funding to support
new school construction, and align its
budget to support tribal self-determination
by requesting and increasing tribal grant
and Tribal Grant Support Costs for tribally
controlled grant schools.
The BIE oversees 183 elementary and
secondary schools, including Sequoyah
Schools in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, which are
operated by the Cherokee Nation. BIE-funded
schools are located on 64 reservations in 23
states, serving more than 48,000 students. Of
these, 59 are BIE-operated and 124 are tribally
operated under Indian Self-Determination and
Education Assistance Act contracts or Tribally
Controlled Schools Act grants. BIE also funds
or operates off-reservation boarding schools
and peripheral dormitories near reservations
for students attending public schools.
Vision Maker Media offering
broadcast internships
BY STAFF REPORTS
LINCOLN, Neb. – Vision Maker Media
will be offering summer, or fall, 10-week, paid
internships for Native American and Alaska
Native college students at various public TV
stations.
“Providing experience for Native students
in the media is vitally important to ensure
that we can continue a strong tradition of
digital storytelling,” Shirley K. Sneve, Vision
Maker Media executive director, said. “We are
grateful for the support of local PBS stations in
helping us achieve this goal.”
During the internship at least two shortform videos on local Native American or
Alaska Native people, events or issues for onair or online distribution should be completed.
With major funding from the Corporation
for Public Broadcasting, the purpose of this
paid summer internship is to increase the
journalism and production skills for the
selected college student. One of the major
goals of the internship will be to increase the
quantity and quality of multimedia reporting
available to public television audiences and
other news outlets.
Students interested in applying for this
internship opportunity must apply online
at www.visionmakermedia.org/intern by
March 24. The application process requires
submission of a cover letter, resume, work
samples, an official school transcript and
a letter of recommendation from a faculty
member or former supervisor. Top applicants
will be notified in late April with the internships
spanning between May 1 and Dec. 18.
Up to 10 public television stations will be
selected to host an intern and an award of
$5,000 to the station will be used to provide
payment to the intern, cover any travel
expenses and administrative fees.
Stations that would like to be considered
for hosting a public media intern must apply
online atwww.visionmakermedia.org/stationintern by Feb. 3.
For more information and to apply, visit
www.visionmakermedia.org/station-intern or
call Rachel Danay at 402-472-8682 or email
visionmaker@unl.edu.
Watchdog finds abuses in Indian
schools contract
BY STAFF REPORTS
WASHINGTON (AP) – Federal officials
appear to have violated ethics rules governing
impartiality in awarding a contract to evaluate
schools attended by tens of thousands of Native
American students, a federal watchdog says.
The report comes as President Barack Obama
makes high-profile promises to fix the schools,
which are among the nation’s lowest performing
and have been plagued by crumbling buildings
needing $1 billion in repairs.
It is the latest to highlight problems in the
management and oversight of the schools.
The Interior Department’s inspector general
investigation concerned an $800,000-plus
contract awarded early in Obama’s term to
assess the schools’ management and student
achievement. The main focus was Brian
Drapeaux, who served as chief of staff of the
department’s Bureau of Indian Education,
when the contract was issued and later became
acting director.
The initial contract had been awarded to
Personal Group Inc., a South Dakota-based
company, where Drapeaux had worked on
separate occasions, including within 12
months of joining the Interior Department.
A department contract specialist raised conflict
of interest concerns and canceled the contract and
said the company, known as PerGroup, could not
participate in the contract at any level and that all
key decision makers should certify that there was
no conflict of interest.
She alleged in 2011 that she had been
removed from handling the contract because
of her actions.
Nevertheless, the IG concluded, PerGroup
was allowed to stay on the project as a
subcontractor under another company
and was responsible for 41 percent of the
contractual work.
Keith Moore, who served as director of BIE
until 2012, along with Drapeaux maintained
a longstanding friendship with PerGroup,
according to the inspector general.
The report said the two officials “appear
to have acted in violation of federal ethics
regulations governing impartiality ... and the
use of public office for private gain.”
“Finally,” it said, “other BIE officials who
knew of these conflicts of interest chose to
ignore them during the procurement process.”
The IG said the U.S. Attorney’s Office for
the Eastern District of Virginia had declined
to prosecute the case but referred it back to the
Interior Department for further action, which
was taken on Sept. 30.
“This issue is considered resolved and no
further action will be taken,” Jessica Kershaw,
a spokeswoman for the Interior Department,
said in an email. She said the department
would not reveal the action because of
privacy reasons.
Kershaw said the department did not adopt
the contractor’s recommendations.
Drapeaux and Moore declined to comment.
Officials from PerGoup did not respond to
requests for comment.
Obama addressed the challenges facing
Native American youth in a historic visit to an
Indian reservation last summer and again at
the White House summit this week.
Interior Secretary Sally Jewell has
announced a series of steps to restructure the
federal bureaucracy that oversees the schools
and turn more control over tribes.
Just this week as part of the White House
summit on Native Americans, Jewell
reaffirmed the federal government’s historic
failures in connection with the schools,
which goes back to the 19th century when
many Native American children were forcibly
assimilated in boarding schools away from
their families. The government has a treaty
and trust responsibility to run them, and
about 40,000 students attend the more than
180 schools.
The IG report follows one by the
Government Accountability Office that found
the schools had millions in unaccounted for
dollars, including money for special education.
The IG’s findings were posted initially
online, but the IG’s office temporarily took the
report down to make minor adjustments. It
was reposted.
February 2015 • CHEROKEE PHOENIX
9
$36.4M set aside in tribe’s
Education Reserve Fund
The fund has accumulated
approximately $36.4
million but cannot be used
until 2017.
BY TESINA JACKSON
Reporter
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – As part of the
Motor Fuel Tax compact the Cherokee Nation
has with Oklahoma, every three months the
tribe invests approximately $483,000, or 25
percent of its quarterly rebate check from the
state, into the tribe’s Education Reserve Fund.
Created in 2000, the fund holds
approximately $36.4 million, according to
CN records.
“This reserve was created to be a source
of funds that would enable us to fulfill our
commitment to current Cherokee higher
education students in the event that all other
funding ceased or was otherwise unavailable,”
CN Treasurer Lacey Horn said.
In the event the tribe was unable to
successfully renegotiate a compact with the
state, the fund was created to replace the tribe’s
MFT funding for scholarships.
The current MFT compact is set to expire
July 1, 2017. However, even if it does expire
and is not renewed the tribe will still be able to
utilize the reserve fund.
“The reserve was created for a purpose
independent of the compact,” Horn said.
According to Legislative Act 8-00, the
reserve is not to be used until 2017. The
funds for current CN scholarships come from
separate funding appropriations. At the end
of the MFT compact, the interest from the
monies deposited shall be used for higher
education scholarships.
“Any usage of the reserve would be for the
sole purpose of providing higher education
scholarships,” Horn said.
CN Education Services Senior Advisor
Dr. Neil Morton said the tribe funded 3,400
scholarships for the 2014 fall semester, and
in August Tribal Councilors approved a $2.5
million increase for CN Education Services in
college scholarships for Cherokee students.
In 2011, the state’s quarterly checks to the
CN ranged from $1.8 million to $1.9 million.
Today, they range from $1.9 million to $2.1
million. With 25 percent going to the Education
Reserve Fund, the remaining 75 percent is
allocated for other education programs, roads,
health and law enforcement, which are set by
the annual budget appropriations.
IHS scholarship workshop set
for Feb. 10 at NSU
BY STAFF REPORTS
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. –An Indian Health
Service scholarship workshop has been set
for Feb. 10 at Northeastern State University’s
Tahlequah campus
The workshop will take place on the
University Center’s third floor in the Morgan
Room. IHS Area Scholarship Coordinator
Keith Bohanan will act as the guest facilitator.
IHS offers three scholarships to qualified
Native American or Alaska Native candidates,
those being the preparatory, pre-graduate and
health professions scholarships.
The preparatory scholarship is for
qualified Native American and Alaska Native
students who are enrolled in preparatory
or undergraduate prerequisite courses in
preparation for entry health professions school.
The pre-graduate scholarship is for qualified
Native American and Alaska Native students
who are enrolled in coursework leading to a
bachelor’s degree required for application to
pre-medicine, pre-dentistry, pre-podiatry and
others needed by Indian health programs.
The health professions scholarship is for
qualified Native American and Alaska Native
students who are enrolled in an eligible health
profession degree program.
For applications, visit www.ihs.gov/
scholarship/ The deadline for new applications
is March 28.
Physician Assistant Studies program
added to NSU’s spring 2017 schedule
BY STAFF REPORTS
MUSKOGEE, Okla. – Northeastern State
University in Muskogee is preparing for its
first group of students to enter the Master of
Science, Physician Assistant Studies Program
that begins in January 2017.
According to a NSU press release, the Bureau
of Labor Statistics indicates job opportunities
for PAs are increasing faster than average.
They are expected to see a 38 percent growth
from 2012-22.
Dr. Pamela Hathorn, NSU’s College of
Science & Health Professions dean, said
Oklahoma graduates approximately 70 PAs
a year, which leaves only one PA for every
12,000 individuals in some counties.
According to the release, the need for a PA
program was identified at a regional healthcare
summit at NSU-Muskogee in 2010, where
health care leaders, providers and educators
across the state came together to address the
health care needs of the region.
“Occupational therapy was at the top of
the list and that is why NSU started with
that program,” she said. “Also among the
top contenders was the need for mid-level
providers (PAs) in the region, so that was the
next program on our list.”
PAs compile patient data, preform
comprehensive examinations, are involved in
assessing and providing care and work with
patients under the supervision of a physician.
A master’s degree is required for entry level
into this profession.
“The basic didactic and clinical program
for PAs is the same regardless of which area
of medicine they work in,” said Hathorn. “A
PA can work in pediatrics and then decide
to change to orthopedics without having to
go back to PA school to do so. This is one of
the aspects that makes the physician assistant
profession so appealing.”
The PA program is a two-year program that
includes one year of formal training and one
year of clinical training. After completing the
two years students will be required to pass a
licensing exam by the state medical board.
Hathorn said any major can apply for the PA
program, but certain courses are required for
admittance into the program.
“The major doesn’t prepare them for their
health professions program,” she said. “The
prerequisite courses they had to take to apply
to the program is what prepares them for the
program and/or the admissions exam, in
some cases.”
The first PA class at NSU will only accept 16
students.
“It’s harder to get into PA than medical
school, part of that is because there are fewer
seats in the state for PA versus medical school,”
said Hathorn. “However, it is not unusual for
competitive students to apply three times
before being accepted into PA school.”
For more information, visit www.nsuok.
edu/MPAS or email prehealth@nsuok.edu.
American Indian Education Foundation
scholarship deadline April 4
The American Indian
Education Foundation
seeks students of all ages
who are focused on their
educational goals and who
demonstrate the ability to
make positive change in
their communities and in
modern society.
BY STAFF REPORTS
RAPID CITY, S.D. – The American Indian
Education Foundation has set April 4 as its
student scholarship deadline.
The AIEF seeks students of all ages who
are focused on their educational goals and
who demonstrate the ability to make positive
change in their communities and in modern
society. It expands opportunities for students
to attend and remain in tribal or non-tribal
colleges by providing educational leadership
and networking services.
Along with scholarships, AIEF also offers
services such as the Tools of the Trade,
Emergency Funds and School Supplies.
Through Tools of the Trade, the AIEF offers
small grants to vocational/technical schools
so they can provide professional supplies to
Native American students.
The Emergency Funds service provides
small grants to selected colleges, which can
then assist students with expenses that might
otherwise threaten their ability to stay in
school.
With its Schools Supplies service, the AIEF
each fall distributes basic school supplies
for young Native Americans in preschools,
elementary schools and secondary schools
serving reservations in the Northern Plains and
Southwest. The program also helps vocational
and technical schools provide professional
supplies for Native American students who
choose to learn a trade. The AIEF follows up
on the School Supplies service by providing
scholarships to Indian peoples pursuing
higher education.
The AIEF is one of America’s largest
grantors of scholarships to Native Americans,
supporting more than 225 students each year.
For more information or to fill out a scholarship
application, visit http://www.nrcprograms.
org/site/PageServer?pagename=aief_index.
10
CHEROKEE PHOENIX • February 2015
Money • a[w
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CN tops out
Cherokee
Casino &
Hotel Roland
The 170,000-squarefoot hotel and casino are
expected to be completed
this summer.
BY STAFF REPORTS
ROLAND, Okla. – On Jan. 19, Cherokee
Nation officials celebrated the topping out of
construction on the new $80 million Cherokee
Casino & Hotel Roland, which will bring 100
new jobs, more entertainment, dining and
hotel options to Sequoyah County.
The casino will offer 850 electronic games,
table games and a poker room. Guests can
choose from two dining options, a grab-andgo café and Las Vegas-style buffet. Along with
the expanded gaming options, guests can enjoy
a cocktail and live music at the entertainment
venue.
“Today marks a significant step toward
completion of our Roland expansion. The
Cherokee Nation’s growth means more
money for infrastructure, roads and schools
in Sequoyah County. That is good for the
Cherokee Nation citizens and good for our
partners at the municipal, county and state
levels,” Principal Chief Bill John Baker said.
“The new hotel and casino are not only going to
be bigger and better, but they will create more
quality career opportunities in this region of
the Cherokee Nation.”
The plans include a resort-style hotel,
featuring 120 rooms, along with convention
space to host conferences, special events,
weddings and trade shows.
“It’s an exciting time in our company when
we can come full circle. We are bringing our
guests the best in gaming entertainment and
hospitality,” Cherokee Nation Businesses
interim CEO Shawn Slaton said. “The new
structure allows us to bring the newest and
most exciting options to our guests, while
bringing growth to the community where we
got our first start. It’s a great day for Sequoyah
County and this region.”
The 170,000-square-foot hotel and casino are
expected to be completed this summer.
“This new casino and hotel is a wonderful
thing for Sequoyah County,” Tribal Councilor
Janelle Fullbright said. “It means more
employment opportunities for the area and
is something we’ve waited a very long time to
have. We are really excited and happy about the
growth it will bring to the area.”
The tribe’s first Bingo Outpost was opened
in Roland in 1990. Today, the current
50,000-square-foot property features more
than 600 electronic gaming machines, seven
poker tables, six table games and a 24-hour
diner. Cherokee Casino Roland employs 320
people.
Cherokee Casino Roland is located off
Highway 64 on Cherokee Boulevard in
Roland. For more information, visit www.
cherokeecasino.com or call 1-800-256-2338.
All guests must be at least 21 years of age to
attend.
Construction workers on Jan. 19 place the
ceremonial beam on to top out construction
of the Cherokee Casino & Hotel Roland
in Roland, Oklahoma. Cherokee Nation
Businesses is building a new casino and
hotel that will bring in 100 new jobs.
COURTESY
Robin Gordon, Cherokee Nation citizen and owner of Robin’s Nest Flowers and Gifts, holds two Valentine’s Day balloons at the Pryor,
Oklahoma-based business. Gordon and her staff are preparing for their busiest holiday, Valentine’s Day.
PHOTOS BY WILL CHAVEZ/CHEROKEE PHOENIX
Cherokee-owned flower shop
preps for Valentine’s Day
BY STACIE GUTHRIE
Reporter
PRYOR, Okla. – The Cherokee-owned
Robin’s Nest Flowers and Gifts offers flowers
and gifts for every occasion. Owner Robin
Gordon and her staff are preparing for
Valentine’s Day, the shop’s busiest holiday.
For Valentine’s Day, Gordon said her shop
would offer an assortment of flowers and gifts.
“We have our plush (animals),” she said.
“I also do two mylar balloons for $7. I have
(carnation) bud vases that are going to
be starting out at $7.95. I do offer plastic
containers for schools. My roses will be $79
and $89 per dozen.”
Her business also offers candy bar bouquets
that range from $19.95 to $35.95.
When Valentine’s Day is over Gordon said
she offers normal, everyday items that start as
low as $5.95.
“We try to reach that gambit of everybody.
Even if you don’t have a lot of money, come in
and see us we’re here to take care of you and
make your needs met.”
She said an average bouquet of mixed
flowers range from $40 to $60. She said
flowers for special occasions, anniversaries
and milestone birthdays range from $75 to
$200.
Gordon said since her shop is a full-service
florist shop she can provide flowers for
numerous occasions, including weddings,
birthdays and funerals.
“In this business there’s sometimes when we
have to help families of sadness so when we
do things like that, you’re bringing a special
moment and a special memory to those
people that you do those for,” she said. “Even
in the sympathy part of it, it’s knowing that
you’re trying to please someone and make
someone feel special, especially in the loss of a
loved one. So whether we’re doing a wedding
or whether we’re doing a funeral or just a
milestone birthday or a anniversary, it bring
joy to us to know that we’re bringing joy to
someone else.”
Gordon said as far as gift shop items go, her
Lotti Dotties are her bestsellers. Lotti Dotties
is a silver-platted magnetic jewelry line. The
jewelry’s center stone can be replaced with
various stones.
also offers gifts ranging from plush animals
to scarfs. They also offer home décor and are
getting ready to offer cookies and bulk candy
to go with balloons.
Gordon originally purchased the business
in 2013, when it was known as Patterson’s
Flowers. The business goes back approximately
50 years. Gordon said about four months ago
she moved the flower shop to Pryor’s Main
Floral designer Joni Bowles prepares a vase
of flowers at the Cherokee-owned Robin’s
Nest Flowers and Gifts in Pryor, Oklahoma.
Street and said the move has
“been great.”
“Main Street’s trying to get
revitalized, so I thought this
would be a great opportunity
to bring a flower and gift SCAN CODE
shop on to Main Street,” WITH SMART
she said. “We’ve seen a -PHONE TO
tremendous amount of SEE VIDEO
walk-in traffic versus where
we were in our old location,
which was kind of off the Main Street. So we
have seen a lot more walk-in traffic and a lot
more men buying flowers for women on the
spur of the moment.”
She said since owning the business there
has been an increase in monthly sales.
“We have had an increase for probably
anywhere on our slowest month about a 10
percent increase up to some of our bigger
months we’ve had almost a 50 percent increase
in the past almost two years,” she said.
Robin’s Nest delivers within Mayes County
and is offering a Valentine’s Day special. “You
can get free delivery if you order before Jan.
31 in Pryor,” she said. “If it’s another location
within Mayes County I will take $5 off your
delivery.”
The shop is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30
p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m.
to 2 p.m. on Saturday. It is located at 230 E.
Graham Ave. For more information, call 918825-3706 or visit robinsnestflowerspryor.com.
“You can buy your ring and then you can
buy five different stones and have a ring for
everyday of the week,” she said.
Gordon said the top-selling flowers are
roses, especially at Valentine’s Day.
Aside from the Lotti Dotties, Robin’s Nest
Robin Gordon, Cherokee Nation citizen and owner of Robin’s Nest Flowers and Gifts,
right, helps a customer pick out a card to go with an order of flowers at the Pryor-based
business. In the background is floral designer Joni Bowles.
Money • a[w
2015 Ewf #>hAmh • Kgl
February 2015 • CHEROKEE PHOENIX
11
Will Rogers Downs
campground earns
KOA awards
BY STAFF REPORTS
CLAREMORE, Okla. – In December,
Cherokee Casino Will Rogers Downs officials
traveled to the Kampgrounds of America
national convention in Charleston, South
Carolina, to receive two prominent awards.
KOA presented Melissa Brooner, WRD
casino shift and campground manager, with
the President’s Award and Most Improved.
“It’s something we’ve worked hard for,”
Brooner said. “The customer service and our
staff at the campground are what have increased
our scores over the past year. We always try to
go out of our way to accommodate anything
the guest wants or needs. Anything they
request, we really try to go the extra mile. They
are family during their stay with us.”
The President’s Award is given to every
KOA across the country that scores 90 percent
or better on quality reviews, a checklist-type
system of measurement of quality within the
organization. Of the 485 KOA locations, only
two campgrounds received awards in 2014
for Most Improved, measured by the highest
increase in guest service scores.
“We looked at KOAs that have improved their
operations significantly based on the feedback
from the guests and what our quality reviews
teams observe when performing our annual
evaluations,” said Jef Sutherland, KOA senior
vice president of franchise operations. “This
year, it was clear that the Tulsa NE/Will Rogers
Down KOA was an operation that improved
substantially...There was a dramatic increase in
customer satisfaction scores, and the owners
invested in a new registration area, including a
new bathhouse as well as site improvements.”
Originally opened in 2010, the campground
is situated on casino grounds, within walking
distance of the horse track, casino, food and
live entertainment. There are 400 RV pads with
full hookups inside the park.
“Our employees have made this possible.
There were a lot of improvements from a
grounds standpoint. Ron Henderson, Ryan
Sawney and Jesse Sawney oversee the outside
grounds and have worked hard to keep it
looking great,” Mike Wheeler, casino operations
manager, said. “Linell Knight and Dee Dawe
have done a great job of ensuring the gift shop
is clean, maintained and offers everything a
guest might need during their stay.”
The casino offers free Wi-Fi to guests visiting
the park, along with showers and laundry
facilities, a dog park, horseshoe pit, playground,
chapel, clubhouse and more than 40,000 square
feet of meeting space. Rates begin at $32 a day.
Cherokee CRC
completes Riverside
Indian School
dorms construction
BY STAFF REPORTS
TULSA, Okla. – Cherokee CRC, a division
of Cherokee Nation Businesses, recently
completed a two-year project consisting of the
construction of two dormitories at Riverside
Indian School in Anadarko.
According to CN Communications, each
dorm has four wings and 12 rooms with four
reserved rooms that have accommodations
for students with disabilities. Each dorm also
has its own laundry room, small kitchen area,
living room and restroom.
The main entrance and the common room
connect the wings of the dorm. The common
room offers foosball, pool table, lounge-style
furniture and more.
The dormitory project is Leadership in
Energy and Environmental Design certified,
meaning special considerations were made so
the operation and construction of the buildings
would be environmentally friendly.
LEED works to use fewer resources, reduce
pollution, save energy and contribute to
healthier environments for communities and
occupants.
Justin Phillips (Cherokee/Ponca) sautés roasted red potatoes for a benefit luncheon in September. LISA SNELL/NATIVE OKLAHOMA
Justin Phillips knows his way around stove
BY LISA SNELL
Native Oklahoma
TULSA, Okla. – He’s a culinary school
dropout who hasn’t managed to leave the
stove.
“I’m pretty good at this. I like to burn stuff,”
Justin Phillips, who is Cherokee and Ponca,
said jokingly.
Coincidentally, he dropped out of culinary
school to go fight wild fires even though he
had enrolled in culinary school to end his
firefighting career.
“I was out in Talihina working for the BIA
(Bureau of Indian Affairs),” he said. “It was a
good job.”
But cooking was what he was truly good at.
“I started (in the restaurant business) on
my birthday. When I turned 16, I started at El
Chico in Muskogee. I started washing dishes.
A year later, I was pretty much co-kitchen
manager of that place,” Phillips said.
Now in his 30s, Phillips is getting a taste
of success as the owner of LeGrubs Catering
Company. He operates a popular food truck
on the weekends and counts two Tulsa hotels
among his regular clientele.
Today, he’s talking food and dreams while
cooking up a meal for a Tulsa Cancer Society
luncheon. Chicken breasts are charring on the
grill while Phillips sautés roasted red potatoes
with fresh bell peppers, Vidalia onions and
lots of seasoning.
“I try to do fresh stuff all the time. You
can taste the difference if it comes off a truck
frozen or fresh from the market,” Phillips said.
The garden salad on today’s menu comes
fresh from the Tahlequah Farmers Market.
“I did this menu all in my head right before
I walked in. I had a whole other plan. But
decided it just didn’t sound good,” he said.
The menu may have been off the cuff, but he
had to go with what was fresh.
“It was all about the arugula. I couldn’t get
any arugula.” He chuckled as he jerked his
pan of sizzling peppers off the stove and sent
the veggies flying up and over with a snap of
his wrist. He thumped the pan back on the
burner and turned his attention to the chicken
smoking on the grill. Time pull the chicken
and grill the asparagus.
One day he’ll have his own garden to “shop”
from and plan his menus around. He’s in the
process of developing an organic farm and
said he intends to plant specialty greens,
micro greens, rainbow carrots, parsnips, and
turnips – among other produce - to use in his
own kitchen and sell at farmers markets and
to high-end restaurants.
“I remember my grandparents were always
working in the garden…pulling potatoes,
picking okra and shelling peas while watching
Hee-Haw,” he said.
He’s living on his grandparents’ place so
it’s only fitting he carry on that gardening
tradition. It’s a hefty commute to drive to work
in Tulsa, but it’s worth it.
“I just don’t have that stress of living in the
city,” he said. “I like being out at the old place
in the country.”
During the week he’s cooking for both
the Clarion Inn and the Hilton Garden Inn
hotels at the Tulsa airport. On the weekends
he’s running his LeGrubs food truck, hitting
events and festivals and the late night bar
crowd.
Justin Phillips (Cherokee/Ponca) chops peppers while preparing
a meal. Phillips dropped out of culinary school to fight wild fires
but eventually made his way back into the kitchen.
LISA SNELL/NATIVE OKLAHOMA
Although he started his catering business a
few years ago, the food truck took a little time,
because as Phillips said, “I don’t want to put
anything on my plate I can’t eat.” He means
that financially as well as gastronomically.
“I just saved my money for it. Saved and
saved and bought the truck. It was a Wonder
Bread truck.”
When you see the shiny black beast, you’d
never know the truck had its start in life
delivering bread. It’s totally transformed,
housing a commercial kitchen on the inside
and a bold paint job on the outside. Formal
script identifies the truck as LeGrubs. A chef
hat-wearing skull hovering over a set of cutlery
crossbones logo provides an edgy contrast and
a nod to Phillips’ sense of humor.
“I wanted something edgy. I wanted
something that personified me as a person
and as a chef...bold, willing to take risks… and
a little wild,” he said.
He’s served the gamut from the truck –
from a dinner party of 500 to a nursing home.
“Old people are hard. They will tell you
straight up your food sucks. You can spend
three hours or more on the meal and they’ll
still tell you they didn’t like it,” Phillips said.
He laughs and adds that kids are hard, too.
“I made my son homemade alfredo. He
didn’t like it, so what did he do? He went to
grandma’s house for a PBJ and some chips.”
Phillips just shook his head.
“What can you do?”
For more information or to find where
LeGrubs will be each weekend, check https://
www.facebook.com/legrubs or call Phillips
at 918-944-8809. – REPRINTED WITH
PERMISSION
Justin Phillips (Cherokee/Ponca) leans against his food truck,
a former Wonder Bread truck that he saved money for to buy.
COURTESY
12
CHEROKEE PHOENIX • February 2015
Health • aBk 0sr
Ewf #>hAmh • Kgl 2015
3 Cherokees help fight Africa’s Ebola epidemic
The officers are serving
in the U.S. government’s
response to the Ebola
outbreak in Liberia.
BY WILL CHAVEZ
Senior Reporter
MARGIBI COUNTY, Liberia, Africa – Three
Cherokee Nation citizens are serving in Liberia
with the U.S. Public Health Service helping to
stop the Ebola epidemic in West Africa.
Capt. Kevin Brooks, chief pharmacist at the
Whiteriver Indian Health Service hospital in
Whiteriver Arizona; Cmdr. Dana Hayworth,
registered nurse at CN W.W. Hastings Hospital
in Tahlequah, Oklahoma; and Lt. Cmdr.
Julie Erb-Alvarez, epidemiologist at the IHS
Oklahoma City Area Office, are serving at the
forefront of the U.S. government response to
the Ebola outbreak.
They are among the USPHS officers staffing
the Monrovia Medical Unit, a 25-bed field
hospital that has been reconfigured as an Ebola
Treatment Unit.
The team consists of doctors, nurses,
infection control officers, pharmacists,
laboratorians, behavioral health specialists
and administrative management staff. They
are providing support and care for health care
workers and responders who are combatting
the disease.
“I am very proud that I have been able to
come to Liberia and represent the Cherokee
Lt. Cmdr. Julie Erb-Alvarez, left, decontaminates U.S. Public Health Service officers before
they exit the high-risk Ebola zone in Margibi County, Liberia, Africa. COURTESY
Nation and the United States as we assist the
people of Liberia overcome this unprecedented
outbreak that has devastated their country,”
Brooks said. “I went into this mission not for
any recognition but just to help people in need,
which is why I became a United Stated Public
Health Service pharmacist with the Indian
Health Service. In just the short time that the
USPHS has been here helping, you can see a
significant benefit to the Liberian people, and I
greatly hope that this partnership continues in
areas other than Ebola.”
The medical unit’s focus is to provide care
to international and local health care workers
and responders who become infected with the
Ebola virus.
By providing that care, they, in turn, can
care for other Ebola patients in the region. The
USPHS team arrived in Liberia in December,
but USPHS officials did not say when the team
would return home.
“I understand the positive impact that this
mission is having for our tribe, our country
and globally. I am grateful to be a part of
the response and appreciate the love and
support I have received from friends, family
and my workplace,” Erb-Alvarez said. “As an
epidemiologist working for the Indian Health
Service, I have followed the West African
Ebola epidemic from early 2014 until it turned
into a full global public health crisis. From
the beginning I have wanted to help and this
experience is life changing.”
USPHS health care workers are providing
medical care to Ebola responders who are at
a high risk of getting infected with the virus
if they come in contact with symptomatic or
infected patients and with vomit, diarrhea,
blood and soiled bedding.
“This mission in West Africa is a chance
to offer hope and healing to these people in
Liberia who are devastated by the Ebola virus.
It has wiped out entire communities, towns and
families. There are children who have lost both
parents to the disease and are now being raised
by siblings and the community that remains,”
Hayworth said. “This mission is also a chance
to help contain the EBV before it spreads to
other countries and continents on the level it
is here. So I feel that by participating in this
mission, I am providing humanitarian care that
is desperately needed here in country while at
the same time attempting to protect my nation
against the spread of this deadly disease.”
Hayworth said she misses her family, friends
and job and that her co-workers have been
supportive of her mission and have sent cards,
care packages and emails.
“I am very thankful to them. The have
all supported me and kept things running
smoothly at home,” she said. “Christmas Day
was especially hard but some of our team
members spent time with some children in
the community who were also without family
because they had died from Ebola. It put things
in perspective for me. So, I was blessed on
Christmas like never before by sharing it with
these precious children.”
Erb-Alvarez said Liberians have welcomed
them “with open arms” and the USPHS team
are thanked everywhere they go in the country.
“I have been told over and over that because
of us, they now have hope. Being here has
allowed me to experience in-person the
devastation that this epidemic has had on the
people of West Africa and gain a first-hand
understanding of what we in the United States
only occasionally see or read about in the
news,” she said.
She added she misses her husband and
daughter, her “granny’s smile” and her mom,
dad and brothers.
“I miss all my pets. There are no animals here,
only lizards, bats and bugs. I miss being able
to hug and shake hands. We have to maintain
social distancing at all times. It will probably be
tough to come home and have people hugging
me and shaking hands,” Erb-Alvarez said. “I
really miss good food, driving and good roads.
I don’t really miss the cold weather though. I
am actually enjoying the African heat and
humidity.”
Margibi County in Liberia is highlighted in
this map. Three Cherokee Nation citizens
are part of a unit helping fight the Eboal
epidemic in that West African country.
GOOGLE MAPS
Cmdr. Dana Hayworth, left, Capt. Kevin
Brooks, and Lt. Cmdr. Julie Erb-Alvarez,
epidemiologist at the IHS Oklahoma City
Area Office, are responding with the
U.S. Public Health Service’s to the Ebola
outbreak in Liberia. COURTESY
Health • aBk 0sr
2015 Ewf #>hAmh • Kgl
February 2015 • CHEROKEE PHOENIX
13
Hepatitis C
program encourages
testing for people
considered at-risk
It’s estimated there are 5,000
patients with Hepatitis C in the
Cherokee Nation. The virus does
not always show symptoms, so
it is important for people to get
screened.
BY WILL CHAVEZ
Senior Reporter
In this 2011 photo, Cherokee Nation EMS responders and members of the Highway 51 Fire Department team up to deliver
Cherokee elder Leora Murphy to safety. Murphy, a 74-year-old cancer patient, had become trapped in her rural Adair
County home during a blizzard. COURTESY
Colder temperatures bring possible
illnesses, officials urge caution
BY JAMI MURPHY
Reporter
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – January and
February are known for having bitterly
cold temperatures. With those lower
temps it’s important to understand the
illnesses and injuries that can occur if
cold weather precautions are not taken.
Preparedness is what it takes to stay warm
and healthy when cold weather comes.
Randy Gibson, Cherokee Nation
Public Health Program liaison, said
when temperatures drop significantly,
staying warm can be a challenge if one is
unprepared.
“Exposure to cold temperatures,
whether indoor or outside, can cause
other serious or life-threatening health
problems,” he said. “Infants and the
elderly are particularly at risk, but anyone
can be affected.”
Dr. Nanetta Lowe, CN Hastings
Hospital
Emergency
Department
director, said as of Jan. 7, she hadn’t
treated any cold-related illnesses or
injuries, but does expect to have patients
soon as colder temperatures hit the state.
The two most common illnesses, she said,
are hypothermia and frostbite.
Hypothermia
is
a
potentially
dangerous drop in body temperature. The
earliest warning sign of it is shivering,
the first indication that the body has lost
heat. Other symptoms are slow shallow
breathing, confusion and memory loss,
drowsiness or exhaustion and slurred
speech. Symptoms in infants can include
skin that is cold to the touch and bright
red and unusually low energy or lethargy.
Frostbite symptoms include skin that is
cold, hard, pale and numb to the touch.
If hypothermia or frostbite is suspected
seek medical care immediately.
Precautions to avoid hypothermia and
frostbite include wearing proper clothing
such as a hat, sleeves, mask and scarf.
Children younger than 1 year old should
be dressed in warm clothes, even inside.
Other tips include avoiding heavy
exertion while working outdoors and
avoid getting gasoline or alcohol on
skin while de-icing and fueling cars or
equipment. Contact with the skin can
greatly increase heat loss from the body.
It’s also important to prepare one’s
home during colder temps.
“If using a fireplace, wood stove,
or kerosene heater, install a smoke
detector and a battery-operated carbon
monoxide detector near the area to be
heated,” Gibson said. “Finally, don’t forget
about your pets. If possible, bring them
indoors. If that is not possible, provide
adequate shelter and place heat packs or
hand pocket warmers in towels and place
them in the bottom of carriers and cages
for shelter, and make sure that they have
access to unfrozen water.”
Lowe said special attention should be
paid to infants, small children and elders
as they can lose body heat faster than
healthy adults in extreme cold weather.
“Frequently checking on our elders
to make sure they are warm, well fed
and well cared for, especially if they live
alone is an obligation all of us should be
mindful of,” Lowe said.
According to the Red Cross, tips for
traveling during extreme cold weather
include:
• Make sure vehicles are in good
working order before trips. This includes
checking tire air pressure and windshield
fluid and cleaning lights and windows.
• Equip vehicles with an emergency
preparedness kit with water, snacks,
flashlight, first aid kit and blankets.
• Check weather and road conditions
before traveling.
• Share travel plans including intended
route and estimated arrival time with
someone.
CN citizen loses 170 pounds with tribe’s HELP
Cherokee Nation citizen John Speir
lost the weight and continues to take
back his health.
BY STAFF REPORTS
SALLISAW, Okla. – Roland Junior High School Principal
and Cherokee Nation citizen John Speir changed his life for the
better after losing 170 pounds with the help of Cherokee Nation’s
Healthy Eating for Life Program and self-determination.
Before seeking out the program at W.W. Hastings Hospital in
Tahlequah, Speir weighed 398 pounds and often became winded
and felt pain when monitoring the school’s hallways. Now, the
43-year-old weighs 228 pounds and is taking back his health.
“Before any weight loss, I was a really big guy,” the Sallisaw
resident said. “If I did a lot of strenuous work, or walked a long
way, my knees and back hurt and I felt pain down my legs. That
stuff doesn’t happen now.”
Speir’s doctor at the Redbird Smith Health Center referred
him to HELP in summer 2013.
According to a CN press release, the HELP includes
a team of nurses, surgeon, psychologist and counselor
certified in the medical study of obesity provide patients
with nutrition education, weight loss support groups and
possibly bariatric surgery.
“I wanted to make sure I was going to be around to see my
girls graduate high school and college and to one day walk them
down the aisle,” Speir said. “I made my mind up right then that
I had to do something different. I had to change.”
The program urged Speir to keep a food journal, cut out soft
drinks and fast food and start exercising. In a year’s time he
lost 100 pounds and qualified for the Lap-Band surgery this Cherokee Nation citizen John Speir maintains his weight
loss of 170 pounds by exercising at Sallisaw Family Fitness
past summer.
“My surgeon, Dr. Hope Baluh, was very thorough and stringent in Sallisaw, Oklahoma. Speir began his weight loss journey
on her requirements for surgery,” he said. “In the months that I in 2013 with the help of the tribe’s Healthy Eating for Life
went to the HELP clinic before surgery, they taught me how to Program. COURTESY
think differently about so many things, which has helped me around the patient’s stomach and the laparoscopic vertical sleeve
continue to lose weight after my surgery. I couldn’t have done it gastrectomy is a procedure, which consists of removing a large
without them.”
portion of the patient’s stomach to reduce food consumption.
After the surgery Speir lost an additional 70 pounds. With the
Patients must have a referral submitted by a primary care
weight loss, Speir looks forward to spending the summer being provider from a tribal facility and they must meet strict
more active with his daughters’ sports teams.
guidelines to qualify for bariatric surgery.
“We really want our HELP clinic to be different in the way
“Dr. Baluh and the HELP clinic are truly changing lives for
that people aren’t just left hanging in the breeze after being the better every day at W. W. Hastings Hospital, and we believe
given some information,” Maggie Parker, a W.W. Hastings that a personal success story like Mr. Speir’s helps more of our
Hospital certified bariatric nurse, said. “The goal is to teach Cherokee Nation citizens realize the changes they can make
our participants how to have a
to improve their own health,”
healthy life and then for them
Hastings Hospital CEO Brian
to teach their children to keep I wanted to make sure I was going to be Hail said.
their families healthy.”
The tribe’s HELP aided
There are two surgical
procedures provided through
the clinic, the Lap-Band and
laparoscopic vertical sleeve
gastrectomy. The Lap-Band is
an adjustable device that goes
around to see my girls graduate high
school and college and to one day walk
them down the aisle.
– John Speir,
Cherokee Nation citizen
approximately 1,500 patients
in 2014 and is one of the
fastest growing bariatric
clinics in the area.
For more information, call
918-458-3100, ext. 3777.
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – A new program to screen for
and treat Hepatitis C within the Cherokee Nation is gaining
momentum as it moves to the tribe’s seven health centers
from its W.W. Hastings Hospital base.
Dr. Jorge Mera, who is leading the program at Hastings,
said he saw the program’s need when he saw the number of
patients who had the virus. The virus can cause liver disease
or inflammation of the liver, which is the organ that removes
harmful chemicals from the blood, fights infection, helps
digest food and stores nutrients and energy.
“When I came here in 2012, one of the reasons that I was
hired was to take care of the Hepatitis C clinic. I did find that
we had a lot of patients, but unfortunately at that time the
possibility of treating the patients was not very good because
we did not have very good medications,” Mera said. “The
medications that we had were effective, but most people
couldn’t take them because of the side effects. Even though I
knew we had thousands of patients with Hep C, the amount
we could treat was less than 10 percent.”
New medications have come on the market, he said, that
are safer with less side effects that allow more patients to be
treated. Now, he said, he can treat 90 patients out of 100.
Mera said because the number of Hepatitis C patients is
in the thousands, he and his nurse assistant reached out to
some of the Nation’s seven health clinics to form partnerships
to treat that population. The first partnerships were formed
with the Three Rivers Health Center in Muskogee and the
A-Mo Health Center in Salina, and Mera has since met with
a health provider and nurses in each health center.
Soon, Hepatitis C clinics also will be available at the Wilma
P. Mankiller Health Center in Stilwell, the Will Rogers Health
Center in Nowata, Redbird Smith Health Center in Sallisaw,
Sam Hider Health Center in Jay, and the Bartlesville Health
Clinic, which will soon transfer to the health facility being
built in Ochelata. Also, Dr. Anna Miller, Amanda Hicks and
more staff have been added at Hastings to assist with the
program.
Mera said the virus does not always show symptoms, so
it is important for people to get screened. A blood test will
show if a patient has Hepatitis C.
“So, who needs to be screened? The latest CDC (Centers for
Disease Control) recommendation is for the ‘Baby Boomer’
population, so anybody born between 1945 and 1965 should
be screened,” he said. “Anybody who has used intravenous
drugs or snorted drugs, even if it was once in their lifetime,
should get tested.”
Also, people who received a blood transfusion before
1992, had an organ transplant, have a history of getting nonprofessional tattoos and men who have had sex with men
should get tested.
So far, 300 to 400 patients have been evaluated through
the program to determine their “urgent or non-urgent need”
for treatment, and about 100 of those patients are receiving
treatment to cure the virus. However, Mera said, it’s estimated
there are 5,000 Hepatitis C patients within the CN, and the
program has detected 900 patients.
“These are just rough numbers, but they’re not far off from
the reality. Our goal is to detect the 5,000 and treat the 5,000.
It takes a lot of effort and organization,” he said.
The Hepatitis C epidemic peaked in the 1960s and1970s
when intravenous drug use was common, Mera said.
“It was not perceived as harmful in those times. This is a
chronic infection, so it doesn’t give you problems until 20 or
30 years after you’ve had the infection. Now we’re starting
to see those patients with those problems,” he said. “Most of
the patients are leading productive lives, but it’s important to
detect who needs treatment, so they can continue to have a
productive life.”
He said less than 20 percent of patients infected show
symptoms. Those people have an acute infection and may
feel tired, their skin may turn yellow, may have dark-yellow
urine, stomach pain and loss of appetite. Mera said most
people who are infected don’t know it, but may experience
flu-like symptoms periodically.
“Not everybody will get sick (who are infected), that’s
important to say, but about 30 percent of the people infected
will develop severe scarring of the liver in 20 to 30 years,
which we call cirrhosis,” he said.
Other disorders that may occur are skin disorders, kidney
disease and arthritis. However, the liver is most affected.
Mera recommended people wanting to get tested have
their primary physicians refer them to him or one of the
physicians working with the Hepatitis C program in one of
the CN health centers.
If a person knows he or she has Hepatitis C, call Dr. Mera’s
office at 918-458-3381 to make an appointment.
“If you don’t know your (Hepatitis C) status, ask your
doctor to test you,” Mera said.
For information, visit http://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/C/
Dr. Jorge Mera is leading the Hepatitis C program at W.W.
Hastings Hospital and is encouraging those who could
have the virus to get tested at the hospital or their local
Cherokee Nation clinic. WILL CHAVEZ/CHEROKEE PHOENIX
14
CHEROKEE PHOENIX • February 2015
Services • nnrpH
Ewf #>hAmh • Kgl 2015
Tahlequah tag office settles into new location
It provides more lobby
room than its prior location
and offers more parking.
BY STACIE GUTHRIE
Reporter
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – The Cherokee
Nation’s Tahlequah tag office is settling into its
new location at 120 E. Balentine Road after its
recent December opening.
The location sits between the Cherokee
Springs Golf Couse and U.S. Highway 62, west
of the Curt’s Oil Co. Conoco gas station and
east of the Tommy Nix Auto Group, formerly
known as Darrell Yates Auto Mall.
CN Tax Administrator Sharon Swepston said
the location provides more lobby room than its
prior office and offers more parking.
“There is a larger waiting room. The lobby area
will seat about 50 people now whereas before we
could sit maybe 20. So we have a lot larger area
for our customers to come in to. It’s a lot nicer
area for them to come in to,” she said. “Instead of
just having one public bathroom we have two – a
men’s and a women’s. That’s better, too.”
The new location has also retained its
television and Swepston said she hopes her
office can put it to use in other ways than just
informing citizens about what is going on with
the tribe.
“In the future, we may be able to use that as
a system to be able to put people’s names up on
there where they can tell when it’s their turn,”
she said.
Swepston said the new location also provides
citizens more ease while getting tags with
its five agent booths and drop-off area. She
said citizens seem to enjoy the new building,
especially the larger waiting area.
“Everybody seems to really like it,” she said.
“It seems to be going really well and the public
seems to be accepting it real well.”
CN citizen Rebecca Zamora recently visited
the office to renew a tag for one of her vehicles.
Zamora said the visit was her first at the new
location and that it looks and feels nicer than
the previous site.
“I like it,” she said. “It’s a lot nicer and not so
on top of each other.”
Swepston said since the location is still new
to citizens the tribe is sending out cards with
the office’s address. She added that signs would
be going up at the location soon.
Swepston said the Tahlequah tag office had
been at its previous location since 2000. That
location, she said, would be used as office space
for other tribal departments.
With the recent opening of the Catoosa tag
office, there are now six CN tag offices in the
tribe’s jurisdiction. The CN also has tag offices
in Sallisaw, Adair, Collinsville and Jay.
“Hopefully that is better for all our citizens
so that they can go out and get their tags and
make it a little easier for them to do that,”
Swepston said.
The Tahlequah tag office is open at 8:15 a.m.
to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday except on
Tuesday when it’s open until 6 p.m.
The new Cherokee Nation Tahlequah tag office sits five agents and has extra space for drop-off service. The tag office moved to 120 E.
Balentine Road in December. STACIE GUTHRIE/CHEROKEE PHOENIX
It seems to be
going really
well and the
public seems
to be accepting
it real well.
– Sharon
Swepston,
tax administrator
LOCATION:
120 E. Balentine Road
in Tahlequah, Oklahoma
HOURS OPEN:
8:15 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Monday through Friday
except on Tuesday
when it is open from
8:15 a.m. to 6 p.m.
ᏓᎵᏆ, ᎣᎦᎵᎰᎹ.- ᎾᏍᎩᏃ ᏣᎳᎩᎯ ᎠᏰᎵ ᏓᎵᏆ
ᏙᏆᎴᎷ ᏗᎦᏛᏗᎢ ᏧᏂᎾᏗᏅᏗᎢ ᎢᏤᎢ ᏧᏙᏢᏒ
ᏭᏂᎷᏨᎢ 120 E.Balentine ᎦᎳᏅᏛᎢ ᎾᏞᎬᏭ
ᎥᏍᎩᏱ ᏥᎧᎸᎢ ᏣᏂᏍᏚᎢᏍᎬᎢ.
ᎾᏍᎩᏃ ᎢᏤᎢ ᏗᎪᏢᏒᎢ ᎥᎿᏂ ᎠᏰᏟ, ᏣᎳᎩ ᎠᎹ
ᏗᎦᏄᎪᎬᎢ ᏍᏆᏞᏍᏗ ᎤᏃᏍᏛᏂᏍᏗᎢ ᎠᎴ U.S.
ᎤᏔᎾ ᏂᎦᏅᏅᎢ 62, ᎤᏕᎵᎬᎢ ᏗᏜ Curt’s ᎪᎢ
ᏧᏂᏟᏍᏗᎢ. Conoco ᎪᎢ ᏧᏂᏟᏍᏗᎢ ᎠᎴ ᎾᏍᏊ
ᎧᎵᎬᎢ ᏗᏜ ᎥᎿᏂ Tommy Nix Auto Group, ᎢᎬᏱᎢ
ᏥᎨᏒ Darrell Yates Auto Mall.
ᏣᎳᎩᎯ ᎠᏰᎵ ᎠᏰᏟ ᏗᏈᏴᏗ ᏄᎬᏫᏳᏒᎢ Sharon
Swepston ᎾᏍᎩ ᏳᏪᏓ ᎥᎿᏃ ᎤᎪᏓ ᎤᏟᏅᏓ ᏏᏅ
ᎢᎬᏱᎢ ᏣᏂᏯᎥᎢ ᎠᎴ ᎤᎪᏗ ᎤᏜᏅᏓ ᏧᏂᎸᏫᏍᏓᏁᎢ
ᏙᏆᎴᎷ ᏧᏂᏗᎢ.
“ᎾᏍᎩ ᎤᏔᎾ ᎧᏅᏑᎳ ᎠᎦᏘᏗᏍᏗᎢ. ᎾᏍᎩᏃ
ᎤᏜᏅᏛᎢ ᎧᏅᏑᎸᎢ ᎯᏍᎩ ᏍᎪᎯ ᎢᏯᏂᎢ ᏴᏫ
ᏯᎾᏅᎢ ᎢᎬᏱᎢᏃ ᏥᎨᏒ ᏔᎵᏍᎪᎯᏊ ᎢᏯᏂᎢ
ᎡᎵᏊ ᏯᎾᏅᎢ ᎨᏒᎩ. ᎤᎪᏗ ᎤᏜᏅᏓ ᏰᎵᏊ
ᏙᏆᎴᎷ ᏧᏂᏩᏍᎩ ᎬᏩᏂᏴᏍᏗ. ᏫᏟ ᏲᏍᏗ
ᎤᏂᏴᏟᎯᏍᏗᎢ,” ᎠᏗᏍᎬᎢ. ᎢᎬᏱᎢᏃ ᏗᎪᏢᏒᎢ
ᏌᏊᏭ ᏙᏱ ᎤᎾᏨᏍᏗᎢ ᎪᏢᏒᎢ ᎾᏊᏃ ᎢᏤᎢ
ᏗᎪᏢᏒᎢ ᏔᎵ ᏕᎪᏢᎭ - ᎠᏂᏍᎦᏯ ᎠᎴ ᎠᏂᎨᏯ.
ᎥᏍᎩᎾᏃ ᎾᏍᏊ ᏓᏤᏝ.”
ᎾᏍᎩᏃ ᎢᏤᎢ ᏗᎪᏢᏒᎢ ᏗᏓᏴᎳᏗᏍᎩ ᏚᏂᏝᎭ
ᎠᎴ Swepston ᎥᎧᏃᎮᏍᎬᎢ ᎤᏚᎩ ᎤᏮᏒᎢ ᎾᏍᎩ
ᎥᎿ ᏧᎦᎸᏫᏍᏓᏁᏗᎢ ᏰᎵᎢ ᎣᏍᏓ ᎬᏩᏙᏗ ᏱᎩ
ᏗᏓᏴᎳᏗᏍᎩ ᏓᏂᏃᏣᏢᏍᎬᎢ ᎤᏣᏘᎾ ᏗᏜ ᏗᎨᏒ
ᏍᏏᏅ ᏓᏂᏃᎯᏎᎲᎢ ᎠᏁᎳ ᏂᎦᎵᏍᏔᏅᏍᎬᎢ
ᎠᏂᏅᏍᏓᏢᎢ.
“ᎤᏩᎬᏗᏗᏒᎢ, ᎡᎵᏊ ᏲᏨᏗ ᎾᏍᎩ ᏗᏓᏴᎳᏗᏍᎩ
ᏰᎵᏊ ᏴᏫ ᏚᎾᏙᎥᎢ ᏧᏙᏪᎶᏗᎢ ᎤᏂᏃᎯᏎᎯ
ᎨᏥᏯᏂᎲᎢ,” ᎠᏗᏍᎬᎢ.
Swepston ᎯᎠ ᏄᏪᏎᎢ ᎢᏤᎢ ᏧᎰᏢᏒᎢ ᎠᎴ ᎾᏍᏊ
ᎢᎠᎵᏍᎪᏟᏗᎭ ᎠᏁᎳ ᎠᎯᏗ ᏧᏂᏁᏍᏗ ᏙᏆᎴᎷ
ᏗᎦᏛᏗᎢ, ᎯᏍᎩᎭᏃ ᎾᏂᎠ ᎨᏥᏅᏏᏓ ᏧᏂᎸᏫᏍᏓᏁᎢ
ᎠᎴ ᎤᏟᏅᏓ ᏫᏓᏢᏗᎢ. ᎠᎴ ᏙᎧᏃᎮᏍᎬᎢ ᎠᏁᎳ
Vietnam-era soldiers eligible for discharge upgrades
BY STAFF REPORTS
WASHINGTON
–
Vietnam-era
soldiers who faced punitive discharges
because they suffered from post-traumatic
stress are to be given consideration to
requests for discharge upgrades.
The new guidance primarily focuses
on administrative discharges for minor
misconduct, not serious court-martial
offenses that resulted in punitive bad
conduct or dishonorable discharges.
Secretary of the Army John McHugh
issued the directive to the Army Review
Boards Agency, the highest level of review
for personnel actions.
McHugh’s Nov. 3 directive was
prompted by an earlier order from former
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel that
acknowledged that thousands of soldiers
who may have been kicked out of service
because of behavior problems related to
post-traumatic stress.
Upgraded discharges for soldiers who
received a less-than-honorable discharge
could lead to the award of previously
denied benefits, such as disability pay,
separation pay and GI Bill eligibility.
The ARBA is comprised of several
boards for considering the claims of
soldiers and former soldiers who appeal
the filing of unfavorable information in
their personnel records.
PTSD was not recognized as a potential
behavior altering medical condition until
1980, which means that disability claims
and discharge upgrades based on claims
of the condition routinely were denied
by government agencies, to include the
Army review boards.
Hagel’s instruction to the services
followed by several months a federal
court class action suit filed by veterans
and the Vietnam Veterans of America
that claims the military systematically
denied discharge upgrade applications
based on claims of PTSD.
The suit estimated that about one-third
of the 250,000 other-than-honorable
discharges issued to Vietnam era veterans
may have been PTSD-related.
The Army Board for Correction of
Military Records can recommend to the
Army secretary the removal of erroneous
or unjust information in their military
records after all lower level administrative
remedies have been exhausted. It also
reviews the discharges of former soldiers
that were granted more than 15 years ago,
and those that were given as a sentence of
a general court-martial.
Soldiers, veterans and their legal
representatives can submit an appeal
online or by mail, on a DD Form 149
(Application for Correction of Military
Records).
The Army Discharge Review Board
reviews the discharges of former soldiers
who left service within the past 15 years,
except soldiers who were discharged as
a result of a general court-martial. The
board determines if a discharge was
proper and equitable.
Soldiers, veterans and their legal
representatives can request a review
online or by mail using DD Form 293
(Application for Review of a Discharge or
Dismissal from the U.S. Armed Forces)
The Army Grade Determination
Review Board makes decisions on
advancing retired enlisted soldiers and
warrant officers to the highest grade held
satisfactorily after a total of 30 years’ time
on active duty and on the retired list.
Veterans must make applications to the
board by letter.
Hagel, a former Army sergeant who
holds a Purple Heart with oak leaf
cluster for service during the Vietnam
War, directed that the military review
boards “fully and carefully consider
every petition based on PTSD brought
by each veteran” and that such reviews
will include “all materials and evidence
provided by the petitioner.”
Because Vietnam-era medical and
personnel files will not refer to PTSD as a
debilitating medical condition, McHugh
has directed that the Office of the Army
Surgeon General provide expert guidance
to the review boards on the clinical
manifestations of PTSD, and the behavior
indicators that will help the boards assess
the presence of PTSD and its effects.
Hagel also directed that when service
records or any document from a veteran’s
period of service “substantiate the
existence of one or more symptoms of
what is now recognized as PTSD or a
PTSD-related condition during the time
of service, liberal consideration will be
given to finding that PTSD existed at the
time of service,” and may have led to the
misconduct that caused the other-thanhonorable discharge.
For online applications, access http://
arba.army.pentagon.mil/.
New Jack Brown Center wins architecture award
BY STAFF REPORTS
TAHLEQUAH,
Okla.
–
The
architectural design of the Cherokee
Nation’s new Jack Brown Center campus
recently picked up a state award.
Selser Schaefer Architects of Tulsa,
which designed the center, won the Honor
Award in the small commercial category
of the Eastern Oklahoma American
Institute of Architects Design Excellence
Awards in 2014 in Tulsa. It is the highest
award possible in the category.
The Jack Brown Center is a residential
treatment center that helps Native youth
ages 13-18 overcome drug and alcohol
addiction. It’s one of only 10 centers of its
kind in the country. The new $5 million
campus officially opened in November,
after a year of construction.
Selser Schaefer Architects is a Native
American-owned firm and is a CN Tribal
Employment Rights Office vendor of 18
years. Principal Robert Schaefer said the
design concept was a farmstead style to
invoke the idea of “home.”
The 28,000-square-foot, five-building
campus is in a dairy farm-like setting. A
silo, part of the dairy farm on the original
property, was kept as part of the design.
“It’s really gratifying for us to receive
such praise on the Jack Brown Center,”
Schaefer said. “They’re doing such good
things at the center, and now they’ve got
this beautiful new facility to continue
doing those things for those kids. The
architecture is an expression of how
much the Cherokee Nation cares for its
young people.”
For more information about the center,
email jack-brown-center@cherokee.org
or call 918-453-5500.
ᎠᏂᎸᏉᏗᏍᎬᎢ ᎢᏤᎢ ᎠᏓᏁᎸᎢ, ᎠᎴ ᎾᏍᎩ ᎤᏔᏂᏓ
ᏥᎩ ᎠᎦᏘᏗᏍᏗᎢ ᎧᏅᏑᎸᎢ.
“ᏂᎦᏗᏃ ᏙᏳᎢ ᎠᏂᎸᏉᏗᎭ,” ᎠᏗᏍᎬᎢ. “ᏙᏳᎢ
ᎣᏍᏓ ᎤᏂᎩᏏᏗ ᎠᎴ ᎠᏂᏏᏴᏫᎭ ᎣᏍᏓ ᎤᏂᏰᎸᏐᎢ.”
ᏣᎳᎩᎯ ᎠᏰᎵ ᎨᎳ Rebecca Zamora ᎾᏞᎬᏫ
ᎤᏪᏙᎳ ᎠᏤᎯᏍᏗᏍᎬᎢ ᏙᏆᎴᎷ ᎦᏗ ᎥᎿᎢ ᏙᏆᎴᎷ
ᎤᏤᎵᎢ. Zamora ᎢᎧᏃᎮᏍᎬᎢ ᎩᎳ ᎢᎬᏱᎢ ᎨᏒᎢ
ᎡᏙᎲᎢ ᎥᎿ ᎢᏤᎢ ᏗᎪᏢᏒᎢ ᎠᎴ ᏗᎧᏃᏗᎢ ᎨᏒ ᎠᎴ
ᏓᏤᏢᎢ ᏏᏅ Ꮎ ᎤᏪᏘ ᏗᎪᏢᏒᎢ. ᎥᏝ ᎥᏍᎩ ᏱᎦᏁᏄᏟ
ᏱᎩ.”
SwepstonᏃ ᎢᎧᏃᎮᏍᎬᎢ ᎠᏏ ᎢᏤᎢ ᏥᎩ ᎥᎿᎾ
ᏙᏆᎴᎷ ᏗᎦᏛᏗᎢ ᏧᏂᎾᏗᏅᏗᎢ ᎾᏍᎩᏃ ᎠᏂᏍᏓᏢᏃ
ᎠᏏ ᏗᏆᏂᏲᏍᏗ ᏫᏓᏂᏅᏁᎠ ᎠᏁᎳ ᎾᏍᎩ ᎥᎿᎾ ᎢᏜ
ᏫᎦᎶᎯᏍᏗᎢ ᏫᎦᎷᎯᏍᏗᎢ ᏗᎪᏪᎵ.
ᎠᏠᏯᏍᏗᏍᎬᏃ ᎾᏍᎩ ᎾᏞᎬᏭ ᎨᏒ ᏗᎦᏃᏣᏢᏍᎩ
ᏗᎪᏪᎵ ᏂᏙᏛᏅᏔᏂᏒ ᎥᎿ ᎢᏤᎢ ᏗᎪᏢᏒᎢ.
Swepston ᎢᎧᏃᎮᏍᎬᎢ ᎾᏍᎩ ᏓᎵᏆ ᏙᏆᎴᎷ
ᏗᎦᏛᏗᎢ ᏧᏂᎾᏗᏅᏗᎢ 2000 ᏔᎵ ᎢᏯᎦᏴᎵ
ᎤᏕᏘᏴᏌᏗᏒᎢ ᏂᏛᎬᏩᏓᎴᏅᏓ ᏂᎪᏢᏐᎢ ᎥᎿᎾᎢ.
ᎤᏪᏘ ᏙᏆᎴᎷ ᏗᎦᏘ ᏧᏂᎾᏗᏅᏗᎢ ᏂᏧᎵᏍᏔᏅᎢ
ᎾᏍᎩᏃ ᏣᎳᎩᎯ ᎠᏰᎵ ᏧᏂᎵᏫᏍᏓᏁᎯ ᏚᎾᏙᏢᏩᏗᏒ
ᏧᎾᏙᏗ ᎨᏎᏍᏗ. ᎾᏞᎬᏭ ᏥᎨᏒᎢ ᎤᏂᏍᏚᎢ Catoosa
ᏙᏆᎴᎷ ᏗᎦᏛᏗᎢ ᏧᏂᎾᏗᏅᏗᎢ, ᎾᏊᏃ ᎨᏒ ᏑᏓᎵ
ᏱᎦᎢ ᏕᎪᏢᎭ ᏙᏆᎴᎷ ᏗᎦᏛᏗ ᏧᏂᎾᏗᏅᏗᎢ ᏣᎳᎩᎯ
ᎠᏰᎵ ᎢᎬᎾᏕᎾ. ᏣᎳᎩᎯ ᎠᏰᎵ ᎾᏍᏊ ᏙᏆᎴᎷ
ᏗᎦᏛᏗᎢ ᏧᏂᎾᏗᏅᏗᎢ ᏗᎤᏃᏢᎭ ᏑᎷᏂᎨᏴᎢ,
ᏙᏫᏍᎦᎶᎢ, ᏧᎾᏴᏢᏗ ᎠᎴ ᏜᏱᎪᎢ.
ᎤᏚᎩᏃ ᎬᏗ ᎡᎵᏊ ᏯᎯᏗᎠ ᏂᎦᏓ ᎠᏂᏅᏍᏓᏢᎢ
ᏧᏂᏁᏍᏗᎢ ᏧᎾᏤᎵᎢ ᏙᏆᎴᎷ ᏗᎦᏘ,” ᎠᏗᏍᎬᎢ
Swepston.
ᎾᏍᎩᏃᎾ ᏓᎵᏆ ᏙᏆᎴᎷ ᏗᎦᏛᏗᎢ ᏧᏂᎾᏗᏅᏗᎢ
ᎠᏂᏍᏚᎢᏍᎪᎢ 8:15 a.m. to 4 p.m. ᎤᎾᏙᏓᏉᏅᎢ
ᏧᎾᎩᎶᏍᏗ ᎬᏗᏍᎩ ᏔᎵᏁᏃ ᎢᎦ 6 p.m. ᏱᎪᎯᏓ
ᎠᏍᏚᎢᏐᎢ.
– TRANSLATED BY DAVID CRAWLER
FOIA officer moves
to office in Annex
Cherokee Nation citizens can send
freedom of information requests
to gwen-terrapin@cherokee.org or
drop it by Room 132 of the Annex
Building.
BY JAMI MURPHY
Reporter
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – Independent Information Officer
Gwen Terrapin is now located in Room 132 of the Annex
Building on the Tribal Complex. The office is located below
the Cherokee Phoenix offices.
Her position was created following an amendment of the
tribe’s Freedom of Information Act and is within the Attorney
General’s Office. Attorney General Todd Hembree selected
his former paralegal to serve as the liaison for Cherokee
Nation citizens seeking public records from the tribe.
Hembree is Terrapin’s supervisor, and she said she would
provide a monthly report at the Tribal Council’s Rules
Committee meeting. The Freedom of Information Act and
Government Records Act requests report will be located on
the AG website and updated monthly, she said.
In a previous Phoenix story, Hembree said the officer’s
duties will be to process and be a clearinghouse for the FOI
and GRA requests. When a request is received, the officer will
make sure it is a proper request, then forward it to the proper
department/entities for its responses and documents.
Once the information is received the officer will then send
it to the requestor.
According to the act, the officer is to be independent of
political influence; can only be terminated for cause; and
will be responsible for facilitating, gathering, tracking and
responding to FOI and GRA requests, as well as providing
monthly reports to the Tribal Council.
“The information officer will serve as a direct point
of contact for the Cherokee people to help them gather
information about tribal government. It is a first position of
its kind and will enhance transparency for all Cherokees,”
Hembree said.
Terrapin said she’s excited to serve as the Cherokee
people’s contact for information. “I look forward to helping
them gather information about their tribal government and
continuing to enhance transparency for all Cherokees.”
Citizens who wish to make a FOI request will need to fill
out a FOIA Request Form pursuant to Legislative Act 16-14
that states any CN citizen has a right to inspect or copy any
public record of a public body, she said.
“They can write, call or email and request the form or
they can go to the AG website to the FOIA/GRA link and
download the request form,” she said.
For more information, call 918-772-4165 or email gwenterrapin@cherokee.org.
Services • nnrpH
2015 Ewf #>hAmh • Kgl
February 2015 • CHEROKEE PHOENIX
15
iSave Program designed to
help citizens save money
The iSave Program helps
families reach goals such
as home ownership and
home rehabilitation.
BY TESINA JACKSON
Reporter
Teacher Lori Toney distributes snacks to 3-year-old children after their naps on Jan. 17, 2014,
in the tribe’s Stilwell (Oklahoma) Child Development Center. The Cherokee Nation Child Care
Subsidy Program recently opened a field office in Pryor to better help accommodate Native
families in the area. WILL CHAVEZ/CHEROKEE PHOENIX
CN Child Care Subsidy
Program opens Pryor office
The office will help service
more Native American
families living in the area.
BY STACIE GUTHRIE
Reporter
PRYOR, Okla. – The Cherokee Nation
Child Care Subsidy Program recently opened
a field office at 131 Cherokee Heights to better
accommodate Native families in the area by
allowing parents or legal guardians to apply for
child care assistance.
Child Care Programs Subsidy Manager
Bobbie Jo Eagleton said the field office makes it
easier on area families seeking service.
“We felt the need to open one (field office) in
Pryor to accommodate our Cherokee citizens
there and to help provide assistance for child
care,” she said. “We felt like that area was kind of
missing a place for them to go.”
Eagleton said at first the location wasn’t
receiving many applications because people did
not know about it.
“It’s starting to pick up and get busy,” she
said. “At first it was pretty slow, but people are
starting to learn of this office. It’ll start getting
busy pretty quick.”
Eagleton said there is one customer service
representative who works at the office with the
help of a day worker from the CN Tribal Day
Training Program. At the location, parents or
legal guardians can turn in applications for their
children to take part in the program.
To apply, parents or guardians must present
their children’s, or their own, Certificate
Degree of Indian Blood cards or proof of tribal
citizenship; the children’s birth certificates
or hospital records; proof of residence;
employment verification letters; and proof of
income. If a parent is in school he or she must
present an official copy of his or her current
class schedule. A participant must select a child
care center or child care home that is contracted
with CN or use a relative provider.
Children can take part in the program from
birth to 12 years old. Special needs children can
partake in the program up to 19 years old.
The Pryor office is open from 8 a.m. to 3:30
p.m. Monday through Thursday with the
exception of the first and third Wednesday
of the month when the customer service
representative travels to Bartlesville.
Other field offices are in Catoosa, Sallisaw
and Tahlequah and are open from 8 a.m. to 3:30
p.m. Monday through Thursday. There is also
an office in Stilwell that’s open the same time
and days with the exception of the second and
fourth Tuesday of the month when the customer
service representative travels to Jay.
“If you can’t come during those times then
you just need to call that office and make an
appointment,” Eagleton said.
She said the program is important because it
provides care help to those who need it most.
“I think that as long as you’re bettering
yourself, you deserve that help and that’s what
we’re here for,” she said. “We want to help parents
who are trying to do good for themselves, for
their families, help take that stress off of who’s
going to take care of their children.”
Eagleton said approximately 1,600 children
used the program in fiscal year 2014.
For more information, call 918-824-4533 or
email davina-jordan@cherokee.org.
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – To help assist
Cherokee Nation citizens with saving money
for home purchase, home rehab or businesses,
the CN offers its Individual Development
Account iSave programs, which will match
every $1 a citizen saves from $3 to $5.
After starting in 1999, CN Small Business
Assistance Center Director Shay Smith
said the iSave Program has helped families
obtain assets such as home ownership, home
rehabilitation and businesses.
After an participant’s application is
approved, he or she is assisted with opening
an account at a designated bank. Accounts
must be opened with a $30 deposit.
“Participants can utilize Arvest Bank or
Oklahoma State Bank to hold their savings
account,” Smith said.
iSave participant Laura Maddox said she
and her family have utilized the program,
which allowed her and her family to do some
“much-needed repairs.”
“My parents were able to get all new
windows installed on their home, which got
rid of all the mold around the windows,” she
said. “They were able to get new flooring
laid, which also helped with the mold. They
had the same flooring for 20 years. They
repainted, got a new front door and siding
on the front of their home. They were very
grateful for this program and it makes them
more proud of their home.”
Maddox said she has been able to use her
funds to get wood flooring in her house.
“This program is amazing for repairs
or just making home improvements or
upgrades, and the best part is you’re able to
utilize the match funds six months from the
date you open your iSave account,” she said.
Participants must save at least $100 and
the account must be open for six months to
receive matching funds, which are provided
by the Native American Housing Assistance
and Self Determination Act of 1996.
After the six months, iSave will match up
to $1,000 of the participants deposits with
$3 to $5. Participants will receive monthly
statements and will have complete control
over their accounts. CN does not have access
to the participants account and there is no
interest and the matching funds do not have
to be repaid.
iSave home purchase participants,
if a first-time homebuyer, can save for
closings costs and a down payment.
iSave home rehabilitation participants
can save for making improvements to an
existing home that the participant owns.
iSave business participants can save
for starting a business or expanding an
existing business.
To apply for the program, participants
must be a citizen of a federally recognized
tribe, provide photo identification for all adult
household members, reside with the tribe’s
14-county jurisdictional boundaries, provide
a Social Security card and be 18 years of age.
Business applicants must reside in housing
funded partially through NAHASDA, and
a participant’s total household income must
not exceed 80 percent of the national median
income as established by the U.S. Housing of
Urban Development.
Participants may be removed from
the iSave Program if false or fraudulent
application information is provided, an
excess of 50 percent of the account balance is
withdrawn, fail to attend all courses specified
for completion of program and have an
inactive status with no communication.
The iSave matching funds must be used
within 12 months after completing the
program. Match funds are paid directly to the
vendor of the participant’s choice. Accounts
remaining unused within this period will
be closed, transferred into a regular savings
accounts and will forfeit matching funds. If
the participant is not ready to make an asset
purchase, extensions may be requested.
For more information, call Robin Stand at
918-453-5701.
Grant geared to long-term
unemployed, job seekers
Except for one
component
of the grant,
participants do
not have to be
Native American
to take part.
BY WILL CHAVEZ
Senior Reporter
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. –
The Cherokee Nation’s Career
Services is administering
a two-year Job Driven
National Emergency Grant
to assist people in becoming
self-sufficient
through
unsubsidized employment.
Unsubsidized employment
is work with earnings provided
by an employer who does
not receive a subsidy for the
creation and maintenance of
the employment position.
Except for one component
of the $3.7 million grant,
participants do not have to be
Native American to take part.
The grant covers the tribe’s
14-county jurisdiction and all
of Tulsa County.
The CN received the
grant in 2014 and was the
only
government
entity
in Oklahoma to get it, as
well as the only tribe in the
United States to receive it,
CN Vocational Rehabilitation
Program Director Brenda
Fitzgerald said.
She said the grant is
being used to fund four
components. One is called
“Career Pathways,” which is to
serve long-term unemployed
workers who have been
unemployed an aggregate or
total of 27 weeks in 2007-09,
during the country’s recession.
“They would have had to
lost their job, through no
fault of their own, through a
plant closing or downsizing or
the elimination of their job,”
Fitzgerald said.
Participants are also able
to combine adult education,
occupational skills training
and support from CN Career
Services to get back into the
workforce.
Another component calls
for the Career Services staff to
work with area employers to
negotiate on-the-job training
contracts. Individuals who
possess certain skills will be
matched with area employers
interested in adding workers.
For
example,
Career
Services works with Cherokee
Nation Industries in Stilwell to
train team assemblers through
a small on-the-job training
program that Career Services
administers.
A third component calls
for Career Services to work
with state career technology
centers to develop customized
training. For example, career
technology
centers
can
develop a short training course
for cashiers and tellers.
This training can be
combined with a short onthe-job training assignment,
which may lead directly to
employment.
The fourth component
includes developing a contract
with the Iron Workers Union
to provide fast-track entry
into registered apprenticeships
for welding. The union has a
special fast-track program for
Native Americans that gives
graduates the opportunity
to join the local union
apprenticeship with direct
entry and receive credit for
one-year’s apprenticeship for
the time they attend training.
Graduates will then only
be required to go to class
three years, and class time is
generally one month each year
with the rest being on-the-job
training.
“All four of these are
driven by what the employer/
businesses want, thus, job
driven,” Fitzgerald said.
People may visit Career
Services offices in Tahlequah,
Claremore, Jay, Pryor, Sallisaw,
Stilwell, Tulsa and Vinita to
access the program.
The main headquarters
for the program are in Tulsa,
Tahlequah and Pryor.
Phone numbers for Career Services offices
Claremore: 918-342-7450
Sallisaw: 918-776-0416
Tulsa: 918-574-2749
Jay: 918-253-3243
Pryor: 918-825-7988
Stilwell: 918-696-3124 Tahlequah: 918-453-5555
Vinita: 918-256-4576
cherokeephoenix.org
16
CHEROKEE PHOENIX • February 2015
People • xW
Ewf #>hAmh • Kgl 2015
Student contracts with CN after learning Cherokee language
in the language and took all of the
online language classes about three
times each.
“I guess I knew I had Cherokee
CHICAGO – It was while attending
a powwow in Chicago when he was ancestry and it wasn’t enough to say
10 that sparked Patrick Rochford’s that,” he said. “I really got interested
interest in learning the Cherokee in it and when I started Ed’s classes.
culture and language. After learning I didn’t have the idea of becoming
the Cherokee language through the fluent. I just wanted to learn a few
Cherokee Nation’s online language words. I figured it would be fun. After
courses, Rochford, now 22 and I got more into his classes I decided I
a student at DePaul University, want to become fluent one day or as
contracts with the CN Translation close to it as I could become.”
Rochford said he enjoyed the way
Department.
“I would say I really started when Fields taught the classes because he
I was 14 and I enrolled for the included the Cherokee culture.
“That’s really important for me
online classes with Ed Fields (CN
Cultural Resource Center language when I’m learning about something,
instructor). But before that my dad is to have a sense of culture as well as
had bought me a Cherokee language language,” he said.
From 2010-12, Rochford attended
book when I was 10, so I started
playing around with the words. But I Northeastern State University where
didn’t get serious about it until I was he was a Center for Tribal Studies
student worker, and in 2010, he and
probably 14,” Rochford said.
The book his father bought him was other NSU students helped teach
a beginning Cherokee language book. an after-school Cherokee language
“I didn’t really know what I was and culture program at Grandview
reading at the time because I didn’t Public Schools in Tahlequah.
“That was always fun because we
know how to pronounce the different
got to work
Cherokee
with the kids
sounds, but
doing
the
I still tried,”
Language
Rochford said.
I didn’t have the idea
Bowl,” he said.
“That’s where
of becoming fluent. I
“So to see
I started my
them pick up
love of the
just wanted to learn a
words,
that
language.
few words.
made it worth
When I went
to Ed’s classes,
– Patrick Rochford, it.”
A b o u t
I really went
DePaul University student three
years
back and was
ago, he did an
like ‘oh, I know
interview on
how to say this
the tribe’s Cherokee Voices, Cherokee
now’ and that’s how I started.”
Rochford said the reason he took Sounds radio show with host Dennis
the classes was just to learn a few Sixkiller. Rochford still listens to the
words and more about the Cherokee show to help his learning.
“Some of the speakers have a really
culture. He said he knew he had
Cherokee ancestry but he felt that fast rhythm in the way they speak,
but now I’ve gotten used to it,” he
having ancestry wasn’t enough.
He quickly immersed himself said. “It helps for me to listen to the
BY TESINA JACKSON
Reporter
radio show. I listen to the interviews
any time that I can because living in
Illinois I don’t have anyone to speak
with on a daily basis. So that really
helps just listening. It gets me used to
hearing it.”
In 2011, Rochford interned with
the CN Language Technology group
where he first started working with
the translators.
“We would put together many
dialogues and record them,” he said.
“So it gave me a lot of practice with
the language.”
Today, Rochford majors in
international studies with a focus
on indigeneity and language
revitalization and minors in Italian.
And, because of his fluency in the
Cherokee language, has been a
contract employee with the tribe’s
Translation
Department
since
February 2013.
“Roy Boney, who is the head of the
translation department, he contacted
me and asked me if I would be
interested,” Rochford said. “I said ‘of
course’ because I love working with
the language. That’s my passion.”
Rochford translates Facebook,
Gmail and Microsoft software
updates.
“This is neat because there are not
a lot of indigenous languages that are
being made to use on the computer
and being updated,” he said.
Boney said Rochford worked
closely with the Cherokee speakers
in the Cherokee Language Program
and others in the community to
learn Cherokee.
“He is recognized among
our community as one of the
best second-language Cherokee
learners,”
Boney
said.
“He
collaborates very closely with our
speakers in working on translations
related to modern technology,
which contain a lot of terminology
some of the elder generation may
not be familiar with. It has been
Patrick Rochford stands next to the Sequoyah statue at Northeastern
State University in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. Sequoyah created the
Cherokee syllabary, making reading and writing in Cherokee possible.
Rochford started learning the Cherokee language when he was 14.
Now at age 22, he contracts with the Cherokee Nation Translation
Department. COURTESY
a very beneficial collaboration.
Beyond that, Patrick is living proof
that learning Cherokee is possible
with dedication and hard work.”
Boney said Rochford scored
master level on the Cherokee
Language Program’s proficiency and
certification tests.
Because of the hard work and
studying he’s put in to learning
Cherokee, Rochford said it all has
been worth it because of what he’s
accomplished with it.
“I love what I do, and I love that
I can still contribute to helping
out with the work that needs to
be done with the language even
though I’m going to school up here
currently. It’s worth it when you can
understand a joke in Cherokee,” he
said. “I think that’s when it’s like
‘yes, I love this language’ because
now I can laugh and understand
what’s being joked about. I think
it’s rewarding and I’m thankful to
the countless Cherokee speakers
that have helped me in my learning
process over the years. I wouldn’t
be where I am in my learning of the
language without their continued
encouragement and support.”
CN citizen settles into
coaching at Bacone
Assistant track and cross
country coach Clay Mayes
III began coaching at
Bacone College in April.
Cherokee Nation Youth Ambassador Ashlee Fox stands next to the Cherokee Nation flag
at the Capital Hilton in Washington, D.C., where she attended the 2014 White House
Tribal Nations Conference. COURTESY
CN Youth Ambassador
visits Washington, D.C.
Ashlee Fox is one of 36
youth ambassadors at the
conference.
President Barack Obama’s administration
and the National Congress of American
Indians hosted the conference. While there
Fox toured the White House and met with
first lady Michelle Obama’s chief of staff. She
watched a memorandum of understanding
BY STAFF REPORTS
agreement between Indian Health Service and
N7, Nike’s Native American brand.
WASHINGTON – Bartlesville High School
Fox also met other Cabinet-level officials
senior Ashlee Fox spent Dec. 3 missing her
and
attended breakout sessions on the
calculus class to meet with Vice President Joe
Violence
Against Women Act, tribal health
Biden in Washington, D.C., and sit in with
care, education and the Affordable Care Act.
tribal chiefs from across the country.
“Ashlee is a wonderful example of a Cherokee
After being nominated by Principal
citizen
who is committed to improving her
Chief Bill John Baker, the 17-year-old tribal
local
community
and the larger world. I find
citizen
represented
that impressive at any
the Cherokee Nation
age, but especially when
during the first week of
I meet and work with a
This
conference
is
a
great
December as a youth
high school student who
ambassador for the
opportunity since all
is so dedicated,” Baker
sixth annual White
Native American youth said. “She is concerned
House Tribal Nations
with the future of Indian
Conference.
should
have
a
voice
in
Country, and I know she
She was chosen
will continue to be an
to serve as one of 36
the decision-making
agent of positive change
youth ambassadors at
that
goes
on
within
the
for Native people.”
the conference, which
Fox is a Cherokee
aims to strengthen the
federal government.
Nation Tribal Youth
relationship
between
– Ashlee Fox, Councilor, a student
the U.S. government
Cherokee
Nation
citizen representative for the
and the 566 federally
Joh ns on - O’Ma l l e y
recognized tribes.
Program, a member
“This conference is a
great opportunity since all Native American of American Indian Student Association
youth should have a voice in the decision- and attends the Squirrel Ridge ceremonial
making that goes on within the federal grounds. She also completed an internship
government,” Fox said. “I’m greatly honored under CN Secretary of State Chuck Hoskin
to have been nominated by Chief Baker for Jr. this past summer. The conference was Fox’s
first trip to Washington, D.C.
this experience.”
running, it wasn’t the only thing that helped.
“I would say that a lot of my insight from
coaching has came from my failures,” he said.
Mayes’ running career started to pick
up while he was attending Sequoyah High
School-Claremore.
“As a freshmen I was picked to win state. I
did not win state until my high school senior
BY STACIE GUTHRIE
year,” he said. “It was a lot of trial and error
Reporter
because I was really self-coached for the most
part. I learned a lot from actually failing and
MUSKOGEE, Okla. –
being resilient to not give up.”
Cherokee Nation citizen
In high school, Mayes won state in the
Clay Mayes III has spent
2-mile run with a time of 9 minutes, 43.05
a majority of his life
seconds and finished sixth in the 5,000-meter
running and competing
run with a time of 15:11.97 at the Nike
in running competitions.
Outdoor Championships, earning an AllNow, at age of 27, Mayes
American spot.
serves as Bacone College’s
In college, he scored for OSU at the Big 12
assistant track and cross
Clay Mayes III
Championships when he had a time of 31:22.58
country coach.
in the 10,000 meters and finished eighth.
He started coaching at
Mayes was part of the OSU team that won
Bacone in April after buying into Bacone
College President Frank Willis’ goal for a cross the fall 2009 NCAA men’s cross country
championship. While at OSU he also finished
country team.
“Honestly, the reason I’m here is because third in the NCAA men’s cross country in
2007. While attending
I truly believe in the
OU, Mayes was a
president’s statement of
member of the 2010
helping me support a
Honestly, the reason I’m group that won the Big
solid running program,”
12 Indoor Conference
Mayes said. “He said,
here is because I truly
Championships.
‘Clay, we’re historically
believe in the president’s Now coaching at
a Native American
school with Native
college, yet we don’t fill
statement of helping me aAmerican
roots, Mayes
the full cross country
support a solid running said he’s glad he has his
team. I want to change
Cherokee ancestry.
that.’ Seeing his views
program.
“Honestly, being a
coincide with mine, it
– Clay Mayes III, Cherokee citizen has
interested me.”
Mayes’ duties are not
Bacone College assistant track been pretty awesome.
pretty cool how
only to help train athletes
and cross country coach It’s
tightknit the community
but also to scout them.
is,” he said. “The thing
“We signed one of the
top three Native Americans in the state, and we’re with Cherokee Nation is they do an awesome
looking to sign one of the other top three as well job of actually giving back to the community.
in the coming month or two,” Mayes said. “At this That was the easiest tribe to deal with when
moment we have three Native Americans on the trying to help my kids get a degree and make it
financially suiting because they’re going to be
team and we’re looking to get 15.”
Mayes said he learned a lot about runners and more likely to be not stressed out if they’re able
their training backgrounds while running for to get the right finances for college.”
Mayes said although he is fairly new to
Oklahoma State University and the University
of Oklahoma. He said although this helped Bacone he looks forward to a bright future for
him learn more about the coaching aspect of the running program.
People • xW
2015 Ewf #>hAmh • Kgl
February 2015 • CHEROKEE PHOENIX
17
Cherokee teen invited to medical conference
BY STACIE GUTHRIE
Reporter
SALLISAW, Okla. – Cherokee
Nation citizen and Sallisaw High
School sophomore Raven Broussard
recently received notice that she’s
been nominated to attend the
Congress of Future Medical Leaders
Conference in Boston.
The conference is a three-day event
set for June 24-26. It is designed for
honors-only high school students
interested in going into medical
research fields or becoming a physician.
While attending, Broussard will
have the chance to meet and hear
National Medal of Science winners
and Nobel Laureates talk about
leading medical research and have
the opportunity to speak with top
medical schools deans about what to
expect at medical school.
Broussard said she was excited when
she first received her invitation letter.
“I was super, super excited about
it,” she said. “I went to my (high
school) counselor and I talked to her
and she said, ‘Oh, that sounds like a
great opportunity, let me see what
I can do.’ So, she contacted them. I
didn’t really expect for it to come in,
and it did, and I was super excited.”
Broussard, who carries a 4.0 grade
point average and is taking advanced
classes, said she’s had an interest in
the medical field since a young age.
“I originally wanted to be a
neurologist or cardiologist and
that was my main thing, was to be
a surgeon, but some things have
happened, and I’ve decided that I
want a less stressful kind of job, and
so I’ll be a pediatrician,” she said.
Broussard said attending the
conference would give her an
opportunity to learn more about
ᏌᎷᏂᎨᏴ, ᎣᎦᎵᎰᎹ.-- ᏣᎳᎩ ᎤᏍᏗᏊ ᎠᎨᏳᏣ ᏥᎨᏎᎢ.
ᎠᏰᎵ ᎨᎳ ᎠᎴ ᏌᎷᏂᎨᏴ ᎦᎸᎳᏗ
“ᎢᎬᏱ ᏣᏆᏚᎵᏍᎬ ᎠᏆᏕᎶᏆᏍᏗ
ᏧᎾᏕᎶᏆᏍᏗ ᏍᎪᎯᏁ ᏗᎦᏂᏙᎯ ᏧᏔᏂ ᏧᏩᏚᏂ ᏂᏕᎦᎵᏍᏗᏍᎬ ᎠᏴᏫ
Raven Broussard ᎾᏞᎬ ᎤᏁᏒ ᎠᎴ ᏗᏓᏅᏙ, ᏗᎦᏓᏰᏠᎯ ᏯᏆᎵᏍᏙᏗ
ᎧᏃᎮᏍᎩ
ᎾᏍᎩ
ᎠᎨᏑᏰᏒ ᎠᏆᏚᎵᏍᎬ,
ᎠᏎᏃ
ᎪᎱᏍᏗ
ᎤᏪᏓᏍᏗ Ꮎ ᏗᏂᎳᏫᎦ ᏫᏗᎦᏛ ᎤᎵᏍᏔᏅ, ᎠᎴ ᎦᏲᏟᎨ ᎠᏓᏅᏖᎸᏓ
ᏅᏬᏘ ᏗᎾᏓᏘᏂᏙᎯ ᏓᎾᏠᏍᎬ ᎾᎿ ᎠᏆᏚᎸᎲ ᏗᎩᎸᏫᏍᏓᏁᏗᎢ, ᎾᏍᎩᏃ
BostonᎢ.
ᎢᏳᏍᏗ ᎯᎠ ᎠᏆᏑᏰᏒ ᎦᎾᏝᎢ
ᎯᎠ ᏓᎾᏠᏍᎬ ᎾᎿ ᏦᎢ ᎢᎦ ᎢᎪᎯᏓ ᎠᎦᎾᎦᏘ,” ᎠᏗᏍᎬᎢ.
ᏕᎭᎷᏱ ᏔᎵᏍᎪ ᏅᎩᏁ ᎠᎴ
Broussard
ᎠᏗᏍᎬ
ᎾᎿ
ᏔᎵᏍᎪ ᏑᏓᎵᏁ ᎢᎪᎯᏓ. ᎠᏑᏱᏓ ᎡᏙᎲ
ᎠᏂᏃᎮᏢᏍᎬ
ᏳᏍᏕᎳ
ᎯᎠ ᎾᏍᎩ ᏗᎵᎮᎵᏍᏙᏗ ᎦᎸᎳᏗ ᎤᏕᎶᏆᏍᏗ ᎤᎪᏛ ᏅᏬᏘ, ᎾᏍᎩ
ᏗᏂᏂᏙ ᏗᎾᏕᎶᏆᏍᎩ ᎤᎾᏚᎵᏍᎩ Ꮭ ᏱᎬᏩᏝᏅᏓᏗᏒ ᎤᏣᏘᏂ. ᎤᏛᏅ
ᎾᏍᎩ
ᎢᏳᏍᏗ
ᎦᎵᎡᎵᎦ ᎣᎦᎵᎰᎹ
Ꮷ Ꮎ Ꮥ Ꮆ ᏆᏍ Ꮧ Ꭲ
ᏂᏛᏆᏂᎩᏓ ᎨᏙᎲᎢ.
Ꭰ Ꮒ Ꭶ Ꮎ Ꭶ Ꮨ
“ᏝᏙ ᎠᏉᏌ ᎾᏍᎩ
ᎢᏯᎾᎵᏍᏗᏍᎩ.
ᎢᎦ ᎠᏆᏎᏍᏔᏅᏅ
ᎾᎿ ᏓᏕᎶᏆᏍᎬ,
ᎠᏆᏅᏔᏂ ᏱᎨᏙᎮ,
Broussard
ᎡᎵᏊ
ᎾᏍᎩᏍᎩᏂ ᎠᏋᏌᏊ
ᏗᎪᎵᎦ
ᎠᎴ
ᎢᏳᏍᏗ
ᎨᏒ,”
ᏗᎬᏩᏛᎪᏗ ᎬᎾᏕᎾ
ᎠᏗᏍᎬ.
“ᏂᎬᎾᏛ
Medal of Science
ᎠᎹᏱᏟ.,
ᎠᎴ
ᎤᎾᏓᏠᏒ
ᎠᎴ
ᎠᏯ ᎾᎿ ᎠᏂᎦᏲᏟ
Nobel
Laureates
ᎾᎿ
ᎣᎦᎵᎰᎹ
Ꭰ Ꮒ Ꮓ Ꭾ Ꮝ Ꭺ
ᏂᎦᏥᏯᏛᏁᎯ.”
– Raven Broussard,
ᎢᎬᏱ
ᎠᏂᏙᎾᎢ
ᏄᏓᎴ ᎨᏒ ᎾᏃ
ᎠᎾᏕᎶᏆᏍᎩ
ᎠᎴ
ᎨᏒ
Sallisaw High ᎤᎵᏍᎨᏓ
Ꭴ Ꮎ Ꮭ Ꮕ Ꮣ Ꮆ Ꮂ
ᏅᏬᏘ, Broussard
School sophomore ᎤᎦᎵᏍᏗ ᎤᏓᏅᏙ
Ꮷ Ꮎ Ꮯ Ꮓ Ꭾ Ꮩ Ꮧ
ᎦᎸᎳᏗ
ᏄᏬᏘ
ᎾᎿ ᎦᎸᎳᏗ ᏗᏂᏂᏙ
ᏧᎾᏕᎶᏆᏍᏗ ᏄᏂᎬᏩᏳᏒ ᎤᎾᏅᏗ ᎤᏂᎯ ᎢᏳᎾᏛᏗ.
ᎢᏳᎵᏍᏔᏂᏓᏍᏗ
ᏅᏬᏘ
“ᎠᎩᎸᏉᏗ
ᎠᏆᏛᏁᎸᏗᎢ.
ᏧᎾᏕᎶᏆᏍᏗᎢ.
ᎾᏍᎩᎾ
ᎠᎩᎸᏉᏓ,”
ᎠᏗᏍᎬ.
Broussard ᎠᏗᏍᎬ ᎤᎦᎵᏍᏗ “ᎠᎩᎸᏉᏗ
ᏗᏆᏟᎶᏍᏔᏅᎲᏍᏗ
ᎤᏓᏅᏛ ᎢᎬᏱ ᎤᏁᏌ ᎪᏪᎵ ᎠᎴ
ᎠᏉᏢᏅᏗ.
ᏥᏑᏫᏒᏍᎪ
ᎤᏯᏂᏍᎩ.
ᎤᎪᏓ.”
I didn’t really
expect for it to
come in, and it
did, and I was
super excited.
Cherokee Nation citizen and Sallisaw High School sophomore
Raven Broussard holds her invitation to attend the Congress of
Future Medical Leaders Conference set on June 24-26 in Boston. The
conference is designed for honors-only high school students who
have an interest in going into medical research fields or becoming a
physician. STACIE GUTHRIE/CHEROKEE PHOENIX
medical-related fields, something
she would not normally have the
chance to do. She added that she’s
proud to represent Oklahoma at the
conference.
“Not only am I distinguished among
my fellow students, but I’m going to
be a minority,” she said. “It’s all over
the U.S., and I’m one of the few that’s
going to be representing Oklahoma.”
Aside from having an interest in
the medical field, Broussard enjoys
preforming with her high school
drama class.
“I love to act. That’s my thing,” she
said. “I’m really artsy and kind of
creative. I paint things a lot.”
Broussard’s mother and fellow CN
citizen, Stephanie, said she is proud
of her daughter for wanting to help
others by striving for a career in the
medical field.
“I was really proud of her because
it’s something that she has always
wanted,” Stephanie said. “My hope is
that she’ll do her goals and come back
and work for the Nation and kind of
help our citizens. Maybe some other
young Cherokee Nation girl and boys
will see what she’s doing and want to
kind of follow her footsteps.”
“ᎢᎦ
ᎦᎵᎡᎵᎬ,”
ᎠᏗᏍᎬ.
“ᎠᏇᏅᏒ ᎾᎿ ᏓᏆᏕᎶᏆᎥ (ᎦᎸᎳᏗ
ᏧᎾᏕᎶᏆᏍᏗ) ᎠᏓᎵᏃᎮᏗᏍᎩ ᎠᎴ
ᏥᎵᏃᎮᏔᏅ ᎠᎴ ᎯᎠ ᏄᏪᏒ,
‘Ꭳ, ᎣᏍᏓ ᏣᏝᏅᏓᏕ ᎡᎵᏍᏗ,
ᏥᎪᎵᏯ ᎢᎬᏩᏛᏗ ᎨᏒᎢ.’ ᎾᏍᎩᏃ
ᏚᏟᏃᎮᏔᏅ. ᏝᏃ ᏙᎤᏚᎩ ᏯᏋᏎ
ᎤᎷᎯᏍᏗ, ᎠᏎᏃ ᎤᎷᏨ, ᎢᎦ
ᎠᏩᎵᎮᎵᏨ.”
Broussard, ᎾᏍᎩ ᏚᎾᎢ 4.0
grade average ᏚᎾᎢ ᏄᏛᏁᎸ
ᏓᏕᎶᏆᏍᎬ
ᎠᎴ
ᏃᏊ
ᏥᎩ
ᏓᏕᎶᏆᎠ ᎦᎸᎳᏗᏝ ᏧᏂᏂᏓᏍᏗ
ᏓᏕᎶᏆᏍᏗ,
ᎠᏗᏍᎬ
ᎾᏍᎩ
ᏅᏬᏘ
ᎤᎬᏩᏟ
ᎤᏚᎵᏍᎬ
ᏧᏕᎶᏆᏍᏗ ᎤᎴᏅᎮ ᎠᏓᏅᏖᏍᎨ
Broussard’s ᎤᏥ ᎠᎴ ᎠᏐᎢ
ᏣᎳᎩ ᎠᏰᎵ ᎨᎳ, Stephanie,
ᎠᏗᏍᎬ ᎠᎵᎮᎵᎪ ᎤᏪᏣ ᎠᎨᏯ
ᎤᏚᎵᏍᎬ
ᎠᏂᎬᏐᎢ
ᏧᏍᏕᎸᏗᎢ
ᎤᏚᎵᏍᎬ ᎤᎪᏛ ᏅᏬᏘ ᎤᎬᏩᏟ
ᎤᎪᏛ ᎤᏕᎶᏆᏍᏗᎢ.
“ᎢᎦ
ᏥᎵᎡᎵᎬ
ᏅᏗᎦᎵᏍᏙᏗ
ᎾᏍᎩ ᎢᎦ ᎤᏚᎵᏍᎬ ᎢᏳᏛᏗᎢ,
ᎠᏗᏍᎬ Stephanie. “ᎤᏚᎩ ᎾᏍᎩ
ᏂᏛᏛᏁᎵᏒ ᎠᎴ ᎤᎷᎯᏍᏗ ᎠᎴ
ᏧᎸᏫᏍᏓᏁᏗ ᏣᎳᎩ ᎠᏰᎵ ᏧᏍᏕᎸᏗ
ᏣᎳᎩ ᎠᏁᎳ.
ᏱᏅᎦᎵᏍᏗ ᎩᎶ ᏐᎢ ᎠᎨᏳᏣ
ᏣᎳᎩ ᎠᏰᎵ ᎨᎳ ᎠᎴ ᎠᏧᏣ
ᏯᏂᎪᏩᏘ ᎠᎴ ᏳᎾᏚᎵ ᎾᏛᏁᎲ
ᎤᏠᏯ ᎢᏳᎾᏛᏗᎢ.”
Blevins earns gold at world
martial arts competition
BY STAFF REPORTS
Cherokee Nation citizen Elizabeth Burns, center, listens during a March 2014 panel
discussion that was aired across the nation. William Lucero (Lummi Nation), Keith
Martinez (Oglala Lakota Sioux), Danielle Finn, right, (Standing Rock Sioux), and, not
seen on the left, Lauren McLester-Davis (Oneida Tribe of Wisconsin) also took part in the
discussion as “Champions of Change.” COURTESY
‘Champion for Change’ works
to improve Native youths’ lives
Elizabeth Burns has
traveled the country
sharing her platform of the
importance of education
for Native youth.
BY WILL CHAVEZ
Senior Reporter
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – Cherokee Nation
citizen Elizabeth Burns is using her status
as a “Champion for Change’ to stress the
importance of education for Native youth.
A freshman student at Northeastern State
University in Tahlequah studying computer
science, she was for the “Champions for
Change” initiative in March and is serving
a two-year term. According to the Center
for Native American Youth at the Aspen
Institute, which oversees the initiative,
youth champions such as Burns are “creating
positive change for their peers and tribal or
urban Indian communities.”
The CNAY is dedicated to bringing greater
national attention to the issues facing Native
youth through communication, policy
development and advocacy with special
emphasis on youth suicide prevention. To
shine a spotlight on inspirational stories and
promote hope in Indian Country, the CNAY
launched the “Champions for Change”
initiative in 2012.
Through the initiative, Burns, 18, of
Claremore, has traveled the country sharing
her platform of the importance of education
for Native youth and will travel to conferences
and meetings in 2015 to continue her mission.
“They select champions to go to multiple
places in the country to be advocate for youth
and to present at conferences,” she said.
All five of the 2014 champions traveled to
Washington to take part in the White House
Tribal Nations Conference on Dec. 2-3.
“We went to different workshops. We just
went to listen to get a feel for what’s going on
so we can get a better idea of what we need to
be doing in our communities,” she said.
Burns also spoke before the National
Congress of American Indians to introduce
herself and talk about what she has been
doing in Cherokee communities. She also
spoke directly to members of President
Obama’s Cabinet.
“I was at a roundtable discussion with
members of the White House and different
departments for the federal government, and
it was just myself and all the leaders and my
sponsors from the Center of Native American
Youth. I was discussing how if we added Native
American history to courses in school some
of the issues we have...like the mascot issue,
would be less likely to occur,” she said.
She also advocated for a safe classrooms for
Native students because some teachers use
racial slurs when discussing Native American
topics to discourage Native students.
Fortunately, she said the faculty at NSU is
more aware of Native American history and
there are numerous courses students can take
at the college that allows them to learn more
about the Cherokee Nation and other tribes
living in the state.
“For a lot of my colleagues in the ‘Champions
for Change’ program, most of their schools
don’t offer that (Native American courses),”
she said. “So, I want to say I’m very fortunate
to be going to Northeastern State and living in
this area.”
She said after college she’s considering
joining the Air Force and furthering her study
of computer programming before running for
tribal office later in life.
Burns is the past president of the Cherokee
Nation Tribal Youth Council. Wishing to
become more involved with the CN, she has
also competed for Junior Miss Cherokee and
Miss Cherokee and was one of 12 CN youth
who rode in the Remember the Removal
bicycle ride this past summer to retrace the
northern route of the Trail of Tears.
She said she strives to learn more about her
Cherokee heritage because she did not grow
up with it.
“It (bike ride) honestly was one of the
most life-changing experiences I’ve ever gone
through. It gave me more confidence because
I always felt like I wasn’t near as tied to my
heritage as the other champions, but the bike
ride solidified that I was tied to my heritage
more so than I thought before and it even
made it grow,” she said. “I wanted to learn
more about the Cherokee tribe, and I feel a
responsibility to make more of an impact in
the tribe or to do as much as I can.”
For more information about the
“Champions for Change” initiative, visit www.
cnay.org or email cnayinfo@aspeninstitute.org
or call 202-736-2905.
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – Cherokee Nation
citizen Wade Blevins won gold in China at
the International World Traditional Wushu
Championships in Chizhou City, China,
which was held Oct. 23-29.
The 41-year-old from Tahlequah won
a gold medal in the barehanded division.
Blevins qualified for the United States team
in February in Washington, D.C., and joined
more than 3,000 top martial artists from
around the world in China.
Blevins was one of 30 to make the United
States Wushu-Kung Fu Federation team
in February. Wushu is an ancient martial
art created for self-defense and physical
conditioning. He is thought to be the
only Native American competitor at the
international tournament.
“To qualify for the team you only had to
score an 8.5 or above. I qualified in the bare
hands event and the weapons event,” he
said. “To win the gold medal feels absolutely
incredible. It’s one of the achievements I’m
most proud of in my life. All the years of hard
work and training in the gym, all the sacrifices
I’ve made and eating better have paid off. I feel
like I won this gold for my martial arts school,
my family, my community and my tribe.”
Blevins also earned a bronze medal in the
weapons category during the championship held
Oct. 26. He was scored on his balance, speed,
technique and form by international judges.
He started learning marital arts when
he was 12 years old. He said when he was a
child his mom “loved Bruce Lee,” the Chinese
martial arts expert who changed martial arts
before his death in 1973. He said he and his
mom would watch Bruce Lee movies together.
Cherokee martial artist Wade Blevins poses
with a three-section staff and the gold
and bronze medals he won in October at
the International World Traditional Wushu
Championships in Chizhou City, China.
COURTESY
“That’s what really got me started. Living in
Jay, (Oklahoma) I wanted to do gymnastics,
but of course there was no place in Jay,
America, that taught gymnastics. There was a
martial arts class in Grove, and my mom said,
‘why don’t you do that? You like martial arts,’”
he said. “My mom really encouraged me, and I
started, and I’ve really enjoyed it.”
Today, he has a black belt in Koreanstyle martial arts called Hwarangdo and has
experience in Aikido, a Japanese style, and Tai
Chi, a Chinese style.
“My main focus is on Chinese styles, which
is chang-quan, Shaolin fists and wing chun.
Weapons has been staff, broad sword, threesection staff, straight sword, nine-section whip
and spear,” he said.
Blevins works for the Nation’s Johnson-O’
Malley Program that helps provide resources
to Native students in public schools.
18
CHEROKEE PHOENIX • February 2015
Culture • i=nrplcsd
Ewf #>hAmh • Kgl 2015
Echota Ceremonial Ground has long history in area
A benefit stomp
dance will be held for
the ground on Feb.
7 at the Tahlequah
Community
Building.
summer with the first dance in April.
For more information about
the benefit stomp dance, call
Comingdeer at 918-822-2302.
BY WILL CHAVEZ
Senior Reporter
PARK HILL, Okla. – The Echota
Ceremonial Ground operates with
the assistance of the Cherokee
Nation and with the assistance of
its members and other ceremonial
grounds in the area.
The ceremonial ground is on CN
land near the Cherokee Heritage
Center. It moved to Park Hill in 2001
from Adair County.
“It (land) was provided by the
(Tribal) Council for the relocation of
our fire. We were losing the property
where we were at, but before we did
we started looking for a new home,
and the Council offered several
pieces of property and we chose that
one for our use,” Echota Ceremonial
Ground leader David Comingdeer
said. “Since then we’ve had a healthy
land-use agreement with the Tribal
Council and our chiefs.”
The Echota Ceremonial Ground’s
history is older than the state’s,
Comingdeer said. It began near the
Peavine Community in Adair County
and later moved to Coon Mountain,
also in Adair County. There the
ground struggled as its leadership
aged or became ill until the ground
was turned over to Comingdeer, who
was serving as second chief, in 2002.
“It’s a struggle to keep the ground
going, but it’s very rewarding at the
same time,” he said.
A benefit stomp dance will be
held for the Echota Ceremonial
Ground from 7 p.m. to midnight on
Feb. 7 at the Tahlequah Community
Building located at 908 S. College
Ave. Members from all ceremonial
grounds are welcome for fellowship
and fundraising for improvements
to the ground. The emcee will be
Opv Mack.
Raffles, cake walks, an auction
and drawings for grocery baskets
will be a part of the fundraiser. Also,
a concession stand will be available
for guests.
Comingdeer
said
some
maintenance needs to be done to the
ceremonial ground and he wants to
The Echota Ceremonial Ground in Park Hill, Oklahoma, has a history
older than the state. A benefit stomp dance will be held for the ground
on Feb. 7 at the Tahlequah Community Building. Members from all
ceremonial grounds are welcome to come and fellowship and raise
funding for improvements to ground. WILL CHAVEZ/CHEROKEE PHOENIX
We are a Cherokee community, and we
embody the Cherokee ceremonial culture.
– David Comingdeer,
Echota Ceremonial Ground leader
update the restrooms available to
members and guests.
“There are so many people who
come out there. We have primitive
restrooms, and we just want to
improve things a little bit for our
visitors and make it more comfortable
when they come,” he said.
Comingdeer said he’s proud that
the Echota Ceremonial Ground
is still a member of the “Four
Mothers’ Society.” He said it is the
only Cherokee ground that is still a
member of the more than 100-yearold society.
The society began because
Cherokee ceremonial people, along
with Muscogee (Creek) ceremonial
people, opposed the allotment of
the tribal lands during the Dawes
Commission allotment period in
the late 1800s and early 1900s. The
people feared it would open up
“surplus lands” to white settlement,
which did occur.
He said several Muscogee (Creek)
ceremonial grounds are still part of
the “Four Mothers’ Society.” At the
ceremonial grounds stomp dances,
stickball games, meetings and
ceremonies are held.
“My ancestors from that ground
(Echota) and the other core
families from that ground, allied
with the Creeks,” he said. “To this
day, when they have meetings in
the Creek Nation, I get invited to
meet with the Creek ceremonial
chiefs to discuss different issues.
The Creeks still acknowledge us as
part of the alliance.”
Comingdeer said he expects
to receive support at the benefit
stomp dance from Muscogee
(Creek)
ceremonial
grounds
and local Cherokee groups. He
said members of the Echota
Ceremonial Ground also support
the Muscogee (Creek) grounds
with their fundraisers and events.
“We are a Cherokee community,
and we embody the Cherokee
ceremonial culture. We work hard
to perpetuate, nor preserve, our
ceremonial values and ceremonial
ways the way they were passed
down to us,” he said. “That’s what
makes us a tribe. It’s not enterprises
or businesses or whatnot. You can
take all that away as long as we still
have our ceremonial ground and our
language and our ceremonial beliefs,
we’re still a tribe. That’s what gives
us our federal recognition...so it’s
important that we uphold that.”
Members
of
the
Echota
Ceremonial Ground have five dance
meetings during the spring and
Tehee chosen for innovative
international workshop
BY WILL CHAVEZ
Senior Reporter
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – Cherokee Heritage
Center Executive Director Candessa Tehee
has been chosen to take part in a May
workshop that has the potential of improving
the CHC’s museum. The five-day workshop in Bloomington,
Indiana, called “Museum at the Crossroads”
will meet May 14-21 at the Mathers Museum
of World Cultures and will include eight
“museum partners” from the United States
and abroad.
Tehee is one of eight partners who will
take part in the “innovative international
workshop on the future of museums of culture
and history.”
“They received a number of applications
and they only selected eight. It wasn’t just
applications from the U.S., and it was not
limited to tribes either. Everyone had the
chance to apply,” Tehee said.
Before going to the workshop, Tehee is
required to evaluate the CHC’s attractions and
identify challenges it faces in terms of how it
is presenting Cherokee stories and history to
the public. She also had to write about why
she thought she would make a good candidate
and why the CHC would benefit from her
participation.
The challenges the CHC faces preserving its
artifacts and presenting Cherokee culture will
be discussed along with the other participants’
challenges during the five-day workshop.
Tehee said the challenges discussed will
have an international perspective because
there will be multiple partners there, some
from other countries.
“We’ll discuss how those relate specifically
to our own institutions, and we’ll work
on ways to address those as a whole and
individually,” she said.
After the workshop, the participants will go
home and work on implementing the ideas
formed during the workshop.
“The primary idea is that we bring everything
that we worked on home and we implement it
in our home organizations,” she said.
One challenge Tehee will discuss is the
infrastructure at the museum and how it
affects the museum’s collections and archives.
“We face that mainly because our facilities
are as old as they are,” she said.
The longhouse-shaped museum turned 40
years old in 2014 and was added to a complex
in 1974 that included an amphitheater and an
ancient Cherokee village. In 1985, the museum
was remodeled to add more technology,
Cherokee Heritage Center Executive
Director Candessa Tehee stands at the
center of the Diligwa Village in Park Hill,
Oklahoma. WILL CHAVEZ/CHEROKEE PHOENIX
but today needs more work especially in
its basement where flooding occurs after
heavy rains. The basement holds much of the
museum’s collections and archives.
There are also cultural concerns such as
caring for medicine bundles in the collection,
which Tehee said were entrusted to the CHC
because the donors felt like the items would be
safe in its care.
“From a cultural perspective, we have to
question whether or not we are the appropriate
place to be holding them,” she said.
Also, she added, museums are responsible
for creating historical consciousness. The
museum has to be aware of the Cherokee story
it is presenting and the way it’s being presented.
“At the Heritage Center...we’re presenting a
slice of Cherokee life that’s rooted in history,
which is something that is necessary and needs
to be done. On the other hand, Cherokee
people are a diverse, vibrant people, so it is
a challenge to make we are presenting a full,
diverse picture of what it means to be Cherokee
and not being locked in to one notion of what
that means,” she said. “Those are some of the
things I touched on when I submitted my
application, and then of course all of things
come together in interesting ways.”
Tehee said another benefit from attending
the workshop is she will have contact with
the other seven participants and their
experiences and ideas, which could be used
to improve the CHC.
“I know the issues that we face are not
necessarily unique to us. There are people
who face similar issues, and there are people
who have had success in trying to address
these issues.”
ᎠᏭᏂᏴᏍᏗ, ᎣᎦᎵᎰᎹ. – ᎢᏦᏗ
ᎦᏘᏲ ᎤᏙᏢᏒ ᎤᏂᎩᏏᏓ ᎾᏍᎩ ᏣᎳᎩ
ᎠᏰᎵ ᎠᏍᏕᎵᏍᎬ ᎠᎴ ᎾᎿ ᎠᏁᎳ
ᎠᏁᏙᎯ ᎠᎴ ᏗᏐᎢ ᎦᏘᏲ ᏚᏙᏢᏒ
ᎠᏁᏙᎯ ᎠᏂᎷᎪ ᏓᎾᎵᏍᏕᎵᏍᎪᎢ.
ᎾᏍᎩ ᎦᏘᏲ ᎤᏁᏓᏍᏗ ᏣᎳᎩ
ᎠᏰᎵ ᎤᏤᎵᎪᎯ ᎠᎴ ᏣᎳᎩᎯ
ᏧᎾᏓᎴᏅ ᎠᏰᏟ ᎾᎥᎢ. ᎤᎷᏨ ᎠᎭᏂ
ᎠᏭᏂᏴᏍᏗ ᎾᎿ ᏔᎵ ᏯᎦᏴᎵ ᏌᏊ
ᏧᏕᏘᏴᏌᏗᏒ ᏂᏓᏳᏂᎩᏓ ᏓᏫᏍᎦᎵ
ᏍᎦᏚᎩ.
“ᎦᏙᎯ
ᎤᎾᎵᏍᎪᎸᏔᏅ
ᎾᎿ
ᏗᏂᎳᏫᎦ ᎤᏂᎲᏍᏗ ᎤᏂᏲᎯᏍᏗ
ᏂᎨᏒᎾ ᎠᏥᎳ ᎤᏂᎲᎢ. ᎣᎩᏲᏎᎲᎢ
ᎦᏙ ᎣᎩᎲ ᎾᎿ ᏦᎪᏢᏒᎢ, ᎠᏎᏃ
ᏙᎯᏳ ᏃᎩᏲᏎᎸᎾ ᎣᎦᎴᏅᎲ ᎢᏤ
ᎤᏙᏢᏗᎢ, ᎠᎴ ᎾᎿ ᏗᏂᎳᏫᎦ
ᎤᎾᎵᏍᎪᎸᏔᏅ ᎢᎸᏍᎩ ᏂᏚᏙᏢᏒ
ᎠᎴ ᎾᎿ ᏥᏃᎦᏛᎾ ᎣᎦᏑᏰᏒᎢ,”
ᎤᏛᏅ ᎢᏦᏗ ᎦᏘᏲ ᏗᏓᏘᏂᏙ David
Comingdeer
ᏧᏙᎩᏓ.
“ᎾᎯᏳ
ᏂᏓᎬᏩᏓᎴᏅᏓ ᎣᏍᏓ ᎠᎾᎢ ᎠᎴ
ᏣᎳᎩᎯ ᏙᎦᏓᏁᏤᎸ ᏂᎦᎥ ᎣᏍᏓ
ᎨᏒᎢ ᏗᏂᎳᏫᎦ ᎤᏠᏯ ᏃᎴᏍᏊ
ᎤᏂᎬᏫᏳᎯ.”
ᎾᏍᎩᏃ ᎢᏦᏗ ᎦᏘᏲ ᎤᏙᏢᏅ Ꮟ
ᎤᎪᏓ ᏗᏍᎦᏚᎩ ᏂᏚᏙᏢᏒᎾ ᏥᎨᏒᎢ,
ᎠᏗᏍᎬ Comingdeer. ᏧᏓᎴᏅᎲᏃ
Peavine ᎾᎥ ᎨᏒ ᎠᎴ ᏓᏫᏍᎦᎵ
ᏍᎦᏚᎩ ᎠᎴ ᎣᏂᏴ ᎤᏂᎲᏒ ᎾᎿ
Coon ᏦᏓᎸ ᏭᏂᏅ, ᎾᏍᏊ ᏓᏫᏍᎦᎵ
ᏍᎦᏚᎩ ᎨᏒᎢ. ᎾᎿᏃ ᎤᏓᎴᏅᎲ ᎡᏍᎦ
ᏂᎦᎵᏍᏗᏍᎬ ᏗᏓᏘᏂᏙ ᎤᏔᎾᏯ ᎨᏒ
ᎠᎴ ᎤᏓᏂᎵ ᏄᎵᏍᏔᏅ ᎾᎯᏳᏃ
ᏓᏥᏲᎯᏎᎸ Comingdeer, ᏔᎵᏁ
ᎠᏓᎴᏁᎯ ᎨᏎᎢ ᎾᎯᏳᎢ, ᏔᎵ ᏯᎦᏴᎵ
ᏔᎵ ᎤᏕᏘᏴᏌᏗᏒᎢ ᎨᏒ ᎾᎯᏳ.
“ᎡᎵᏃ ᏗᎦᎸᏫᏍᏓᏁᏗ ᎾᏍᎩ
ᎠᏂᎩᏍᏙᏗ ᎦᏘᏲᎢ, ᎠᏎᏃ ᎾᏍᏊ
ᎣᏍᏓ
ᎠᏰᎸᏗ
ᎠᏓᎷᏤᎰᎢ,”
ᎠᏗᏍᎬᎢ.
ᎤᎾᎵᏍᏕᎸᏙᏗ ᎠᎾᎵᏍᎩᏍᎨᏍᏗ
ᎢᏦᏗ ᎦᏘᏲ ᎤᎾᏓᏡᎬᎢ ᎦᎵᏉᎩ
ᎠᏟᎢᎵᏒ ᏒᎯᏰᏱ ᎠᏓᎴᏂᏍᎩ ᎠᎴ
ᏒᏃᏱ ᎢᎪᎯᏓ ᎾᎿ ᎧᎦᎵ ᎦᎵᏉᎩᏁ
ᏓᎵᏆ ᏍᎦᏚᎩ ᎠᏓᏁᎸ ᎠᎭᏂ 908
S. College Ave. ᎠᏁᎳᏗᏙ ᎾᏍᎩ
ᏂᎦᏓ ᎤᎳᏗᏢ ᎦᏘᏲ ᏧᎾᏙᏢᎯ ᏓᏂᏯᏂ
ᎢᎦᏓᏟᏐᏗ ᎠᎴ ᎠᏕᎳ ᎤᏂᏟᏐᏗᎢ
ᎣᏍᏓ ᎢᏳᏅᏙᏗ ᎦᏘᏲᎢ. ᎦᏬᏂᏍᎩ
ᎾᎯᏳ ᎤᏒ ᎯᎠ Opv Mack.
ᎠᏆᏂᏲᏍᏗ ᎤᏳᏍᏗ ᏓᏂᎾᏕᎨᏍᏗ
ᏧᏓᎴᏅᏓ
ᎠᏓᏒᎲᏍᏙᏗ,
ᎤᎦᎾᏍᏗ ᎤᎾᏓᏒᎲᏍᏗ ᎤᎬᏩᏟ
ᎠᎾᏂᎩᏍᎨᏍᏗ, ᎠᏂᎾᏕᏒᎲᏍᎬᏍᏗ
ᎠᎴ
ᏓᎾᏎᏏᏍᎨᏍᏗ
ᎪᏪᎵ
ᎠᏓᏒᎲᏍᏙᏗ ᏔᎷᏣ ᎠᎵᏍᏓᏴᏓ
ᎦᎵᏗᏓᏅᎢ ᎠᏓᏒᎲᏍᏙᏗ ᎾᏍᎩᏃ
ᎢᏳᏍᏗ
ᎾᎾᏛᏁᎮᏍᏗ
ᎠᏕᎳ
ᎠᏂᏟᏏᏍᎬᎢ. ᏃᎴᏍᏊ ᎠᎵᏍᏓᏴᏗ
ᎠᏂᎾᏕᏒᎲᏍᎨᏍᏗ
ᎠᏁᏙᎯ
ᎤᏂᏩᎯᏍᏗ.
Comingdeer ᎠᏗᏍᎬ ᎢᎦᏓ ᎣᏍᏓ
ᎢᎬᏁᎵᏓᏍᏗ ᎾᎿ ᎦᏘᏲ ᎠᎴ ᏙᏯ
ᏧᏁᏓᏍᏗ ᏗᏤᎯᎨ ᎢᏧᏩᏗ ᎤᏚᎵᎭ
ᎠᏁᎳ ᎠᎴ ᎠᎾᏓᏩᏛᎯᏙ ᏧᏅᏙᏗ.
“ᎤᏂᎪᏓᏃ
ᏓᏁᏙᎰ
ᏳᏟᎢᎶᏞ
ᏧᏂᎷᎯᏍᏗᎢ. ᏧᏪᏘ
ᏙᏯ ᏧᏁᏓᏍᏗ ᏙᎪᏢ,
ᎠᎴ ᎣᎦᏚᎵ ᎣᏍᏓ
ᎢᏦᎬᏗ
ᏗᎬᏙᏗ
Ꭳ Ꮳ Ꮄ Ꮕ ᎲᎢ , ”
ᎠᏗᏍᎬᎢ.
SCAN
C o m i n g d e e r CODE WITH
ᎠᏗᏍᎬ
ᎣᏍᏓ SMARTPHONE
ᎤᏰᎸᏐ ᎾᏍᎩ ᎢᏦᏗ TO HEAR
ᎦᏘᏲ ᎤᏙᏢᏒ ᎾᏍᎩ AUDIO OF THIS
Ꮟ ᎨᎳ ᎨᏒᎢ “ᏅᎩ TRANSLATION
ᏳᏂᏥ.”
ᎧᏃᎮᏍᎬ
ᎾᏍᎩ ᎤᏩᏌ ᎠᏂᏣᎳᎩ ᎦᏘᏲ Ꮟ
ᎨᎳ ᎨᏒ ᎾᎿ ᏍᎪᎯᏧᏈ ᏳᏕᏘᏴᏓ
ᎠᏂᎩᏚᏩᎩ
ᎾᏍᎩ ᏅᎩ ᏳᏂᏥ ᎤᏓᎴᏅᎮ
ᏅᏗᎦᎵᏍᏙᏗ
ᎠᏂᏣᎳᎩ
ᎦᏘᏲ
ᎠᏂᏴᏫ,
ᎾᏍᎩᎾ
ᎤᎾᏠᏯᏍᏗ
ᎹᏍᎪᎩ
(ᎠᏂᎫᏌ)
ᎦᏘᏲ
ᎠᎾᎵᏍᎩᏍᏏᏙ ᎠᏂᏴᏫ ᎠᏂᏍᎦᎩ ᎦᏓ
ᏥᏕᎨᏥᏁᎮ ᎾᎿ ᏙᏒ ᏥᎨᎦᏎᏍᏗᏍᎨ
ᎤᎵᏍᏆᏗᏗᏒ ᏁᎳᏚ ᎢᏍᎪᎯᏧᏈ
ᎤᏕᏘᏴᏌᏗᏒ ᎠᎴ ᎢᎬᏱ ᏐᏁᎳᏚ
ᎢᏍᎪᎯᏧᏈ ᎤᏕᏘᏴᏌᏗᏒ. ᎠᏂᏴᏫ
ᎠᏂᏍᎢᎲ ᎾᎿ “ᏯᎵᏍᏚᎢ ᎦᏓ
ᏓᎲ” ᎾᏍᎩ ᎠᏂᏲᏁᎦ ᎤᏂᎩᏍᏗᎢ,
ᎾᏍᎩᏃ ᏄᎵᏍᏔᏅᎢ.
ᎠᏗᏍᎬ ᎢᎸᏍᎩ ᎹᏍᎪᎩ(ᎠᏂᎫᏌ)
ᎦᏘᏲ ᏚᏃᏢᏒ ᎾᏍᎩ Ꮟ ᏅᎩ
ᎤᏂᏥ
ᏚᎾᏙᏢᎯ.”
ᎾᎿ
ᎦᏘᏲ
ᎤᎾᎵᏍᎩᏍᏗᎢ,
ᎤᎾᏁᏦᏗᎢ,
ᏧᎾᏠᎯᏍᏗ ᎠᎴ ᎦᏘᏯ ᏓᏍᏆᎵᏍᎪᎢ.
“ᎠᏯ ᎪᎱᏍᏗ ᏗᏋᎾ ᏂᏓᏳᎾᏓᎴᏅ
ᎦᏘᏲ (ᎢᏦᏗ) ᎠᎴ ᏗᏐᎢ ᎠᏂᏏᏓᏁᎸ
ᏂᏓᏳᎾᏓᎴᏅ
ᎦᏘᏲᎢ,
ᏚᎾᎵᎪᏁ
ᎠᏂᎫᏌ,”
ᎠᏗᏍᎬᎢ.
“ᎪᎯᎢᎦ
ᏥᎩ, ᏱᏚᎾᏠᏏ ᎾᎿ ᎠᏂᎫᏐ ᎠᏰᎵ,
ᏗᎬᎩᏯᏂᏍᎪᎢ ᏦᎦᏠᎯᏍᏗ ᎾᏍᎩ
ᎦᏘᏲ ᎤᏂᎬᏫᏳᎯ ᏚᏂᎧᎲ ᎣᎩᏃᎮᏗ
ᏧᏓᎴᏅᏓᏊ ᎪᎱᏍᏗ. ᎠᏂᎫᏌ ᎾᏍᏊ
Ꮟ ᎨᎪᏟᏍᏗᏍᎪ ᏗᎦᎵᎪᎯ ᎨᏒᎢ.”
Comingdeer
ᎠᏗᏍᎬ
ᎤᏚᎩ
ᎤᏩᎯ ᎤᏂᎫᏍᏛᏗ ᎯᎠ ᎠᏕᎳ
ᏥᏓᏲᏥᏟᏌᏅ
ᎾᎿ
ᎹᏍᎪᎩ
(ᎫᏐᎢ) ᎦᏘᏲ ᏂᏙᏓᏳᎾᏂᎩᏓ ᎠᎴ
ᎾᎥ ᎠᏂᏣᎳᎩ ᏧᎾᏓᏡᎩ. ᎠᏁᎳ
ᎾᎿ ᎢᏦᏗ ᎤᎾᎵᏍᎩᏍᏗ ᎾᏍᏊ
ᏓᏂᏍᏕᎵᏍᎪ ᎹᏍᎪᎩ (ᎠᏂᎫᏌ)
ᏱᏧᏂᏍᏆᎸᎡᎵ.
“ᎣᏥᏣᎳᎩ ᎣᏥᏍᎦᏚᎩ, ᎠᎴ
ᎣᎪᎯᏳ ᏣᎳᎩ ᎢᏳᏛᏁᎵᏓᏍᏗ
ᎤᎲᎢ. ᏍᏓᏯ ᏙᎩᎸᏫᏍᏓᏁᎰ ᏂᎪᎯᎸ
ᎾᏍᎩ ᎢᏳᎵᏍᏙᏗ, ᎣᎩᏍᏆᏂᎪᏙᏗ,
ᎤᎵᏍᎨᏓ ᏦᎦᏠᎯᏍᏗ ᏧᎬᏩᎶᏗᏳ
ᎠᎴ ᎢᏳᏍᏗ ᎣᎩᎲᎢ ᎾᎿ ᎤᏂᎯᏯ
ᎡᏘ ᏣᏁᎲ ᎠᏯ ᏃᏊ ᎣᎬᏙᏗ,”
“ᎾᏍᎩᏃ
ᎠᏂᎳᏍᏓᏢ
ᏃᎬᏁᎭ.
ᏝᏃ ᏗᎦᎸᏫᏍᏓᏁᏗ ᎠᎴ ᎪᎱᏍᏗ
ᎦᎾᏗᏅᏓ ᏱᎩ. ᏂᎦᏓᏃ ᎾᏍᎩ
ᎢᏳᏍᏗᏓᏂ ᏯᏂᎩ ᎠᏎᏃ ᎦᏘᏲ ᎠᎴ
ᎣᎩᏬᏂᎯᏍᏗ ᎠᎴ ᎣᎪᎯᏳᏒ ᏲᎩᎭ
ᏏᏛ ᎣᏥᎾᏍᏓᏢᎢ ᏱᎩ. ᎾᏍᎩᏃ
ᎬᏂᎨᏒ ᏫᏂᎦᎵᏍᏗᏍᎪ
ᏩᏥᏅ
ᎢᏗᏢ
ᎣᎪᎵᏍᏙᏗ….
ᎤᎵᏍᎨᏗ
ᎾᏍᎩ ᎤᏂᎩᏍᏗ ᏂᎪᎯᎸᎢ.”
ᎠᏁᎳ ᎢᏦᏗ ᎦᏘᏲ ᎾᏍᎩ ᎯᏍᎩ
ᏃᏣᎵᏍᎩᏍᎪᎢ ᎾᎿ ᎪᎨᏯ ᎠᎴ ᎪᎦ
ᎾᎿ ᎢᎬᏱ ᎠᎵᏍᎩᏍᏗ ᎨᏒ ᎧᎸᎢ
ᎧᎸᎢ.
ᎤᎪᏛ ᎠᏕᎶᎰᎯᏍᏗ ᏲᏚᎵ ᎾᎿ
ᎦᏘᏲᎢ, ᏩᏟᏃᎮᏙᏗ Comingdeer at
918-822-2302.
Culture • i=nrplcsd
2015 Ewf #>hAmh • Kgl
February 2015 • CHEROKEE PHOENIX
19
CNYC enjoys retreat, gets to know each other
BY STACIE GUTHRIE
Reporter
WAGONER, Okla. – The Cherokee National
Youth Choir on Jan. 16 went on its annual
retreat that was filled with interactive games,
singing and the making of new friends at the
Tulakogee Conference Center.
The retreat is to welcome new members so they
can leave the title of “new” choir member behind.
During the retreat choir members got to
know each other by playing games and by
learning some of the music they will be singing
in the coming months.
CNYC Director Mary Kay Henderson said
the choir consists of approximately “half and
half ” of new and old members.
“Some of the kids already know someone in
the choir, but we’ve got a lot of new ones,” she
said. “It’s just a little bit larger group than we’re
use to having, but it’ll be fun.”
Cherokee language teacher and CNYC travel
coordinator Kathy Sierra said an important
aspect about the choir retreat is that alumni
choir members come and help with storytelling
and cultural activities.
“The alumni will come in and help them
learn. Even all the former members that are
there will be helping all the new ones. It’s
just a unique group,” she said. “Once this
orientation’s (retreat’s) over we’ll be like one
big, happy family.”
Home-schooled freshman Danya Pigeon, 15,
said she wanted to join the choir for a couple of
years but has always been too busy. Pigeon was
one of the 15 youths who were inducted into
the choir in January.
“I finally felt like it was something that I
Cherokee National Youth Choir members partake in an interactive game during their choir
retreat on Jan. 16 at the Tulakogee Conference Center. The previous years choir members
welcomed in 15 new members for the 2015 choir season. WILL CHAVEZ/CHEROKEE PHOENIX
needed to do to help preserve the culture and
keep it alive,” she said. “I like to sing also, so I
figured it was a win-win.”
Pigeon said she learned some of the Cherokee
language by learning “Amazing Grace.”
“I learned the first two verses and then that
kind of got me into wanting to learn more,”
she said.
After enjoying the activities of the retreat’s
first night Pigeon said she could tell the choir
was like a family.
“This isn’t just a group of young people that
sing, it’s really more than that. They’re like a
family, and they’re friends, and they just all fit
Tulsa Artist Fellowship
extends application deadline
Native artists are
encouraged to apply for
the fellowship, which
will provide cash awards,
housing and workspace.
Wilson releases playable
sci-fi app
BY STAFF REPORTS
BY STAFF REPORTS
TULSA, Okla. – The George Kaiser
Family Foundation announced Jan. 21 that
it is extending the deadline for the national
artist fellowship program – the Tulsa Artist
Fellowship from Feb. 2 to April 3.
The TAF is meant to enhance Tulsa’s growing
art scene by providing awards and resources to
local and non-local artists.
Native American artists are encouraged
to apply. Fellows will be awarded an
unrestricted stipend ranging from $15,000
to $40,000 and, in most cases, free housing
and studio workspace.
“It is our goal with these awards to recognize
great artists in all stages of their career. In
addition, we feel that providing housing and
workspace in Tulsa’s Brady Arts District gives
the non-resident fellows the opportunity to
experience the treasures of our art community
and share their talents with Tulsa,” Stanton
Doyle, George Kaiser Family Foundation
senior program officer, said.
The TAF is open to both local and nonresident artists and will provide awards
for both early and mid-career artists. In an
effort to help grow and shape Tulsa’s vibrant
arts community, non-resident artists will be
required to live in provided housing in Tulsa.
In the first year, fellowships will be awarded
to artists in the discipline of public and/or
gallery-oriented visual arts with the possibility
of adding other disciplines in the future.
The program will reserve some of the
fellowship positions for Native American,
Alaskan Native and Native Hawaiian artists. A
screening committee and selection panel will
follow the Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990
as a guideline in awarding Native American
artists a fellowship.
“In terms of Native American art, Tulsa
has deep roots diverse artistic traditions
represented in the extensive collections of
many nearby tribal institutions as well as at
together like puzzle pieces,” she said.
Pigeon said she looks forward to learning
more of the Cherokee language and
encouraging others to do so.
Sequoyah High School junior Morgan
Mouse, 17, has been in the choir for a year and
said she remembers being a new choir member.
“I was so scared and nervous. I wasn’t sure
if I was going to like it or not, but after I got
progressed in it was really fun and I enjoy it so
much,” she said. “Going different places and
seeing different people that I’ve never met, that
was really fun.”
She said now she is trying to help new
members feel comfortable.
“I’m just trying to guide
them and tell them, “Don’t
be so nervous and don’t be
afraid to show them who you
really are.” That’s really all that SCAN
CODE WITH
matters,” she said.
SMARTPHONE
Mouse said she influenced TO WATCH THE
her brother, Tenkiller Public VIDEO TO THIS
School eighth grade student STORY.
Elijah Bennett, to join the choir. Bennett is a
new member for the 2015 season.
“At first he was really scared because he really
didn’t want to sing that much,” she said. “Every
time I came home I talked about choir. He got
really jealous because I brought up so many stories
and so many funny memories that he said he
wanted to share them too, so that’s why he’s here.”
Henderson said she and Sierra have
upcoming shows in the works, with the first
being in March.
She said they plan to use the $10,000 the
choir won from the GRAMMY Foundation
and the rock group Foreigner for a summer
tour. The choir won the money by submitting
a public service announcement that showed
their love for music.
“We hope to use that to take this choir on a
short tour in June to Cherokee, North Carolina,
to different cultural places along the trail (Trail
of Tears) and not only to learn, but to share
their culture with the people in that area,” she
said. “The choir is so unique that nobody else
has one that sings totally in Cherokee.”
The CNYC released its 12th CD in 2014 titled
“From the East.” The 12-track disc contains
songs from the Cherokees’ ancestral homeland
in the East.
George Kaiser
the Gilcrease and Philbrook museums – and
a vibrant community of contemporary Native
artists working in various media and style,”
Doyle said.
Fellowships offered will be merit-based
grants and will have a one-year term with an
option to renew for a second year. Five to 15
fellowships will be provided depending on the
quality of entries. Fellowships will be separated
into two categories.
Early Career Artists: Award of a $15,000
unrestricted stipend with free private housing
and workspace during year one. Year two is
optional and will include a stipend of $7,500
plus free housing and workspace. If the fellow
wants to stay in Tulsa, housing, and workspace
can be retained for a third year for $500 a
month total.
Mid-Career Artists: Award of a $25,000
unrestricted stipend with free private
housing and workspace in year one. Year
two is optional and will include a stipend of
$15,000 plus free housing and workspace. If
the fellow wants to stay in Tulsa, housing and
workspace can be retained for a third year
for $500 a month total.
A coordinating committee consisting of
local leaders in the Tulsa arts community will
screen all fellowship applications for eligibility
and coordinate community programs for the
fellows during their time in Tulsa. Eligible
applicants will be reviewed by a national panel
of panel comprised of national artists, curators,
reviewers and experts in the area of focus.
Applications for the TAF are due on April
3 and the fellowship will begin on Jan. 4,
2015. To learn more about the Tulsa Artist
Fellowship and apply, visit www.gkff.org/taf.
PORTLAND, Ore. – Daniel H. Wilson,
author of technology thrillers such as
“Robopocalypse,”
“Robogenesis,”
and
“Amped,” has teamed up with Portland game
design studio Mountain Machine to produce
“Mayday! Deep Space,” a playable science
fiction story for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch.
The app made its debut in the Apple App
Store on Jan. 7. In the app, players answer a
mayday call from a survivor who is stranded
on a derelict spaceship and use voice
commands to guide him to safety – all while
uncovering the terrible secret behind what
wiped out the crew.
“It’s pure survival-horror with a shocking
twist at the end,” states a press release for
the app.
A Cherokee Nation citizen, Wilson has
been working for the past year and a half with
Mountain Machine to develop the playable
sci-fi story app.
“I grew up in Tulsa and attended the
University of Tulsa to study computer science.
No surprise then that ‘Mayday!’ is part audio
book and part video game – a story that you
can play,” Wilson said. “It employs speech
recognition very intentionally to put the player
into an intimate, emotional experience with
the survivor character. Basically, ‘Mayday!’
combines everything I love about reading and
gaming into one package.”
Harnessing the latest Apple hardware to
employ seamless speech recognition, players
can use more than 10 voice commands to
guide a survivor to safety through five levels of
increasing mayhem and uncover the terrible
secret behind what happened to the crew of
the USS Appaloosa.
Osric Chau (“Supernatural,” “2012,” “Halo
4: Forward Unto Dawn”) voices the main
character, joined by Bitsie Tulloch and Claire
Coffee, stars of the NBC television show
“Grimm.”
Wilson is committed to using the latest
technology to find new ways to tell stories.
“By using spoken commands, I hoped to
forge an intimate, emotional experience,” he
said. “My goal for ‘Mayday!’ was simple: create
a story that you can play. Please grab a copy
and let me know what you think, and as early
adopters, it’s always important to leave reviews
“Mayday! Deep Space,” a playable science
fiction app for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch
is in the Apple App Store. COURTESY
right away if you enjoy the game. Thank you
for your support. It’s because of you that I keep
scheming.”
Wilson has formed his own entertainment
company called “Iron Cloud Entertainment.”
He is also a New York Times bestselling author
behind books such as “Robopocalypse,” “How
to Survive a Robot Uprising,” and “Amped.”
Wilson, of Portland, has built a diverse
writing career since earning a doctorate degree
in robotics from Carnegie Mellon University
in 2005. In 2008, he hosted “The Works” on
the History Channel, a 10-episode series
exploring the inner workings of everyday stuff.
In collaboration with DC Comics, he
is writing a weekly series called “Earth 2:
World’s End.” He is also penning a science
fiction survival script for the movie company
Lionsgate with Brad Pitt attached to produce.
“Mayday! Deep Space” is available today for
a price of $2.99 from the App Store on iPhone,
iPad, and iPhone Touch or at www.AppStore.
com. For more, visit www.maydayapps.com or
on Twitter: @maydayapps.
20
CHEROKEE PHOENIX • February 2015
Culture • i=nrplcsd
Ewf #>hAmh • Kgl 2015
Kids book by Cherokee inspired
by Algonquian language
Words from the languages
of various early indigenous
groups, including
Algonquian tribes, survive
as place names, and some
continue as the common
names of animals and
plants.
BY STAFF REPORTS
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – A new children’s
book titled “Woodchuck Visits Algonquian
Cousins” by Cherokee author Karen Coody
Cooper was inspired by Algonquian language
and other American Indian languages.
“When I moved from Oklahoma to
Massachusetts, and then to Connecticut, I was
immediately entranced by the meanings of
those state’s names and of the variety of unusual
words used in New England for streams,
mountains, beaches, and towns,” Cooper said.
“Soon I recognized that Naugatuck, Saugatuck
and Mattatuck shared sounds and so did
Quassapaug, Orenaug and Shepaug. I began
to understand parts of the Algonquian words,
and I wanted to share the rich indigenous
American language with others.”
A new children’s book titled “Woodchuck
Visits Algonquian Cousins” by Cherokee
author Karen Coody Cooper was inspired
by Algonquian language and other
American Indian languages. COURTESY
Cooper, who now lives in Tahlequah, said
the book’s “richly saturated illustrations”
were created by Cherokee artist Hillary
Glass and capture a “whimsical” side of the
bespectacled Woodchuck whose adventures
the story follows as she visits various
Algonquian cousins: skunk, opossum, moose,
muskellunge, chipmunk and raccoon. A map
in the center of the book notes the many tribes
speaking Algonquian languages and also cites
places names like Wyoming, Mississippi,
Michigan, Hatteras, Quebec and Potomac.
Although American Indian languages are
accurately considered endangered, Cooper
said, many languages, including Cherokee
(which is Iroquoian-based) and several
Algonquian languages continue in use. Words
from the languages of various early indigenous
groups survive as place names, and some
continue as the common names of animals and
plants unique to early life in the hemisphere.
The word woodchuck derives from
Algonquian otchig, but was heard and recorded
as “woodchuck” by English speakers. As a
fictional character, burrowing Woodchuck is
able to appear wherever she chooses. Utilizing
Woodchuck as the book’s primary character,
the author introduces readers to various sites
where Algonquian words are prevalent.
The story is written for 6- to 10-years-olds,
but the Algonquian-based words encourage
initial adult involvement. Published by the
Oklahoma-based soddenbank press, the
full-color, illustrated book is priced at $10.
The second book in the Woodchuck series
will be published in 2016 and will explore
both Cherokee and Algonquian words while
exploring wampum.
Cooper is the author of the popular textbook
“Spirited Encounters: American Indians
Protest Museum Policies and Practices” and
“Cherokee Wampum War and Peace Belts
1730 to Present.”
Illustrator Glass is an up-and-coming
young Cherokee artist who has won several
awards for her anime-style work at various art
shows in Eastern Oklahoma. Schools, clubs
or libraries that would like to meet the artist
and/or author, may call 918-207-0093 or email
soddenbank@att.net.
The book may be purchased at the
Cherokee Art Center’s Spider Gallery, 215
S. Muskogee Avenue, Tahlequah and at
www.soddenbank.org.
A statue of Will Rogers sits in front of the Will Rogers Memorial Museum and above a
mausoleum where he rests with family members in Claremore, Oklahoma. Memorial
Museum officials plan to develop a program that can be taken to schools to allow
students to learn more about Will Rogers. WILL CHAVEZ/CHEROKEE PHOENIX
2015 brings ideas, hours to
Will Rogers Memorial
Memorial Museum officials
plan to develop a program
that can be taken to schools
to allow students to learn
more about Will Rogers.
BY STAFF REPORTS
CLAREMORE, Okla. – The beginning of
2015 will bring new ideas and hours to the
Will Rogers Memorial Museum.
“We will begin a new focus on education
for children around Oklahoma and beyond
as well as opportunities for children in our
area to participate in more events,” Tad Jones,
museum executive director, said. “We are
planning a major outreach to schools around
the state.”
Jones said regional schools bring students
to the museum and birthplace ranch, but the
museums’ officials also want to develop a
program that can be taken to schools to allow
students to learn more about Will Rogers’ life
and character.
Memorial officials will be working on new
programs in 2015, including the promotion of
Route 66/Will Rogers Highway, talent shows
and more community oriented events.
“The recent Halloween and Christmas
special events were big hits for families,”
Jones said. “We want to continue providing
the community with this wonderful venue to
bring families to the museum.”
Hours of operation for the Memorial
Museum changed Jan. 1. Jones said after
carefully analyzing museums around the state,
it is determined the most efficient operating
hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Hours at the Will Rogers Birthplace Ranch
near Oologah, where there are horse trails, RV
traffic and campsites as well as the birthplace
house and era history barn, will continue to be
8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Admission rates for the Memorial Museum
will increase slightly for 2015. Adult prices
will increase to $7 and seniors to $5. Children
17 and under will continue to be admitted
free. Admission at the ranch will continue to
be free.
“We also have some great membership
values for business, individuals and families,”
said Jones. “We hope people will take
advantage of our memberships so we can
continue to share Will Rogers with others.”
For more information, visit willrogers.com.
CHEROKEEPHOENIX.ORG