March 2013 - Cherokee Phoenix

National Treasure
Not Horsing Around
Tim Grayson knows a lot about his
craft, but is willing to learn more.
CULTURE, 13
Think Pink
With horse racing season approaching, a
Cherokee horse trainer is getting ready for
opening day at WRD. MONEY, 8
March 2013 • cherokeephoenix.org
Survivors also use the event for
fellowship as well as encouraging
others. HEALTH, 16
185 Years of Cherokee Journalism
PHOENIX
CHEROKEE
Supreme Court upholds council map
The court says all
evidence presented was
considered and time was a
consideration because of
the tribe’s June election.
BY WILL CHAVEZ
Senior Reporter
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – The Supreme Court
ruled 4-1 on Feb. 27 that a new 15-district
council map established by Legislative Act
26-12 is constitutional, affirming the tribe’s
District Court ruling.
Chief Justice Darrell Dowty and Justices
James Wilcoxen, John Garrett and Angela
Jones ruled in favor of the map, while Justice
Troy Wayne Poteete dissented.
The court states that all evidence presented
during a Feb. 22 hearing was considered
and that time was a consideration because of
the tribe’s June 22 election. Tribal Council
candidates can begin filing for nine council
seats on March 4.
“Due to impending election deadlines
and the need for immediate direction by this
court, it is necessary that this Court reach the
ultimate issue as to whether or not LA-26-12 is
constitutional,” states the opinion.
Tribal Councilors Buel Anglen, Jack Baker,
Julia Coats, Lee Keener and Cara Cowan
Watts challenged the 15-district map’s
constitutionality on Sept. 5, several days after
Tribal Council attorney Diane Barker Harrold
filed a suit on behalf of the council to test the
map’s legality. The five councilors claimed the
districts are unconstitutional because they are
not compact and contiguous in all instances,
appear to disrupt established Cherokee
communities and do not afford a reasonably
equal division of the electorate.
Eventually the five councilors dropped their
suit after being told they would be allowed to
intervene in the Tribal Council case. However,
Barker Harrold later objected and District
Court Judge Bart Fite denied the five councilors’
intervention.
At a Jan. 18 hearing, the five councilors’
attorney participated in a Jan. 18 hearing
as amicus curiae (friend of the court) and
discussed aspects of the lawsuit but was not
allowed to cross-examine witnesses.
Fite later ruled the map constitutional,
leading the five councilors to appeal both of his
rulings to the Supreme Court.
The high court held a hearing on Feb. 22
regarding the appeals despite Tribal Council
and CN attorneys arguing that the five
councilors should not have been allowed to
appeal because by tribal law amicus curiae
parties have no standing to appeal a District
Court ruling to the Supreme Court.
“It is generally true that a party afforded
amicus status has no right to independently
lodge an appeal from a ruling below, and this
court will not deviate from that precedent.
However, it is apparent that these councilors
were in effect actual interveners and should
have been afforded that status by the District
Court,” the opinion states.
Although the court said it had concerns about
the makeup of some of the new districts, they
could not declare the map unconstitutional.
“While there are concerns about some
districts not being completely contiguous
and not always compact, this Court does not
In memorIam
See MAP, 2
The Supreme Court ruled 4-1 on Feb. 27
that this 15-district map, although “not
perfect,” is constitutional. COURTESY MAP
Recognition for groups
claiming Cherokee
ancestry tabled
A Virginia Senate committee
tables recognition bills for the
United Cherokee Indian Tribe
of Virginia and Appalachian
Cherokee Nation Inc.
BY TESINA JACKSON
Reporter
The Cherokee Nation Color Guard moves to post the colors at the beginning of a funeral service for Secretary of
State Charles Head on Feb. 5 at Sequoyah Schools’ The Place Where They Play gymnasium in Tahlequah, Okla.
WILL CHAVEZ/CHEROKEE PHOENIX
CN holds funeral for State
Secretary Charles Head
He is remembered as
a man devoted to his
family and the Cherokee
Nation.
BY WILL CHAVEZ
Senior Reporter
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – Funeral
services for Cherokee Nation Secretary of
State Charles Lee Head were held Feb. 5 at
Sequoyah Schools’ The Place Where They
Play gymnasium. He was later interred at
Fairview Cemetery in Pryor.
Head had served as secretary of state since
January 2012 after coming out of retirement
from the Bureau of Indian Affairs. He had
previously worked for the CN from 1987 to
2000 in roles ranging from executive director
of finance to United States Department of
Agriculture liaison.
“These are titles. What is really
important is that Charles served,”
Principal Chief Bill John Baker said. “He
was not just Cherokee, he lived Cherokee.
Living Cherokee means taking care of
others. Charles, we will miss you and
wado for job well done.”
Baker said Head recently attended
a youth summit because he thought it
was important “the next generation is as
proud of our heritage as the generation
that came before us.”
CN Chief of Staff and Oklahoma
legislator Chuck Hoskin Sr. read a letter
of condolence from Assistant Secretary
of the Indian Affairs Kevin Washburn,
who wrote that those who served with
Head “would sorely miss his insight and
understanding of federal processes.”
“Charles retired from the federal service
for an appointment with his beloved request to forgo retirement and serve
Cherokee Nation. It was clear he was thrilled the Cherokee people again, this time as
to serve his tribe as secretary of state and secretary of state. The Tribal Council’s Rules
provide his expertise to the further develop Committee on Dec. 13, 2011, unanimously
of the tribal, local, state and federal relations forwarded Head’s nomination to full
in Oklahoma,” Washburn wrote. “His easy- council. On Jan. 16, 2012, the council
going personality made him well suited to confirmed him as secretary.
Although he played an integral role
represent the Cherokee Nation.”
Hoskin also presented two citations as secretary, Head’s family said the role
and a proclamation in honor of Head. The he will be remembered for most is that
Inter-Tribal Council of the Five Civilized of a family man. He was devoted to his
Tribes sent a citation along with the state family and dedicated to spending time
with his wife and their children, Erin
of Oklahoma.
and Brian, and their six
Baker also designated
grandchildren.
July 18, 2013, and
Head is survived
every July 18 thereafter
He was not just
by Frances of the
as a “national day
son Brian and
of celebration of the
Cherokee, he lived home;
his wife Heather of
life of Charles L.
Cherokee. Living Bixby; daughter Erin
Head throughout the
and her husband
Cherokee Nation.”
Cherokee means King
Head was born July
Casey of Pryor; six
grandchildren
Ryder,
18, 1949, in Pryor to
taking care of
Reese, Parker, Laura,
John and Wanda Head.
others.
Kadence and Gracelyn;
He died at age 63 on Jan.
30 when his car collided
– Principal Chief father John of Pryor;
Roger and his
with a tractor-trailer rig
Bill John Baker brother
wife Katrina of Dubai;
on U.S. Highway 69 in
sister Jauna Drake and
Chouteau.
He was a lifetime resident of Pryor, her husband Andy of Houston; motherattended Pryor schools and graduated in-law Helen Foreman of Pryor; several
from Pryor High School in 1967. It was in nieces and nephews; and many friends
high school where he met the love of his and colleagues. He was preceded in death
life, Frances. The two married in 1971 and by his mother Wanda and brother Tom.
lived a happy life as best friends for more
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that
donations be made to the “Charles L. Head
than 40 years, states his obituary.
Head spent four years in the U.S. ONE FIRE Helping Victims” task force,
Navy during the Vietnam War and which has a mission to reduce domestic
was honorably discharged in 1973. violence and improve access to behavioral
Following his military service, he health for Cherokee people. Donations can
attended Northeastern State University be sent to CN Treasurer Lacey Horn, P.O.
in Tahlequah on the G.I. Bill, earning a Box 809, Tahlequah, OK 74465.
bachelor’s degree in accounting.
[email protected]
In late 2011, Head accepted Baker’s
918-207-3961
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – Citing the need for a new
evaluation process, the Virginia Senate Rules Committee on
Feb. 12 tabled resolutions calling for state tribal recognition
of two groups identifying themselves as Cherokees.
Sens. Steve Newman, Jill Vogel and Kenny Alexander
presented the resolutions for the United Cherokee Indian
Tribe of Virginia, also known as the Buffalo Ridge Band
of Cherokee, and the Appalachian Cherokee Nation Inc.
However, the committee tabled them until an evaluation
process is created.
Previously, the Virginia Council on Indians oversaw
the process for state tribal recognition. However, it was
discontinued in 2010. The former process required applicants
to provide documentation proving their groups existed in
Virginia at the time of Europeans contact, that they had
existed in some form ever since and that they are distinct
groups, among other requirements.
ACN Principal Chief Marshall “Lone Wolf ” Couch said his
group has been trying for two years to gain state recognition.
He said the ACN members’ ancestors did not go with other
Cherokees during the 1838-39 forced removal. Instead, their
ancestors stayed behind by hiding, he said.
Virginia has 11 state-recognized tribes, but none are
Cherokee-related.
See GROUPS, 4
Nearly 2,200 acres
acquired since FY 2010
The most expensive is the $7
million Cherry Springs Golf Course
purchase made in December.
BY JAMI CUSTER
Reporter
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – Since October 2010, the Cherokee
Nation and Cherokee Nation Businesses have spent more
than $20.5 million on land purchases and accumulated
nearly 2,200 acres inside the tribe’s jurisdictional boundaries.
CN Real Estate Services Director Ginger Brown said
the acquisitions allow the tribe to reclaim land for its
expanding workforce and services.
“Just keep in mind that we continue to buy land that will
house our workforce. We have over 3,500 employees here.
It will offer more services to our citizens. At least six of the
purchases in the past couple of years were made as locations
for new housing,” she said. “At least four purchases will
provide additional space for our complex and health officials.”
CN Purchases
In October 2010, the tribe purchased .344 acres located
near its Sam Hider Health Clinic in Jay for $50,500. It was
bought to create more access to a land tract near the clinic,
realty specialist Marshea Halterman said.
The next month, the tribe bought the Koch tract, also
located in Delaware County. It comprised 20 acres and cost
$16,500. According to CN records, each property has a tract
identification name, often the property’s seller or donator.
“Koch’s property was a piece that we bought west of Jay
along the highway. It came up for auction. It was purchased
See ACRES, 3
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CHEROKEE PHOENIX • MarCh 2013
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2013
CN response due March 21 in ICWA case
BY WILL CHAVEZ
Senior Reporter
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – Attorney General
Todd Hembree on Jan. 29 told Tribal
Councilors that attorneys for a non-Native
couple attempting to adopt a Cherokee girl are
expected to file briefs with the U.S. Supreme
Court and that the Cherokee Nation’s response
would be due March 21.
The case Adoptive Couple v. Baby Girl,
which the court on Jan. 4 agreed to hear,
involves Matt and Melanie Capobianco of
James Island, S.C., and their attempt to adopt
3-year-old Veronica, whose biological father
Dusten Brown of Oklahoma is a CN citizen.
Hembree said he’s been told to expect oral
arguments before the court in late April, but
no exact date has been set. He said the case
could possibly affect the federal Indian Child
Welfare Act and therefore all tribes in the
United States.
“This is a case that is of upmost importance
to the Cherokee Nation and all of Indian
Country. This will be an historic case,” he said.
In 2011, Veronica, then 2, was removed
from the Capobiancos in accordance with the
ICWA, which seeks to keep American Indian
children with American Indian families.
Congress passed ICWA in 1978 in response
to the high number of Indian children being
removed from their homes by public and
private agencies.
The couple had been attempting to adopt
Veronica before Brown petitioned for custody.
Brown petitioned after learning the girl’s
biological mother had put her up for adoption
while he was serving in the military overseas.
The Capobiancos filed an appeal with the
U.S. Supreme Court in October after the South
maP
from front page
find that there is a sufficient basis to interfere
with the actions of the Tribal Council,” states
the opinion. “Granted, the districts as drawn
are not perfect but it cannot be said they are
unconstitutional. Moreover, the Election
Commission has represented to this Court
that it can conduct a fair and accurate election
subject to the ordinary problems attendant to
any election.”
The court also stated that “it is not necessary
to address the Application for Injunction and
Expedited Hearing” filed by the five councilors
and the corresponding objections filed by
the CN, Tribal Council and the Election
Commission.
John Parris, attorney for the five councilors,
said on Feb. 22 every filing he made included
a request for an injunction because his clients
felt the legislative act that authorized the new
districts was unconstitutional. Parris also had
filed two appeals and a second lawsuit over the
15-district map.
“We appreciate the court recognizing the
appellants right to bring our claims. However
we are disappointed that the court did not
consider several claims and dismissed without
analysis of the rest,” Parris said.
Carolina Supreme Court affirmed a lower
court’s ruling in July that Veronica should
remain with Brown.
Hembree said Native American organizations
have contacted the CN offering support and
coordinating efforts to protect the ICWA.
“This truly is a nationwide effort. We are
working hand-in-hand with NCAI (National
Congress of American Indians) and the Native
American Rights Fund. There are many fronts
to this battle,” he said.
He added that the opposition has hired a
public relations firm to campaign against the act.
“We are up against a community of people
who do not like Indian Child Welfare, people
who would like to see the Indian Child
Welfare Act go away, and they see this as an
opportunity to do it,” Hembree said. “They
can’t get it done with legislative action. It can
only be done in the courts.”
Hembree said the plaintiffs also petitioned to
Supreme Court to allow individual states to file
amicus briefs to argue against the ICWA. The
court allowed the briefs to be filed and attorneys
general from more than 20 states filed briefs and
will present them before the court.
To get additional help, Hembree said the tribe
has hired noted attorney Lloyd Miller of the
Sonosky, Chambers, Sachse, Miller & Munson
law firm to help “shepherd” the ICWA case. He
said the tribe has had a good relationship with
the law firm and he is “confident” in Miller’s
abilities to help with the case.
“This is a big deal, and we’re treating it as
such,” he said.
CN Assistant Attorney General Chrissi
Nimmo had represented the tribe in the case
before Miller’s hiring.
[email protected]
918-207-3961
He added that he and his clients “will be
asking for reconsideration soon” because
the map throws out all traditional districting
standards, allows the council to choose
who votes and repeals the constitutional
requirement that representatives live in
their district.
He said the “Cherokee Nation will be the
most un-democratic democracy in America”
if the election is held using the 15-district map.
“If the court doesn’t correct these errors we
will ask the people to clarify the constitution
to bring democracy back to Cherokee Nation.
We are not asking for a new map. There isn’t
time. We ask that the election be held under
the previous law,” he said.
Tribal Council Deputy Speaker Chuck
Hoskin Jr. said the court observed that district
lines were drawn along established boundary
lines and natural landmarks and further
found that districts were within an acceptable
deviation, affording equal representation for
CN citizens.
“Today, the court reached the only reasonable
conclusion that could be reached based on the
facts and the law,” he said. “Redistricting was
the process of careful consideration and it
easily survived constitutional scrutiny.”
[email protected]
918-207-3961
redistricting review
July 6, 2012: Tribal Council passes
Legislative Act 26-12. It provides 15
jurisdictional districts and two At-Large
districts so that each councilor represents a
separate district. The map is to replace a fivedistrict map in which three jurisdictional
councilors are in each district.
Aug. 31, 2012: Tribal Council attorney
Diane Barker Harrold files a lawsuit on
behalf of the council asking the District
Court to determine whether the new
15-district map is constitutional.
Sept. 5, 2012: Tribal Councilors Buel
Anglen, Jack Baker, Julia Coates, Lee Keener
and Cara Cowan Watts file suit in District
Court against the new map claiming it’s
unconstitutional.
Sept. 17, 2012: The Tribal Council ratifies
its lawsuit that Barker Harrold previously
filed on its behalf.
Jan. 4, 2013: District Court Judge Bart Fite
suggests the two lawsuits be consolidated so
the court can hear all plaintiffs. Attorneys
for the five councilors agree to drop their
suit in return for being allowed to intervene
in the Tribal Council’s suit.
Jan. 7, 2013: Attorney John Parris files a
motion to intervene in the Tribal Council’s
lawsuit on behalf of the five councilors.
Jan. 8, 2013: Fite approves the five
councilors’ motion to intervene.
Jan. 11, 2013: Following an objection by
Barker Harrold, Fite denies the motion
to intervene. Baker Harrold argues
that allowing it would create “extended
litigation which could delay the Election
Commission’s statutory duties.”
Jan. 14, 2013: Parris files a lawsuit on behalf
of the five councilors against the Election
Commission claiming the 15 districts are
not apportioned to afford a reasonable equal
division of tribal citizens; new districts
violate fair common law by not being
defined, reasonably compact, contiguous
nor containing whole communities; new
districts unduly favor a person or political
party; the map is unconstitutional because
it conflicts with the CN Constitution; and
the map is unconstitutional because tribal
citizens’ bad addresses were not counted
properly.
Jan. 15, 2013: The five councilors appeal
Fite’s order denying their intervention in
the Tribal Council’s lawsuit to the Supreme
Court.
Jan. 18, 2013: A District Court hearing is
held regarding the map’s constitutionality.
Parris represents the five councilors via
amicus curiae. He is allowed to discuss
aspects of the case but not cross-examine
witnesses.
Jan. 23, 2013: Fite rules the 15-district
map is constitutional, writing “that
while not perfect, the council and the
Election Commission used the best voter
information available in a proper manner
in determining the number of voters in each
district.” He also writes “the Districts, while
not being exactly geometrical in shape, are
drawn so as to pass constitutional scrutiny.
It is the duty of the Council, not this Court,
to determine the exact boundaries of the
Districts.”
Jan. 25, 2013: The five councilors amend
their Supreme Court petition of Fite’s
rulings by listing 13 issues to be raised on
appeal, including whether non-contiguous
districts are constitutional and whether a
sitting councilor can represent a district
where he or she does not reside.
Feb. 22, 2013: The Supreme Court holds
a hearing to determine whether the five
councilors can intervene in the Tribal
Council’s case.
Feb. 27, 2013: The Supreme Court rules 4-1
that the 15-district map is constitutional.
“Granted, the districts are drawn are not
perfect but it cannot be said they are
unconstitutional.”
2013 Cherokee Nation Election Dates
Feb. 4: Absentee ballot request period begins
March 4-7: Candidates filings
March 8-25: Candidate eligibility review by
Election Commission
March 27: High Noon Drawing to
determine ballot order
April 1: Voter registration ends
May 10: Absentee ballot request period ends
May 28: Absentee ballots are mailed
June 22: general election
July 27: Runoff (if needed)
Chief Justice Darrell R. Dowty
Dowty takes over as
Supreme Court chief justice
Darrell R. Dowty becomes
the new chief justice via an
order signed by the court’s
justices.
BY STACIE GUTHRIE
Reporter
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – According to a
Cherokee Nation Supreme Court order signed
on Dec. 18, Justice Darrell R. Dowty was
named the court’s new chief justice, replacing
the outgoing Darell R. Matlock, whose term
on the court expired on Dec. 31.
The order amends the Supreme Court’s
Rule 163, which deals with the election of the
chief justice.
“The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
shall be a Justice who has two remaining years
left in his or her term of office and who has
served on the Court for two years prior to
his or her taking office as Chief Justice,” the
order states. “In the event no Justice qualifies
hereunder then the Justice that has four
remaining years left in his or her term of office
shall serve as Chief Justice. The Chief Justice
term of office shall expire upon the expiration
of his or her term of office as Justice.”
Justices Matlock, Dowty, John Garrett, James
Wilcoxen and Troy Wayne Poteete signed the
order. Angie Jones has since replaced Matlock
on the court. She was sworn into office on Jan. 2.
According to the CN judicial branch website,
Dowty began his service to the CN in 1999
after being appointed to the Judicial Appeals
Tribunal. It also states he served as chief justice
of the JAT from 2001-03 and as chief justice of
the Supreme Court from 2003-04.
According to the site, he also serves as an
associate justice of the Kaw Nation Supreme
Court, serves on the Prairie Band Potawatomi
District Court, the Sac and Fox Tribal District
Court and previously served the Kickapoo
Tribal District Court.
He has more than 25 years of service in the
prosecutorial arena, serving from 1995 to 2003
as first assistant district attorney in Tahlequah
with the primary responsibility for all major
felony prosecutions in the four-county district.
He served from 1993-95 in Stilwell as assistant
district attorney.
Dowty received his juris doctorate in 1976
from the University of Denver. He earned a
bachelor’s degree in business administration
from the University of Tulsa and attended the
Oklahoma Military Academy in Claremore, as
well as the Haskell Institute in Lawrence, Kan.
He has been a member of the Oklahoma Bar
Association since 1977.
[email protected]
918-453-5000, ext. 5903
Temporary injunction denied
in employee termination suit
An injunction would
have returned a former
Sequoyah football coach
and associate athletic
director to the payroll with
benefits.
38-02 and 26-01 would have allowed the
school board to have contracting authority,
but former Principal Chief Chad Smith vetoed
both acts.
Garcia also introduced Fargo v. Cherokee
Nation, which states that “unlike other
Oklahoma school districts, the school board at
Sequoyah is advisory only, the Nation’s human
resources department does the hiring and the
paperwork.”
Smith, who is defending Scott and Miller,
BY TESINA JACKSON
said
the Tribal Council passed Resolution
Reporter
72-86 that establishes the school board
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – On Feb. 20, District and delegates it the school’s operations,
Court Judge John Cripps denied a temporary including approving or disapproving school
injunction motion that would have placed two administrators’ employment. It also delegates
former Sequoyah High School employees back to the board proper due process for the
on the Cherokee Nation payroll with benefits. dismissal of school employees, he said.
Smith said because the resolution is still
Former football coach Brent Scott and
effective,
the two vetoed acts should be
Associate Athletic Director Dale Miller
filed a lawsuit against the CN and SHS considered void in the case.
“The law has not been changed. The law
Superintendent Leroy Qualls after receiving
is still what it was in
notifications of their firings
1986,” he said.
on Dec. 7. Their terminations
Garcia said although
took effect on Jan. 7.
Sequoyah High
the resolution spells
Scott, Miller and former
School is very unique out the board’s duties
SHS Athletic Director Larry
responsibilities, it
Griggs, who is not part of
among school boards and
reserves the ultimate
the suit, were placed on
decision-making
administrative leave after
in that with the way
power to the principal
the Oklahoma Secondary
our
school
board
is
chief ’s office.
School Activities Association
declared in October that 12
set up, it is advisory in “Sequoyah High
School is very unique
football players participated
nature.
among school boards
during the 2012 season while
ineligible. That declaration
– Robert Garcia, assistant in that with the way our
board is set up.
forced Sequoyah to forfeit all
attorney general school
It is advisory in nature,”
nine regular season victories,
he said. “They provide
its district title and a Class 3A
opinions,
recommendations,
and any sort of
playoffs spot.
The OSSAA declared the players and Scott contracts or anything that the school board
ineligible because in the summers of 2009 to 2012 might enter into, if they were to do so, would
Sequoyah paid for players to attend individual be acting under the authority designated to
them by the principal chief.”
sports camps, a violation of OSSAA rules.
According to Cripps’ ruling, the plaintiffs
According to court documents, the plaintiffs
allege Qualls, who signed the termination were given 20 days to answer or further plead
letters, violated their rights to due process by in the case. The order also states the tribe’s
“terminating their employment without cause.” motion to dismiss the case was dismissed.
Court documents state Qualls did not Also, Qualls was removed as a defendant in
consult or get the approval of the SHS board his personal capacity but remains one in his
of education to terminate the plaintiffs’ official capacity.
Scott was hired as head football coach on
employment as required by CN law and
that he breached the plaintiffs’ employment Aug. 9, 2004. Miller was hired on March 16,
agreements by failing to perform in good faith. 1992, and Grigg was hired on Aug. 4, 1997.
[email protected]
In a Feb. 15 hearing, CN Assistant Attorney
918-453-5000, ext. 6139
General Robert Garcia said Legislative Acts
cherokeephoenix.org
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Bill granting immunity
to tribal officials filed
BY LENZY KREIBHEL-BURTON
Native American Times
OKLAHOMA CITY – With more than 1,110 bills filed for the
upcoming Oklahoma state legislative session, several are aimed
directly at Indian Country.
Filed by state Rep. Wade Rousselot, D-Wagoner, House
Bill 1116 would grant legislators and councilors of federally
recognized tribes immunity from arrest or questioning by state
law officials while their tribe’s legislative branch is in session. The
waiver would not apply to felonies, treason or breach of the peace.
Rousselot’s district in Wagoner County straddles the boundary
between the Muscogee (Creek) and Cherokee nations. He did
not respond to emails and phone calls requesting comment.
According to campaign finance reports, Rousselot’s 2012
re-election campaign received $9,750 in contributions from
tribal governments, including $3,000 donations from both the
Cherokee Nation and Chickasaw Nation. The Osage Nation,
Muscogee (Creek) Nation and Choctaw Nation also appear on
the representative’s donor list.
Two pieces of legislation from Rousselot’s colleagues in
the House of Representatives would promote the state’s chief
negotiator with tribes to a cabinet-level post.
House Minority Whip Chuck Hoskin Sr., D-Vinita, and Native
American caucus co-chairman Paul Wesselhoft, R-Moore, have
filed separate identical bills that would make the state’s Native
American liaison the secretary for Native American Affairs and
cap the office’s annual salary at $65,000.
The position was created in during the 2011 legislative session
when the Oklahoma Indian Affairs Commission was abolished.
It was not filled until June 2012 when Gov. Mary Fallin appointed
Kaw Nation citizen Jacque Secondine Hensley. Similar legislation
was filed in during the 2012 session and amendments were
attempted during the 2011 session to include the provision in the
position’s original job description.
Members of the Oklahoma legislature’s Native American
caucus, Hoskin is a Cherokee Nation citizen and serves as chief
of staff for Principal Chief Bill John Baker. Wesselhoft is a Citizen
Potawatomi Nation citizen and serves in that tribe’s legislature.
The 2013 legislative session began on Feb. 4.
Bill to correct Carcieri ruling introduced
BY STAFF REPORTS
WASHINGTON – Reps. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Colleen
Hanabusa (D-Hawaii) introduced legislation on Feb. 13 that
would restore the authority of the Department of Interior to put
land into trust for all Indian tribes, regardless of when they were
federally recognized by the United States.
The bill corrects a 2009 Supreme Court case, Carcieri v. Salazar,
which broadly held that the Secretary of the Interior’s authority to
place land into trust under the Indian Reorganization Act applies
only to tribes that were “under federal jurisdiction” as of 1934.
“A legislative fix to the Carcieri decision has been a top priority
for Indian country since the case was decided in 2009,” said
Markey, the top Democrat on the Natural Resources Committee,
which has primary jurisdiction over Indian affairs in the House.
“Indeed, for four years, tribal sovereign authority to restore their
ancestral homelands, essential to tribal self-determination and
self-governance, has been under assault. Tribes from across the
country, including those whose federal status predate 1934 and
therefore beyond dispute, have been hauled into court to fight
meritless lawsuits challenging land into trust decisions. In fact,
a majority of those decisions authorized housing, health care
clinics and other government services that are vital to the stability
of tribal governments and the well-being of their citizens. It’s
well past time for Congress to act by fixing this judicially created
problem and reinstate the status quo.”
Hanabusa said the Supreme Court’s Carcieri decision ignored
the congressional intent of the Indian Reorganization Act of
1934 and reversed 75 years of secretarial authority to take land
into trust for Indian tribes.
“Our clean fix removes the uncertainty that Indian Country
is facing due to the decision,” Hanabusa, ranking member of the
Subcommittee on Indian and Alaska Native Affairs, said. “We
cannot ignore the strain this ruling has placed on tribes and the
dangerous precedent this decision sets. I am pleased to carry
on the work of Hawaii’s Sen. Daniel Akaka in proposing and
supporting a legislative fix for Carcieri’s misguided ruling and to
be working with Congressman Markey in introducing this bill.”
VAWA passes Senate, heads to House
BY STAFF REPORTS
WASHINGTON – In a 78–22 vote on Feb. 12, the Senate
passed the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act
with a net gain of 10 votes since the 2012 vote.
Now with support of more than three-quarters of the Senate,
the legislation heads to the House of Representatives and
includes Title IX, the constitutionally sound tribal jurisdiction
provisions authorizing tribal governments to prosecute nonIndian defendants involved in intimate relationships with Native
women and who assault these victims on tribal land.
Current federal laws do not authorize tribal law enforcement
or tribal courts to pursue any form of prosecution or justice
against these types of perpetrators.
Principal Chief Bill John Baker said the Senate’s passing the
VAWA was a great day for Oklahoma, the Cherokee Nation and
all of Indian Country.
“The heart of this is issue is protecting our daughters, our
aunts, our grandmothers, our sisters, and mothers from violent
offenders,” he said. “It is about doing the right thing and I
implore the U.S. House to move quickly and pass it. The vote
is an important step toward empowering the Cherokee Nation
to better protect our citizens. We must continue to push the
House to act to ensure that violent offenders will no longer be
able to slip through loopholes when they assault women in tribal
jurisdictional boundaries.”
U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said the tribal provisions
included in the VAWA reauthorization and originally proposed by
the Department of Justice will close a significant jurisdictional gap
that has left too many Native American women, precisely because
they are Native American, exposed to violence for far too long.
“The status quo is simply unacceptable and the Senate has today
acted courageously on behalf of our society’s most vulnerable,
who deserve not only equal justice but also our unquestionable
resolve to protect them,” Holder said.
In a statement, the National Congress of American Indians is
calling the recent votes on VAWA, including the latest bipartisan
vote, “a clear indication of agreement that the tribal provisions
are constitutional, and equally as important, that a final VAWA
must provide local tribal authorities the ability to pursue justice
for Native women and protect local communities.”
On Feb. 11, the Senate defeated the constitutionality question
by striking down an amendment offered by Oklahoma Sen. Tom
Coburn to strip the tribal provisions entirely from the bill.
“Today’s passage of the Violence Against Women Act in the
Senate, and previous votes to defeat harmful amendments to the
bill, sends a clear message to the House that a strong VAWA bill
with the tribal provisions must be passed immediately,” NCAI
President Jefferson Keel said. “Addressing violence against any
women, including Native women, is a priority of all Americans,
and the safety of both Native and non-Native communities
should not be marginalized. We look forward to members from
both parties coming together to deliver real policy solutions
that solve a problem that if left unaddressed, would leave Native
women and local communities in peril. Nothing could be more
unimaginable or reprehensible.”
Findings show that 34 percent of American Indian and Alaska
Native women will be raped in their lifetimes and 39 percent of
American Indian and Alaska Native women will be subjected to
violence by an intimate partner in their lifetimes.
The NCAI Task Force on Violence Against Women was
established in 2000 and has been working for 13 years to protect
the lives of Native American women and create more secure
tribal communities.
Okla., Ark. AGs sign Illinois River agreement
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP)
– The quality of water in
the Illinois River will be the
focus of a comprehensive,
three-year study under an
agreement announced on Feb.
20 by officials in Oklahoma
and Arkansas.
The
agreement
was
reached following months
of negotiations between
the
states
concerning
phosphorus limits in parts
of the river that travels
from Arkansas through 100
miles of eastern Oklahoma,
according
to
separate
statements by Oklahoma
Attorney General Scott
Pruitt and Arkansas Attorney
General Dustin McDaniel.
The agreement extends a
similar pact reached in 2003
after Oklahoma established
standards for allowable levels
of phosphorus released into the
Illinois River and other scenic
rivers from water treatment
plants, farming operations and
other sites that deposit excess
levels of phosphorus into the
river before it leaves Arkansas.
Oklahoma filed a lawsuit in
2005 against Arkansas poultry
companies that alleged poultry
waste had damaged portions
of the Illinois River watershed
in northeastern Oklahoma,
allowing bacteria to be carried
Shown is the Illinois River Watershed for Oklahoma and
Arkansas. Attorneys general for the two states have
agreed that the river’s quality will be the focus of a
three-year study. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
into lakes and streams popular
with boaters and campers.
The lawsuit is pending in U.S.
District Court in Tulsa.
“Generations
of
Oklahomans have enjoyed
the Illinois River for hunting,
fishing, camping and floating,
and their safety and enjoyment
of the river is paramount,”
Pruitt said. “This agreement
ensures that the progress
we’ve made will continue,
and that the river remains
a recreation destination for
future generations.”
The
2003
agreement
required Arkansas to upgrade
wastewater treatment plants
and limit other discharges
in the watershed. McDaniel
said extending the new
agreement eliminates the
potential for costly litigation
over Oklahoma’s phosphorous
standards in the watershed
– standards Arkansas has
maintained are unattainable.
“Arkansas has worked
diligently
to
reduce
phosphorus concentrations in
the Illinois River watershed
over the last decade, and
we will continue to do so,”
McDaniel said. “The results of
this study will guide farmers,
businesses and municipalities
in northwest Arkansas in
their future planning, as both
Arkansas and Oklahoma
remain
committed
to
improving water quality.”
The study, known as a
stressor
response
study,
will determine the amount
of phosphorus that can
be contained within the
watershed without negatively
impacting water quality. It
will use U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency-approved
methods
that
ensure
scientifically reliable data
collection and analysis.
A six-member committee
will oversee the study and
decide who will conduct
it. Arkansas is responsible
for securing the estimated
$600,000 the study is expected
to cost. The funds will be
administered by the ArkansasOklahoma Arkansas River
Compact Commission, which
includes representatives from
both states.
Officials from both states
have agreed to be bound by the
study’s findings. Oklahoma’s
phosphorous standard will
remain in effect while the
study is conducted.
The EPA is conducting
a separate study that will
establish permit limits for
all dischargers in the Illinois
River watershed.
MarCh 2013 • CHEROKEE PHOENIX
3
aCreS
from front page
to land lock so people had to get permission and go through
Cherokee Nation,” Halterman said.
She said by doing this it cuts down on trespassers, with which
the CN has frequent problems.
The $120,000 purchase of 160 acres in Sequoyah
County known as the Thompson tract was also
purchased in November 2010. It also allows for more
access to tribal properties.
In May 2011, the tribe bought the Patrick tract, a .8-acre
property in Cherokee County purchased for office space. It
cost $250,000 and is located across from the tribe’s Human
Resources in Tahlequah.
“It was on the auction block and it was an excellent
location,” Halterman said.
Also purchased for office space was the Munson tract
in July 2011. Located across from the Tribal Complex, it
comprised 2 acres that cost $375,000.
The Tillery, First State Bank and Hendren tracts located
in Delaware County, as well as the Lackey and Issacs tracts
located in Adair County, were purchased for the Housing
Authority of Cherokee Nation.
The Tillery tract was 177.5 acres, cost $501,438 and was
purchased in May 2011. The First State Bank tract was 440
acres, cost $712,500 and was purchased in June 2011. The
Hendren tract was 40 acres, cost $49,000 and was purchased
in May 2012. The Lackey and Issacs tracts totaled more than
117.5 acres, cost more than $213,000 and were purchased in
November 2011 and June 2012, respectively.
In October 2011, the Beck’s Mill tract in Delaware County,
along with its entrance, were purchased for $151,981 and
totaled 39.2 acres.
“It was actually landlocked unless you bought the acreage
on the front. So (with) both properties, we would have the
mill and the entrance to the mill,” Halterman said.
The mill, also known as Hildebrand’s Mill, is about
five miles west of the Cherokee Casino & Hotel
West Siloam Springs and was bought for its historic
significance, she added.
The mill was where former Cherokee lawman Zeke
Proctor fatally shot Polly Beck after she jumped in front
of Jim Kesterson, a white man who had married and
abandoned Proctor’s sister and their two children. Proctor
was aiming for Kesterson.
“All the pieces of the building we have, and a lot of the
stuff that was in the mill we have,” Halterman said.
The tribe has also bought a restricted property in Adair
County called the Annie Beaver tract. It consisted of 140
acres and cost $140,000. Before the purchase, the tribe
owned land on three sides of the property.
“We did what we usually do with purchases like that. It
had to go to court. If her family had wanted to buy it they
could have showed up. They didn’t do so we carried through
with it,” Halterman said. “She wanted Cherokee Nation to
have it and wanted to sell it.”
In January, the tribe purchased 22 acres in Jay to build a
new $7 million health center. According to county records,
that property cost $350,000.
The acreage is located on Main Street across from
Jay Public Schools, near the Cherokee Nation Food
Distribution Center. According to county records, it was
purchased from Mary Ann Kelly Hackathorn, trustee of
the Anna Mae Kelly Trust.
CNB Purchases
CNB purchased in April 2011 a 40-acre tract in Cherokee
County located near the intersection of Highways 62 and
82 from Donn F. and Sharon G. Baker, according to CNB
documents. It cost $1 million.
Donn Baker is the brother of Principal Chief Bill John
Baker, but the property was purchased under former
Principal Chief Chad Smith’s administration.
In July 2011, CNB purchased .92 acres from the Adair
County Indian Credit Association in Jay for $110,000. The
property now houses CNB’s industrial laundry facility.
In September 2011, CNB purchased 191.40 acres in
Cherokee County from the county sheriff ’s office for
$910,000. The property was sold pursuant to a judge’s order.
In November 2011, Cherokee Nation Property
Management, a CNB subsidiary, made a $3 million
purchase for property located in the MidAmerica Industrial
Park in Pryor. The purchase consisted of 22.2 acres and a
143,000-square-foot building.
“At the time, our telecommunications portfolio was
operating at capacity and we were able to relocate that
division from Tahlequah to Pryor and add additional lines
of business and create more jobs,” CNB CEO Shawn Slaton
said. “Today, the Pryor property is operating at capacity, so
we are looking at how the former American Woodmark
building may be able to support our programs that are
running out of space. In order for our many diversified
business operations to continue growing, they need the
capacity or space to expand.”
This past October, CNPM purchased the American
Woodmark Building in Tahlequah, which includes 20.57
acres as well as a 298,850-square-foot building. The property
cost more than $5.3 million.
In December, CNB purchased a 35.17-acre tract
located in Nowata County from Nancy Hartman, trustee
of the Marian Ball Revocable Trust. According to CNB
documents, it is currently closed in escrow for tax purposes
per the seller’s request.
Also in December, CNPM purchased 311 acres in
Tahlequah that consisted of the Cherry Springs Golf Course
and vacant pasture land along Hwy. 62. According to CNB
documents, the sale contained the golf course, a restaurant,
clubhouse as well as the pasture land. According to county
records, the land cost $7 million.
“We believe this is a great long-term investment for
Cherokee Nation Businesses. Not only did we get it at a
great price, but it is the largest tract of undeveloped acreage
in a growing area of the Nation’s capital. It will be great for
future commercial or retail development,” Slaton said. “The
goal with every investment and development opportunity
is creating jobs for Cherokees throughout the Cherokee
Nation and a financial return to support further business
diversification and funding for Cherokee Nation services.”
Donations
In October 2010 and February 2011, CN received
donations of three lots in Nowata County, which will most
likely be used for housing tracts.
“They’re little subdivisions. We had some housing sites
donated in three different subdivisions, I believe, up there,
located in the town of Nowata,” Halterman said. “They
identified several tracts of land there in town that were
run down and they were trying to work with our housing
authority to get the population to expand. They gave it to us.
We in turn build a house. We put someone there and it goes
on the tax rolls and helps them and helps us.”
[email protected]
918-453-5560
4
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2013
Tribes to gain
Cherokee elders push to free bears at private zoos
CHEROKEE, N.C. (AP) – Peggy Hill was
disaster declaration outraged.
After watching a video of bears
endlessly circling their tiny enclosures at a
authority
privately owned zoo on the Eastern Band of
BY STAFF REPORTS
WASHINGTON – Tribal nations will soon
have the same ability provided to states to
make disaster relief declarations and requests
for assistance directly to the president of the
United States.
In a 62-36 vote on Jan. 28, the U.S.
Senate passed House Resolution 152, the
Hurricane Sandy Emergency Supplemental
Appropriations bill, which includes
amendments to allow tribal governments
to make direct requests for emergency
assistance to the president under the Stafford
Act.
Under current law, tribes must seek
assistance through a state governor’s office,
often causing critical delays in emergency
response on tribal lands. The legislation,
which also includes $50 billion in Hurricane
Sandy relief funding, passed 241-180 in the
House of Representatives two weeks prior
and was expected to be signed into law by
President Obama.
“Some tribal nations in the U.S., many
in remote areas, are larger than some states
and every tribal nation has unique disaster
response and recovery requests. The final
passage of this bill marks a historic moment
in tribal emergency preparedness and
response,” Jefferson Keel, National Congress
of American Indians president, said. “Our
nations, devastated too often by natural
disasters with disproportionate impacts, will
be more capable to respond immediately to
major disasters, and the bipartisan support
for this legislation should not go unnoticed.”
NCAI further acknowledges that
the Federal Emergency Management
Administration made the tribal amendments
to the Stafford Act its sole legislative priority
under Administrator Craig Fugate’s direction.
The need for this critical policy change has
been called for repeatedly in FEMA tribal
consultations and meetings with tribal
leaders during NCAI conventions.
“State and tribal governments will now be
able to access disaster assistance as needed to
aid the people, local communities, and regions
in recovering quickly from catastrophic
situations,” said NCAI Deputy Director
Robert Holden. “NCAI looks forward to
the signature of this landmark legislation by
President Obama. NCAI is prepared to work
with FEMA to ensure its implementation
contains fair and inclusive eligibility criteria
and will benefit the maximum number of
tribal communities.”
Holden is the longtime coordinator of
emergency management policy and response
efforts for the NCAI.
Cherokee Indians’ Qualla Boundary, she knew
she had to act.
Hill and other EBCI citizens began pressing
their Tribal Council to force that zoo and two
others on the boundary to free the bears.
Now it appears EBCI leaders are ready to
tackle the issue.
At a contentious meeting in February, the
Tribal Council said it’s considering a resolution
introduced by Hill and supporters to revoke
the zoos’ licenses and require the owners to
remove the bears from captivity.
The council said it will study the issue, and
the resolution could come up for a vote at its
March meeting.
Hill, 72, said this is the first time that
Cherokee elders have publicly spoken out
about the issue.
“Most Cherokee people had no idea what
was taking place behind the bars of these
roadside zoos,” Hill said. She said elders are
so appalled “at the horrible treatment of these
jailed bears” that they decided to take action.
It is the latest development in the long,
public campaign to close the zoos where more
than two dozen black, Asian and grizzly bears
are confined in cages and barren concrete pits.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
has filed complaints with federal regulators
and Cherokee leaders about the bears’ living
conditions. In 2012, PETA posted billboards
in the area, calling the bear zoos “prisons” and
noting an incident in which a 9-year-old girl
was bitten while feeding a baby bear.
The boundary’s three roadside zoos –
Cherokee Bear Zoo, Chief Saunooke Bear Park
and Santa’s Land – are inspected by the U.S.
Department of Agriculture, which enforces
the federal Animal Welfare Act. The Eastern
Band’s wildlife office also inspects the zoos.
The USDA in January suspended the Chief
Saunooke Bear Park’s exhibitor’s license and
fined the owner $20,000 over inhumane
conditions. Inspectors found that the zoo was
failing to provide the bears with appropriate
food, proper veterinary care and a safe enclosure.
The suspension is in place until inspectors
determine the facility complies with animal
welfare standards.
Former game show host and longtime
animal-rights activist Bob Barker recently
predicted that tourists will avoid Cherokee
Indian attractions in North Carolina until the
tribe stops the zoos from displaying bears in
cramped enclosures.
EBCI Principal Chief Michell Hicks said
he found the comments from Barker and
PETA offensive.
Delcianna Winders, PETA’s director of captive
animal law, said her group will continue fighting
to free the bears from captivity and was thrilled
that the elders have gotten involved in the issue.
A screenshot of the Appalachian Cherokee Nation Inc.’s website.
GroUPS
from front page
“They said if we get our state recognition
we’ll make history because then we will prove
that the Cherokee Indians were in Virginia and
are still in Virginia,” Rosalee “Sacred Sparrow”
Evans, ACN councilor and genealogist, said.
Cherokee Nation Attorney General Todd
Hembree said although the CN doesn’t object
to individuals gathering to explore their
Cherokee heritage, it’s problematic when
groups seek recognition as tribes.
“As far as we are concerned there are
three federally recognized tribes or bands of
Cherokee Indians. That would be the Cherokee
Nation, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians
and the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee
Indians, and that process of recognition is
purely a federally process not a state process,”
he said.
Hembree said the U.S. Constitution gives
Congress the power to regulate commerce
among the states and Indian tribes, making
tribal recognition a federal issue.
“And when you get groups or organizations
who look to get state recognition, it muddies
the water and it gives those organizations
opportunities to apply for grants or other
funding that may very well eat into the ability
for the government to fund programs of
federally recognized tribes,” he said.
Evans said gaining state recognition is not
about receiving funds, but being recognized.
“We don’t want to take anything away from
anybody,” she said. “We want to be recognized.
We want to be acknowledged.”
Evans also said the ACN is adamant about
members providing documents showing their
Cherokee ancestry, which is checked by the
groups’ genealogists.
“What upsets us so much is that everybody is so
busy downing us, but they’re not asking us for any
documentation,” she said. “It’s just devastating.”
To become an ACN member, an applicant
must have a preliminary interview with the
chief before completing an application and
submitting a genealogical chart, which is
checked by the groups’ genealogists. There
is also a $25 processing application fee. If
approved, members must pay a membership
fee of $25 per year.
The ACN currently has 287 members, said
Roosevelt “Silver Fox” Dillard, who serves as
its head warrior, sheriff and roll keeper.
Hembree said he finds it suspect when
organizations that hold themselves as tribal
nations ask people to pay application or
membership fees.
“I’m a citizen of the Cherokee Nation. I’ve
never had to pay a due to be a citizen of the
Cherokee Nation, nor should I,” he said. “I
didn’t have to pay an application fee when my
parents enrolled me in the Cherokee Nation.
That is part of sovereignty, and that is one
thing that a lot of these groups don’t have is a
sense of sovereignty.”
Audrey “Whispering Wind” Dillard, ACN
vice chief and head of the Woman’s Council,
said the fees go the group’s needs as well as its
scholarship fund.
“The funds that are collected are used to be
put forth for whatever is needed within the
tribe,” she said.
As for the tabled recognition bills, if they
pass the Rules Committee they would go
before the full Senate.
“If the Senate doesn’t make any changes, it
goes directly to the governor for a signature,”
Hembree said. “If there were changes on the
Senate side, then it would go to conference
committee between the (state) House and the
Senate to come up with an agreed version that
would go to the governor.”
The Cherokee Phoenix attempted to contact
the United Cherokee Indian Tribe of Virginia
but was unsuccessful.
[email protected]
918-453-5000, ext. 6139
A bear walks in a concrete pit at the Chief Saunooke Bear Park in Cherokee, N.C., in
this 2012 photo. PHOTOS COURTESY PEOPLE FOR THE ETHICAL TREATMENT OF ANIMALS
“This has given a black eye to the community,”
she said of the issue.
The EBCI has allowed caged animals as a
tourism draw since the 1950s.
For years, the tribe in the picturesque Blue
Ridge Mountains has depended on its natural
landscape and wildlife to attract tourists. But now,
many people come to western North Carolina for
the EBCI casino, which opened in 1997.
Hill said she didn’t know about the zoos
until January, when she watched an online
video from what PETA called an undercover
investigation of Chief Saunooke Bear Park.
The video showed bears rocking back
and forth and circling in the tiny pits. One
man identified by PETA as a park employee
discusses killing a bear that bit someone by
shooting it 20 times in the head. He claims he
later ate the animal.
“I was so angry when I saw that video,” Hill said.
At the February Tribal Council meeting,
Hill appealed to EBCI citizens to pass the
resolution. So did other Cherokee elders.
Hicks didn’t return telephone calls for comment.
But he released a statement, saying he wanted to
give private zoo owners the opportunity to create
a wildlife preserve on the boundary.
“Exhibiting and celebrating our wildlife has
long been part of Cherokee’s economy, and I
believe it’s important to continue to showcase
our bears and other wildlife. However, we need
to create a more animal friendly environment
for these animals,” his statement read.
Tribal Councilor Perry Shell said action
must be taken.
“We all know it’s wrong,” he said. “But we don’t
need PETA coming in here to tell us it’s wrong.”
Still, it was the PETA video that “forced us to
do something,” said Amy Walker, a Cherokee
who supports closing the zoos.
Sylvester Crowe, 74, said some Cherokees
were against the roadside bear exhibits when
they began appearing on the reservation in the
1950s.
“Nobody listened to them and they gave up,
and the younger generation came along and
accepted it,” he said. “We have a chance to right
that wrong.”
A bear identified as Puddin shows its
broken left canine tooth in this 2012
photo. The bear is kept at the Chief
Saunooke Bear Park in Cherokee, N.C.
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Mascot symposium: ‘Redskins’ racist
WASHINGTON (AP) – As a Native
American, former Colorado Sen. Ben
Nighthorse Campbell lists four nicknames
he finds offensive: savage, squaw, buck
and redskin.
“It’s fine if you want to be a savage – use your
own picture,” Campbell said.
Hurtful names and racial stereotypes were
discussed and dissected on Feb. 7 in a daylong
symposium at the Smithsonian’s National
Museum of the American Indian, only a short
stroll from the U.S. Capitol and right in the
heart of Washington Redskins country.
“There’s certain words you can’t cover up and
hide,” Campbell said. “They’re wrong to the
beginning and they’re wrong to the end.”
The Redskins, in particular, took a beating
from panelists and audience members in
a packed auditorium that included many
Native Americans and others joining them
in solidarity. Organizers say the team did not
respond to an invitation to participate, and no
one from the audience defended the Redskins
name as the discussions continued into the
mid-afternoon.
Washington, D.C., native and University of
North Florida professor E. Newton Jackson got
a round of applause when he said he stopped
using the nickname decades ago. The Redskins
have often said that their name and logo honors
Native Americans, but he wasn’t buying that
argument at all.
“How does one person tell another that
they honor them, when I’m telling you that
what you’re saying is not honoring me?”
Jackson said.
Then there’s the point Campbell said he often
makes to African-American Redskins fans:
“How you would like for us to change the name
The artwork that accompanied the Racist Stereotypes and Cultural Appropriation in
American Sports seminar held Feb. 7 at the National Museum of the American Indian
in Washington, D.C. COURTESY OF NMAI
of that team to the Washington Darkies?”
Momentum is on the side of those
advocating a change, although Redskins owner
Dan Snyder has been adamant about keeping
the name, a stance reiterated last week by NFL
Commissioner Roger Goodell. On Feb. 5,
Washington Mayor Vincent Gray specifically
avoided saying the name of franchise in his
State of the District speech and instead referred
to “our Washington football team.”
Landowner asks $3.9M for part of Wounded Knee site
But Oglala
Sioux leaders
say the nearly $4
million price tag
for a property
appraised at less
than $7,000 is too
much.
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) –
One of the country’s poorest
Native American tribes wants
to buy a historically significant
piece of land where 300 of
their ancestors were killed, but
tribal leaders say the nearly $4
million price tag for a property
appraised at less than $7,000 is
just too much.
James Czywczynski is trying
to sell a 40-acre fraction of
the Wounded Knee National
Historic Landmark on the
Pine Ridge Indian Reservation
to the Oglala Sioux Tribe.
The land sits adjacent to a
gravesite where about 150 of
the 300 Lakota men, women
and children killed by the 7th
Cavalry in 1890 are buried.
Czywczynski, whose family
has owned the property since
1968, recently gave the tribe
an ultimatum: purchase the
land for $3.9 million or he will
open up bidding to non-Native
Americans. He said he has
been trying to sell the land to
the tribe for years.
The ultimatum comes right
before the tribe is poised to
receive about $20 million from
This Feb. 7, 2012, photo shows a cross on a grave at the Wounded Knee National
Historic landmark in South Dakota. James Czywczynski, 75, is trying to sell a 40-acre
fraction of the landmark for $3.9 million to the Oglala Sioux Tribe. ASSOCIATED PRESS
the Cobell lawsuit— a $3.4
billion settlement stemming
from a class-action lawsuit
filed over American Indian
land royalties mismanaged by
the government for more than
a century.
“I think it’s ridiculous that
he’s putting a price on it like
that,” said Kevin Yellow Bird
Steele, a Tribal Councilor from
the Wounded Knee district,
who thinks Czywczynski is
putting pressure on the tribe
because of the impending
money. “We need to come
down to earth and be realistic.
We’re not rich. We’re not a rich
tr ibe.”
Czywczynski insists the site’s
historical significance adds
value.
Along with its proximity to
the burial grounds, the land
includes the site of a former
trading post burned down
during the 1973 Wounded
Knee uprising, in which
hundreds of American Indian
Movement protesters occupied
the town built at the site of the
1890 massacre. The 71-day
standoff that left two tribal
members dead and a federal
agent seriously wounded is
credited with raising awareness
about
Native
American
struggles and giving rise to a
wider protest movement that
lasted the rest of the decade.
Czywczynski, who also
I think it’s ridiculous that he’s putting a is trying to sell another 40acre piece of nearby land to
price on it like that.
the tribe for $1 million, also
– Kevin Yellow Bird Steele, a Tribal Councilor noted a coalition of Sioux
from the Wounded Knee district tribes raised $9 million in
December to buy land about
100 miles away in the Black
Hills – although the Oglala
Sioux Tribe did not contribute
to that effort.
“I’m getting older now and
my family and myself want to
dispose of this property,” said
Czywczynski, 75, who now
lives in Rapid City. “We just
want to see it in the hands of
the Indian people rather than
put it on the open market to
the public.”
Craig Dillon, a Tribal
Councilor on the Land
Committee, said he would like
to see the tribe buy the land at
Wounded Knee because then
they could build a museum
commemorating the massacre
with artifacts, food vendors
and a place for local artists to
sell their art to visitors.
“But with the price the way it
is, I don’t think the tribe could
ever buy it,” Dillon said.
The best chance is likely to hit Snyder in
the pocketbook by getting the U.S. Patent
and Trademark Office to void the trademark.
A group of American Indians made progress
on that front during a 17-year court battle
that came to a halt in 2009 because it was
ruled that the plaintiffs waited too long to
file their original case. There is now a new
case filed by younger plaintiffs that is due for
a hearing next month.
Suzan Shown Harjo, president of the
Washington-based Morning Star Institute,
an advocacy group, said there are some 900
troublesome nicknames and mascots across the
country, down from a peak of more than 3,000.
Among the first to go in the early 1970s was
“Little Red,” who used to dance at University of
Oklahoma games.
The latest to make the change are the
students at Cooperstown high school in upstate
New York, who voted this week to ditch their
“Redskins” nickname. The school, located in
the hometown of “The Last of the Mohicans”
author James Fenimore Cooper, is considering
“Deerslayers,” “Hawkeyes” and “Pathfinders.”
Among the other nicknames and mascots
to come scrutiny at the symposium was a redskinned image named “Mr. Yakoo” used by the
North Quincy Red Raiders at a high school in
Massachusetts.
“We consider it racial profiling,” Campbell
said. “I think more and more people are
recognizing it.”
One speaker wondered where to draw
the line with such political correctness,
questioning whether the Boston Celtics name
and leprechaun logo might rankle the Irish.
“Leprechauns really don’t exist,” Jackson
replied quickly, eliciting a roomful of laughter.
Admitted meth
cook bonds out
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. (AP) – A grandmother arrested in
early February after a 2-year-old suffered chemical burns
has bonded out of jail, according to Cherokee County
Detention Center employees.
Cherokee Nation citizen Brenda Vann, 54, of Tahlequah,
was being held on a $75,000 bond for endeavoring to
manufacture methamphetamine and child endangerment.
Investigators were called to a Tahlequah hospital on Feb.
1 to check on a 27-month-old girl who had been taken in
by her mother and grandmother, Vann.
According to an affidavit filed in Cherokee County
District Court, Vann and the toddler’s mother discovered
the toddler had severe burns on her body that afternoon.
Authorities have said the injuries stretch from the girl’s
armpit down the side of her body.
While at the hospital, Vann told investigators she didn’t
know what happened to the baby, though the toddler had
been in her care for several days.
Investigators said they later asked Vann if she uses
narcotics, and Vann admitted she has been hooked on
meth for about 30 years, but that she uses less now than
in the past. She allegedly told authorities she last cooked
meth on Jan. 24 and also admitted she left the hospital on
Feb. 1 – before workers from the Department of Human
Services arrived – and went home to remove chemicals
from the house and put them into a white Ford Explorer.
Vann allegedly said she was afraid DHS would go
through the house and see the items. According to
investigators, Vann continued to deny knowing what had
happened to the toddler.
According to the affidavit, doctors told investigators the
burns on the baby could have been up to 48 hours old and
were consistent with some type of chemical, though they
wanted to consult with a professional to determine exactly
what sort of chemical was involved.
Investigators were able to obtain a search warrant for
Vann’s home and the Ford Explorer. They spotted the
toddler’s pink shirt, which contained a burn mark, inside
the home. Cherokee County Undersheriff Jason Chennault
said the home was also littered with dog and cat feces.
Authorities found a lengthy list of items inside the
vehicle, including an ice chest with bags of a white
substance and several paraphernalia items such as straws,
foil, light bulbs and a smoking device; Coleman fuel; a
bottle containing a two-layer liquid; a jug of muriatic acid;
needles; digital scales; a purple backpack with a jug of
muriatic acid; and another bag with drain openers, coffee
filters, a white substance and other items.
The toddler was placed into custody of Cherokee
Nation’s Indian Child Welfare services, according to
investigators. The investigation is ongoing.
6
OPINION • Zlsz
CHEROKEE PHOENIX • MarCh 2013
March 2013
Volume 37, No. 3
Bryan Pollard
Executive Editor
(Cherokee)
Travis Snell
Assistant Editor
(Cherokee)
Mark Dreadfulwater
Multimedia Editor
(Cherokee)
Dena Tucker
Administrative Officer
(Cherokee)
Will Chavez
Senior Reporter
(Cherokee/San Felipe Pueblo)
Jami Custer
Reporter
(Cherokee)
Tesina Jackson
Reporter
(Cherokee)
Roger Graham
Media Specialist
(Cherokee)
Nicole Hill Carter
Advertising Coordinator
(Cherokee)
Joy Rollice
Secretary
(Cherokee)
Chelsea Moser
Intern
(Cherokee)
Stacie Guthrie
Intern
(Cherokee)
Anna Sixkiller
Linguist
(Cherokee)
Editorial Board
John Shurr
(Cherokee)
Jason Terrell
(Cherokee)
Robert Thompson III
(Cherokee)
Gerald Wofford
(Cherokee)
Clarice Doyle
(Cherokee)
Cherokee Phoenix
P.O. Box 948
Tahlequah, OK 74465
(918) 453-5269
FAX: (918) 207-0049
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Oklahoma Press
Association
Native American
Journalists Association
Who’s paying?
2013
Talking Circles
I recently received a large multifold, full-color flier titled ‘Promises
Made - Promises Kept” from Principal Chief Bill John Baker that
looked much like a political mailer, since it was all about his campaign
promises, had two photos of him and about 20 mentions of his name.
However, it also had the seal of the Cherokee Nation on it, which left
me wondering who paid for it.
At the risk of seeming impertinent, I must ask: Was the mailer
paid for from Baker’s campaign chest or from the Cherokee Nation
budget? If the Nation, should our government pay for such backslapping of an official? And either way I’m curious to know just how
much it actually cost to produce and distribute.
Steve Bankhead
Watsonville, Calif.
Bring back the 15 districts
Ewf #>hAmh • AnIl9
The Cherokee Nation Constitution Article VI, Section 3 dictates
that the Tribal Council shall establish 15 representative districts within
the Nation’s boundaries with reasonable division of citizenship. This
constitution was authored in 1999 and ratified in 2003 at which time
it became the Nation’s guiding law.
It is now 2013 and we still are operating without 15 representative
districts. This clearly was not the intent of the framers of our
constitution.
In 2012, the council, under the leadership of Speaker Tina GloryJordan and Vice Speaker Chuck Hoskin Jr., finally took on the hard
task of redistricting. This plan, as is true with most legislation, was
the result of much public debate and compromise. The end result is
that the majority of the council passed a law affording all CN citizens
representation that is consistent with the constitution.
The three council people elected to serve what is now District 5
opposed the new redistricting plan and filed every possible legal
challenge to prevent it from being enacted as the law. The judge
considered these challenges and determined they were without merit
and that the redistricting plan passed by the council and signed by the
principal chief are legal and constitutional. These same council people
have now promised they will file an appeal.
It is time for our council people to respect the legislative process and
drop the effort to have the judicial system overturn the law. Hopefully
they focus all their efforts on working within the legislative system to
which they were elected. I applaud the passion of our council people
and hope they will redirect this passion to matters that will directly
improve the welfare of the Cherokee people.
Keith Austin
Claremore, Okla.
Editor’s Note: Article VI, Section 3 of the 1999 Constitution states that council
“shall establish representative districts which shall be within the boundaries
of the Cherokee Nation. Fifteen of those seats shall be apportioned to afford a
reasonably equal division of citizenship among the districts…” Also, Cherokee
voters approved the tribe’s 1999 Constitution in 2003, but the tribe didn’t begin
operating under it until 2006 following a ruling by the Nation’s high court.
CHIeF’S PerSPeCTIVe
a life well lived
BY BILL JOHN BAKER
Principal Chief
Editor’s Note: Principal Chief Bill John
Baker delivered the following tribute at
the Feb. 5 memorial service for former
Secretary of State Charles Head as a
celebration of his life and career. Head died
at age 63 on Jan. 30 in a car wreck.
Charles Head lived a life well lived.
Charles served his country in combat
in Vietnam and then with the federal
government. As importantly, Charles
served our Nation and we are blessed
for it. When I took office I said I wanted
to surround myself with the best and the
brightest and Charles was both.
He first served our Nation as executive
director of finance then served as liaison to
the U.S. Department of Agriculture then as
our secretary of state.
These are titles. What is important is
Charles served. He was not just Cherokee,
he lived Cherokee.
Living Cherokee means taking care
of others. So Charles recently attended a
Teen Youth Summit because he thought it
important the generation that follows us is
as proud of our heritage as the generation
that preceded us.
Living Cherokee for Charles meant being
a good husband and father. And he and
Frances raised two children and became
a shining example to
six grandchildren.
I visited with the
family a few days
ago and they were
surprised to hear how
critically important
Charles was to our
Nation. No one had
more on his plate
than Charles. Yet when he pulled into the
driveway and stepped out of that car his
family was immediately the most important
thing in his life and his sole focus.
Living Cherokee means using our past to
help guide our future. Charles was always
a steady hand. He was quick to smile and
his keen intellect allowed us to send him
any project and know if would be handled
thoroughly and professionally.
Living Cherokee is not to judge but to
help. Charles had a great deal of capacity,
compassion and common sense. He could
relate to the poorest of the poor or richest
of the rich. He was just as comfortable in
Washington, D.C., as he was at any level
of a hog fry, whether helping cook, eat or
clean up.
I watched him represent us well in every
setting. And it was not just Charles. He and
Frances were a team – a partnership. They
loved to travel together. Frances, you will
travel with Charles again one day when the
Lord decides it’s time.
Two days before he passed away we
visited in his office. He was telling me
how happy he was he made the decision
to come back to the tribe. He was perhaps
the busiest person in our administration.
He was passionately involved in setting
up a task force to fight violence against
women and mental health issues – those
deep social issues that affect too many of
our families.
We will name the first place we build
to give safe shelter to victims of domestic
violence after Charles. Even in heaven he
will be making a difference.
Charles was a dear friend. He was a
Christian who was proud to state such,
and he lived as a Christian. And for that
we have no doubt he is looking down on
us today.
No one will miss him more than Frances
and the kids and grandkids. But know that
there is a hole in the heart of the Cherokee
Nation as well. I close with a Cherokee
prayer: As I walk the trail of life, In the fear
of the wind and rain, Grant O Great Spirit,
That I may always walk like a man.
Charles always walked like a man. A
Cherokee. Frances, and your beautiful
family, please know that the Cherokee
Nation will always be here for you. Charles
we will miss you. Wado for all you did for
all of us.
[email protected]
918-453-5618
CoUnCILor’S PerSPeCTIVe
Do all Cherokees count or just a few?
BY CARA COWAN
WATTS
Tribal Councilor
The legal and
political
battle
will continue as
Tribal Councilors
Buel Anglen, Lee
Keener, Jack Baker,
Julia Coates and I take our lawsuit to the
Cherokee Nation Supreme Court.
We five are in the council minority with
respect to policy issues and best ways to
allocate tribal dollars. Just because we are
the minority does not mean we should stop
fighting to uphold our constitution.
In 2010, I was one of two councilors who
fought to address significant population
changes throughout the CN. In court,
my lawsuit took on then-Principal Chief
Chad Smith, the Election Commission and
most of the other councilors. Without the
2010 lawsuit, Rogers County and other
communities would not be adequately
represented in Tahlequah based on actual
CN citizenship population. We gained
Councilor Keener’s seat because we proved
in court using tribal registrar data there
was a significant change in Cherokee
population for Rogers County.
We are fighting for all Cherokees. If we
lose the court battle, several counties will
lose political representation as well as
monies and resources.
The result of the redistricting legislation,
if upheld in court, could prevent Councilor
Anglen from running for office in the June
22 election and assigns me to a new Dist. 13
where I do not live. It is then possible that I
could be sued and removed from office for
not living in the district.
If I were removed, then the Tribal
Council could appoint an interim councilor
to fill the seat. There would be no election
by the Cherokee people of Rogers County
if less than one year remains in my fouryear term.
If I am removed from office before
my term ends in 2015, we will be in a
constitutional crisis. I was elected by 76
percent of voters in my district in 2011 for
a four-year term that is to last until Aug. 14,
2015. Redistricting me out of office before
2015 is unconstitutional.
If we were to roll over and stop fighting,
Rogers, Tulsa, Mayes and Delaware county
Cherokees would be disenfranchised by
the politicians in Tahlequah.
District Judge Bart Fite overturned
his 2010 decision. In 2010, he ruled
“Further, citizens names may not be
arbitrarily stricken from the rolls in this
apportionment simply because the mail
was returned as undeliverable or as having
a ‘bad address.’”
Rogers, Tulsa, Mayes and Delaware
counties are being penalized for having
911 addressing, which created scores of
bad addresses and thus decreased our
population by thousands of Cherokees.
If the redistricted map stands as is, the
communities represented by councilors in
the minority lose population due to “bad
addresses” and serve significantly larger
populations. If the map passed includes all
Cherokees at their last known addresses,
10 of the 15 districts exceed a 10 percent
deviation from ideal.
Rogers County is split into four
districts whose councilors will also serve
Washington, Nowata, Tulsa and Mayes
counties.
The small northern portion of Tulsa
County within the tribal jurisdiction
is divided into three districts whose
councilors will also serve Rogers,
Washington and Nowata counties. The
town of Skiatook is split into three districts.
If we do not win our Supreme Court
case, Rogers and Tulsa counties are not
the only communities impacted. Mayes
County is carved into four districts whose
councilors will also serve Rogers, Delaware
and Ottawa counties. Delaware County is
divided into two districts whose councilors
will also serve Ottawa and Mayes counties.
Cherokee County and Adair County
district boundaries are just strange with a
teardrop shape emerging by a thread from
the northern portion of Cherokee County
and a diagonal cut across Adair County
with a jump across the top to pick up a far
corner that may or may not be attached to
the district assigned the far corner.
The legislative record is vague with no
legal or written descriptions ensuring
the map passed in council is even being
implemented properly. In addition, there
are no written redistricting principles
or rules to govern fairness on keeping
traditional communities intact or
maintaining other public interests.
My term ends in 2015 and because of
term limits I cannot run again. Therefore,
I am not fighting for my re-election. I’m
fighting for all Cherokees to be counted
with fair and equal representation on the
Tribal Council.
If this lawsuit fails, Rogers, Tulsa,
Mayes and Delaware counties stand to
lose millions each year in monies for local
nonprofits, law enforcement, roads and
bridges.
To read the court documents, visit www.
cherokeecourts.org.
[email protected]
918-752-4342
COuNCIl • d/wWf
2013 Ewf #>hAmh • AnIl9
MarCh 2013 • CHEROKEE PHOENIX
7
Council expands concurrent enrollment eligibility
High school juniors
and home-schooled
students within the
service area can apply
for funding.
BY WILL CHAVEZ
Senior Reporter
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – The
Tribal Council has made it easier
for high school juniors and seniors
who are concurrently enrolled in
“an accredited public or private
institution of higher learning” to get
tuition funding from the tribe.
Councilors unanimously amended
the
Concurrent
Enrollment
Scholarship Act during their Feb.
11 meeting by revising eligibility
requirements. It now benefits “all
Cherokee high school students
residing in the Cherokee Nation
Scholarship Program service area
who are currently enrolled in
an accredited public or private
institution of higher learning.”
Tribal Councilor Jack Baker said
the service area consists of the tribe’s
jurisdictional area and the counties
touching it, including counties in
Arkansas, Missouri and Kansas.
“Right now the regents don’t
pay for juniors’ tuition, but this
amendment will pay for the tuition
for juniors,” Tribal Councilor David
Walkingstick said.
Eligible high school or homeschooled juniors and seniors will
receive funding for tuition fees
and other costs so that concurrent
enrollment
costs
would
be
minimized.
Program
funding
and scholarship awards shall be
Tribal Councilors Meredith Frailey and David Walkingstick discuss an issue during the Feb. 11 Tribal
Council meeting in Tahlequah, Okla. WILL CHAVEZ/CHEROKEE PHOENIX
contingent upon funding availability.
Students who meet the eligibility
requirements will receive a $250
tuition-fee scholarship for three
credit hours and $500 for six credit
hours while concurrently enrolled
each semester.
The council also authorized the
Bureau of Indian Affair to update
the tribe’s Tribal Transportation
Program, formerly called the Indian
Reservation Roads Program. The
update will add 194.8 miles to the
tribe’s road construction inventory.
Adair County will see an additional
193.8 miles of new or improved
roads, while Cherokee County will
receive one new mile.
Tribal
Councilor
Jodie
Fishinghawk said Adair County will
receive federal funding for nearly 200
miles of roads because 53.4 percent
of its population is Cherokee, which
makes all of the county’s roads
eligible for funding.
The CN Limited Mixed Beverage
Sales Act was also unanimously
amended during the meeting.
The act now authorizes corporate
businesses wholly owned by the CN
or a person or entity designated by
corporate businesses wholly owned
by the CN to apply for a license
from the tribe’s Tax Commission
to establish retail liquor sales at
designated
“Indian
Country”
locations within the CN jurisdiction.
It also regulates and controls
the possession and sale of liquor
at limited and designated areas of
“Indian Country” within the CN.
Councilors also amended the
Tribal Notaries Public Code, which
codifies and clarifies the duties of a
tribal notary and distinguishes the
difference between tribal and state
notary laws.
In committee, Tribal Councilor
Tina Glory Jordan said the
amendment ensures there are “plenty
of notaries for the upcoming (June)
election” as it allows people 18 and
older to apply to receive a notary
commission for $25. Notaries also
have to provide a $1,000 bond.
A major segment in the act
states that Oklahoma’s provisions
regarding notaries public do not
apply to CN notaries public and
that there is no limit on the number
of absentee ballots a CN notary can
notarize. Also, there is no restriction
for a tribal notary assisting voters in
signing up for an absentee ballot.
Glory Jordan said the state limit
for a notary notarizing ballots is 20,
which doesn’t meet the tribe’s needs.
“A lot of rural folks access an
absentee ballot, and there’s not
always going to be sufficient notaries
out there. We’re hopeful that this will
increase the number of notaries on
the tribal side,” she said.
The council also approved Adair
County residents Fan Robinson and
Lou Ann Collins to the CN Waste
Management board of directors,
which oversees the tribe’s landfill
south of Stilwell in Adair County.
Also, the council approved Vinita
business owner Chris Carter to the
CN Tax Commission as well as Stacy
Leeds, dean of the University of
Arkansas School of Law, to the tribe’s
Gaming Commission.
Also, Janice Randall, executive
director of the Tahlequah Boys
and Girls Club, and CN Education
Services Government Relations
Officer Dr. Gloria Sly were confirmed
to the Cherokee Nation Foundation,
which
provides
educational
assistance to CN citizens and
revitalizes the Cherokee language.
[email protected]
918-207-3961
CnB Ceo says nation’s
businesses performing well
Shawn Slaton reports that
the American Woodmark
building will house
contract jobs.
BY WILL CHAVEZ
Senior Reporter
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – Cherokee Nation
Businesses CEO Shawn Slaton reported to Tribal
Councilors on Feb. 11 that companies under the
entity’s umbrella are performing solidly.
The American Woodmark building in
Tahlequah that CNB purchased in 2012 is
being cleaned to expand a contract with WalMart-TRG, a company that repairs televisions
for Wal-Mart, Slaton said.
CNB has a contract with the company that is
fulfilled at a Pryor facility, but that facility can
no longer meet all of the contract’s demands.
Slaton said CNB employees “knocked it out
of the park” fulfilling the initial contract with
TRG and the company offered CNB more
work if more space could be found.
“We’ve outgrown that space in fact and we’ll
be moving some of that, if not all of it, back to
the Woodmark building. We’re in the process
of making a storage agreement with TRG for
their overflow and we’re negotiating with them
for an additional two to three warehouses,” he
said. “That’s not finalized yet, but they (TRG)
are very proud of what they have helped us
accomplish there at Pryor.”
Slaton said the 311-acre Tahlequah property
CNB purchased in December, which consists
of the Cherry Springs Golf Course and
pastureland, is in the “development phase” and
work is being done on the golf course such as
improving irrigation.
He said the course needs put back “in
shape” and maintained like CNB’s other two
golf courses in Tahlequah and Catoosa. Slaton
added that the Cherry Springs clubhouse is
under renovation, a new golf cart barn is being
constructed and golf carts are being switched
from gas to electric.
At the Cherokee Casino Fort Gibson,
the modular buildings that housed the old
casino are being moved and stored, and the
convenience store has been demolished and
removed, Slaton said. A new neon sign for the
property is being installed, he added.
Slaton said workers are finishing the 10-story
tower at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in
Catoosa with two floors to be completed. He
said Cherokee Nation Enterprises, which
operates the tribe’s casinos, is receiving
“favorable comments” from people who have
stayed in the new tower, which will have 98
suites when done.
CNB is also the presenting sponsor for the
2013 Bassmaster Classic, Slaton said. The 43rd
edition of this event was set for Feb. 22-24 on
the Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees near Grove.
“It’s the Super Bowl of fishing and it has a
big impact for the 14-county region. There will
be a lot of people come through, and it’ll be
an economic boost and boon not only in Tulsa
where the weigh-in is at the BOK (Bank of
Oklahoma Center) but also to the communities
were these people will be visiting,” he said.
Slaton said events also would be held at
the Hard Rock Casino in support of the
Bassmaster Classic.
When questioned, Slaton said the hanger
once used to house CNB’s former turbo-prop
plane has not been sold and is still on the
market. But he said individuals have inquired
about it. The plane was sold in March 2012
for $1.51 million, after Principal Chief Bill
John Baker promised to sell it during his
2011election campaign because he viewed it
as a waste of tribal money.
[email protected]
918-207-3961
Tribal Council 2011-2015
Joe Byrd
918-316-9463
[email protected]
Don Garvin
918-616-3961
[email protected]
Buel Anglen
918-752-4339
[email protected]
Tina Glory Jordan
918-457-9207
Janelle Fullbright
918-315-0583
Cara Cowan Watts
918-752-4342
[email protected]
David Walkingstick
918-822-4681
David Thornton
918-458-7991
Lee Keener
918-550-3351
[email protected]
Frankie Hargis
918-316-9454
[email protected]
Meredith Frailey
918-453-1572
[email protected]
Jack Baker
918-457-9382
[email protected]
Curtis Snell
918-232-0233
[email protected]
Dick Lay
918-822-2981
[email protected]
Julia Coates
918-772-0288
[email protected]
Jodie Fishinghawk
918-207-5757
Chuck Hoskin Jr.
918-323-5411
[email protected]
Tribal Council House
918-207-3900
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
cherokeephoenix.org
Tribal Councilor David Thornton, co-sponsor of the Elected Officials Drug Testing
Act, talks during the Feb. 11 council meeting in Tahlequah, Okla., about how the act
requires elected Cherokee Nation officials to participate in drug testing. To the right
is Tribal Councilor Frankie Hargis. WILL CHAVEZ/CHEROKEE PHOENIX
CN elected officials to
undergo drug testing
BY TESINA JACKSON
Reporter
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – With a 10-7 vote
at their Feb. 11 meeting, Tribal Councilors
passed an act that requires all elected Cherokee
Nation officials to undergo random drug
testing for prohibited drugs.
The Elected Officials Drug Testing Act
of 2012, sponsored by Tribal Councilors
Joe Byrd and David Thornton, requires
elected officials to participate in random
drug testing and to set forth ramifications
for failures of such tests or refusals to allow
administrations of such tests.
“We have had this on the agenda in Rules
(Committee) for several months,” Byrd said.
“And we would table and table, and we finally
just threw it out there on the table and said
‘let’s do it’ because our employees have this
and we felt like as elected officials we need to
do the same.”
According to the act, prohibited drugs are
marijuana, opiates, cocaine, phencyclidine,
methamphetamines and any other illegal
drugs. The act also lists prescription drugs that
could be abused.
According to the act, an initial drug
screening would be conducted within 30 days
after policies are established and no more than
once a year. It also states that if any elected
official is suffering from life-threatening
illnesses, have just recovered from medical
procedures or surgeries or are receiving
treatments for certain conditions then the
official shall provide documentation from his
or her physician to the drug testing laboratory
or company so any positives for those drugs
would not affect the test’s outcome.
According to the act, that information
would remain confidential, something that
Tribal Councilor Chuck Hoskin Jr. expressed
concern about. “I know that if we aren’t
careful with the handling of records of tests,
results that leak can get out and that happens
to political people, and I suppose we’re fair
targets,” he said. “But on the other hand, a
leak of a false positive drug test would be
devastating. It would be the death penalty of
a public servant.”
Although the act passed, policies and
regulations will still need to be established for
when or if an elected official, including the
principal chief and deputy chief, fails a drug
test. If a councilor refuses to take a drug test or
was unavailable to take a drug test at that time,
the result would be addressed in the rules and
regulations.
“I think it’s a good act,” Thornton said.
“I think it shows accountability for us and
accountability for our employees. I think this
is a good policy.”
Tribal Councilors who voted for the act
were Lee Keener, Curtis Snell, Thornton,
David Walkingstick, Cara Cowan Watts, Buel
Anglen, Byrd, Jodie Fishinghawk, Meredith
Frailey and Don Garvin. Tribal Councilors
who voted against the act were Tina Glory
Jordan, Janelle Fullbright, Frankie Hargis,
Hoskin, Dick Lay, Julia Coates and Jack Baker.
“I am on record numerous times both
as an elected official and as an employee of
this Nation in earlier years in my opposition
in general to drug testing,” Coates said. “I
think it is a violation of civil liberties and
civil rights for most people when there is no
suspicion. There’s no cause to be subjected to
something that is invasive of their privacy.
That is undignified when there is no reason to
subject people to a thing like this. I agree that
in certain professions that it’s necessary and
should be done, but I objected to it when it was
made policy at the Cherokee Nation.”
Coates said when the topic arose in 2011,
she went to CN Human Resources and asked
for statistics of employee drug testing results
because employees were first to undergo drug
tests. She said she found the employee drug
testing program costs between $50,000 to
$70,000 a year and that less than 1 percent of
the employees tested positive.
Hoskin said he believes voters should be
the best judges as to whether officials needed
to stay in office. “The statutes we already have
on the book and the constitution, which says
when we can be removed, will be a good
judge about whether we’re fit to serve in these
offices,” he said.
Principal Chief Bill John Baker said on Feb.
14 he had not received the legislation to sign it
into law but that he did intend to sign it.
[email protected]
918-453-5000, ext. 6139
8
CHEROKEE PHOENIX • MarCh 2013
MONEy • a[w
Ewf #>hAmh • AnIl9
2013
moneY maTTerS
How to save money
BY GINA SALAZAR
Self-Sufficiency
Counselor
Thoroughbred horse trainer and Cherokee Nation citizen Scott Young walks one of
the 10 horses he trains at Cherokee Casino Will Rogers Downs in Claremore, Okla.
PHOTOS BY TESINA JACKSON/CHEROKEE PHOENIX
Thoroughbred horse trainer
prepares for 2013 season
BY TESINA JACKSON
Reporter
CLAREMORE, Okla. – With horse racing
season approaching, Cherokee Casino Will
Rogers Downs horse trainers are getting ready
for opening day.
“On a daily basis, we take them to the track
in the morning and exercise them, either jog
them or gallop them or breeze them,” Scott
Young, a thoroughbred horse trainer and
Cherokee Nation citizen, said. “Horses usually
run every three to six weeks, so you’re pretty
much preparing for a month to race for two
minutes, less than two minutes.”
Thoroughbred season at WRD runs from
early March until late May, and then quarter
horse racing starts in September. WRD Racing
Secretary Jesse Ullery said Cherokee Nation
Enterprises recently built a barn with about 60
horse stalls at WRD. The track allots the stalls
to about 25 horse trainers, who are all CN
citizens, to use during the racing seasons. He
said the barn gives the trainers opportunities
to showcase their talents as horsemen.
“It’s been a great addition, there are 60 stalls
in that barn, by far one of the nicest facilities
on the property,” Ullery said. “It’s a welcome
addition. It helped out a lot of horsemen, and it
gives us the opportunity to let more horsemen
to participate at our meet.”
Young, who has been around horse racing
since age 2, is one of the trainers using stalls
at the barn.
“I always wanted to be a jockey, and it
always looked like I was going to be too tall,”
he said. “I was raised around the races with
my grandparents, and I started galloping
horses when I was about 9. Rode my first race
when, I believe, I was about 17 and I did it for
eight years and it was a blast. It was my dream
job, but being on a diet for eight years only
goes so far. So I decided it was time to quit
and start training.”
Young, who is in his second year of training,
currently has 10 horses he and his team trains.
“Training horses is a seven-day-a-week job.
They don’t care if it’s raining, snowing. They
have to be fed. They have to be cleaned. They
have to be brushed,” he said.
Young’s day starts at 4:30 a.m. so he can be
at the barn by 5:30 a.m. to feed the horses.
After the track opens at 6:30, he exercises the
horses until 10 and then feeds them lunch.
After lunch, they are groomed and checked for
injuries and general condition.
“Horses are just like humans,” he said. “They
have off days. They have good days, and you
just have to be smart enough to listen or feel
the horse.”
Horses are fed dinner at 4 p.m., but Young
stays to ensure they all eat and are well before
going home at 7.
“So it’s usually pretty long days. You have
to love what you do to be here and put in the
time that it takes to do this and be successful,”
he said.
When it comes to getting paid, Young said it
can be hit and miss.
“Trainers charge their owners by the
day. And pretty much the day rate that the
trainers receive from the owners, all it does
is pay for the feed, the help, your workmen’s
compensation, some insurance. You only as
a trainer pretty much make money if your
horses win,” he said. “You get a percentage off
the win of the horse….One month you may
make pretty good money and the next two
months you might not make any money. So
in this game, if you’re not winning you’re not
making money.”
Although the income is unsteady, that hasn’t
stopped Young from doing what he enjoys.
“In this game, I’m generally young but I’ve
been around this,” he said. “I’m 28 years old
and I’ve been in this for 26 years, I’ve seen it
all and I don’t think I could see myself doing
anything else.”
Those interested in hiring Young can call
918-244-8197.
[email protected]
918-453-5000, ext. 6139
Learning to save
money is one of
the most important
preparations
for
your financial future.
While setting aside
money for a rainy day or for retirement is
appealing, most people find it difficult to
develop and stick to a savings plan.
A parenting magazine poll indicates that
49 percent of Americans could not cover
even one month’s expenses if they were
to miss a paycheck. The benefits of saving
money are worth the determination and
sacrifice it takes to build a savings cushion.
Emergencies happen. People become
unemployed or become ill. The car breaks
down or the central unit goes out in the
dead of winter leaving you without heat.
When life happens, it is a relief when you
can focus on repairing what is broken
without having to juggle your other bills to
pay for it.
To get started saving you must first make
a budget. Generally it is best to start with a
monthly budget.
Figure out exactly how much money
you have coming in each month. Include
income, side jobs, child support received,
etc. Make a list of all debts and expenses
for the month. Get detailed. Include
gas, groceries, lunch, entertainment,
[email protected]
918-772-4149
Flintco Constructive Solutions workers shore up a concrete slab for the fifth floor of
the third tower at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Tulsa on Feb. 2, 2012, in Catoosa,
Okla. The Cherokee-owned construction company was bought this past Jan. 8 by the
St. Louis-based Alberici Corp. JAMI CUSTER/CHEROKEE PHOENIX
Flintco sold to Alberici Corp.
BY STAFF REPORTS
Scott Young, a thoroughbred horse
trainer and Cherokee Nation citizen,
washes the mud off of a horse that he
is training at the Cherokee Casino Will
Rogers Downs in Claremore, Okla.
prescriptions and toiletries. Now total the
amount you spend each month. Figure
the surplus. Subtract the total amount of
your monthly debt and expenses from your
total monthly income. Whatever is left over
can be used to begin your savings. Find a
bank and open a savings account. There
are numerous types of savings accounts
available. A good bank representative will
be happy to explain what accounts are
available and to help you choose the best
one for your savings needs.
If you are in the negative, now is the
time to look at what you are spending your
money on and see if you can curb spending
by cutting back on certain expenses or
choosing a cheaper brand name. Some
ways to curb spending are to eat out less,
purchase soft drinks in bulk or make your
own coffee instead of purchasing one each
day at a convenience store and consider
downgrading your cable plan or cell phone
plan. Ask yourself if you really need 500
channels.
If you are still finding it hard to begin
saving consider contacting a budget
counselor or taking a money management
course. Call the Cherokee Nation’s Small
Business Assistance Center at 918-4535536 to make an appointment with a
self-sufficiency counselor or to obtain a
calendar of free budget classes offered.
TULSA, Okla. – The St. Louis-based
Alberici Corp. announced on Jan. 8 that it has
purchased Flintco LLC, one of Oklahoma’s
largest construction companies.
Flintco, which is based in Tulsa, is
Cherokee-owned and is led by Cherokee
Nation citizen Robin Flint Ballenger, who
chairs the company’s board of directors. It has
215 employees in Tulsa and has constructed
or served as contractor in some of Oklahoma’s
largest recent projects such as the tribe’s Hard
Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa in Catoosa.
Flintco employs 750 workers nationwide
with offices in Oklahoma City; Springdale,
Ark.; Albuquerque, N.M.; Memphis, Tenn.;
and Austin, Texas.
An October statement from Flintco officials
stated that if the deal went forward the
Oklahoma company would keep its name,
employees and all its divisions. According to
the Tulsa World, the deal gives Alberici 100
percent ownership of Flintco, whose main
office is at 1624 W. 21st St.
“This strategic acquisition will provide
both companies with a broader geographic
platform to better serve existing and new
customers,” Alberici President and CEO Greg
Kozicz said in a statement. “We believe there
is a strong cultural alignment between the two
companies.”
Alberici executives declined to answer
further questions about the deal, and financial
details were not disclosed. Both companies are
privately owned.
Flintco is the 22nd-largest construction
firm in the nation while Alberici ranks
11th, according to recent construction trade
magazine listings.
The Flintco Companies Inc. is the parent
company of two construction operating
divisions: Flintco Inc. and Oakridge Builders
Inc. It was founded in 1908 and in its third
generation of private ownership. In 1919,
C.W. Flint took it over and began building
oil derricks in Oklahoma. During the Great
Depression, Flintco built Army bases and
airfields for the government. It’s also the
largest American Indian-owned construction
company in the United States.
Alberici is a prominent builder in the
industrial construction sector. Founded in
1918, it does many industrial projects in
the automotive and energy fields, but has
no offices in the western United States. The
company also has international operations in
Mexico and Canada.
2013 Ewf #>hAmh • AnIl9
COMMuNIty • nv 0nck
MarCh 2013 • CHEROKEE PHOENIX
9
Classifieds dgCAm
In Memoriam dmcdsdi
GENEALOGY
Helen Dean Buzzard Ryals
1930 ~ 2013
Our Mother was born March 23, 1930 to
Joseph and Alecta Buzzard in Jay, Oklahoma
and was freed from her earthly bonds on
February 7, 2013 in Boise, Idaho.
Mom lived in Oklahoma until moving to
Idaho in 1947.
Mom married Frank Page, Jr. in 1947 and
they had six children.
She tied flys for Evans Fish Fly Factory in
Caldwell, Idaho for 20 years and later worked
for Shoshone Fish Fly Factory in Meridian,
Idaho. Mom worked and put herself through
Idaho Barber School and was eventually able
to own the Head Dress Barber Salon until her
retirement in 1987.
Mom was the strength and the glue that
kept our family together and her legacy taught
us how to stand on our own two feet as well
Cherokee Adairs book. Large, hard bound, well-referenced. $60 plus $6 s/h. Send to Adair Reunion
Association, 104320 S. 4610 Rd., Sallisaw, OK 74955
REAL ESTATE
Tulsa 3-2-1 $750.00, 1519 E. 66th Ct. 918-371-2316
Verdigris 3-2-2 $795.00, 9284 E, 530 Rd. 918-371-2316
Tulsa 2-1-2 $675.00, 6712 E. Newton 918-371-2316
Owasso 4-2-2 $2500.00 , 9206 N. Garnett 918-371-2316
Owasso 2-2-2 $850.00, 8707 N. 120th E. Ave. 918-371-2316
Located in CN. 3Bdrm, 2.5Bath, Brick, Vaulted Ceiling, Fireplace, 3 Living Areas. Granite & Stainless Steel
Kitchen w/ Dbl Oven. Tile/Laminate/Carpet. 2000+ Sq. Ft. 2 Car Garage. Patio. Privacy Fence and trees.
$155,000. Call Interstate Properties at 918-577-1133.
CELEBRATIONS
Celebrating the 100th birthday of our aunt, Mayme Irene (Glad)
Weller, tribal citizen of the Cherokee Nation. Born in Maynard area of
Cherokee County on January 28, 1913, she is one of twelve children
born to Fred and May (Kerr) Glad. Her early years she lived in Zeb
where she went to grammar school. She graduated from Ryder
School in the eighth grade and then went to Haskell Institute in
Kansas and graduated high school in 1933. (Now Haskell Indian
Nations University.) While there, she met her husband to bt, Louis
“Rabbit” Weller, Caddo and famous Indian athlete of that day. They
were married soon after graduation in Chickasha, Oklahoma and
moved to Hobbs, New Mexico.
Louise and Mayme worked and lived in Shiprock, New Mexico
where they had three children: Faye, Louis and Joe Weller. They moved to Indian Village, New Mexico.
Mayme worked as a civilian security guard for Wingate Ordinance Depot for several years. After family
moved to Albuquerque in 1948, they lived at the Indian School where Louis was employed as guidance
counselor. All three children graduated from Albuquerque High School.
Mayme became employed at the BIA as accounting clerk and employment assistance specialist. Louis
worked there also after the Indian School. Mayme retired after 30 years with the BIA.
Widowed since 1979, she has lived with her son, Joe since 1983. She is still in good health and enjoys her
9 grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren and 4 great-great-grandchildren.
We want to wish our dear Aunt a Happy Birthday! We love you.
– Linda Taylor and Fran Sims
The Cherokee Phoenix publishes classified ads in good faith. However, we cannot guarantee the integrity of every ad. If you have doubts
concerning a product or service, we suggest contacting the Better Business Bureau and exercising proper caution.
Classified ads are a minimum of $5.00 for the first 10 words and 25¢ for each additional word. Ads must be prepaid by check or money
order to the Cherokee Phoenix, Attn: Classifieds, P.O. Box 948, Tahlequah, OK 74465
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. Meals are free to anyone
over 50, but a small donation is suggested
to help with the expense of the program.
Gather for fellowship and friendship.
Volunteers welcome.
Third Tuesday of even numbered
months
Mayflower UCC Church
Oklahoma City 405-408-0763
The Central Oklahoma Cherokee Alliance
meets at 6 p.m. on the third Tuesday
of every even numbered month at the
Mayflower Church. The next meeting is Feb. 16.
First Friday of every month
Concho Community Building
Concho, Okla. 405-422-7622
The Indian Art Market invites all Indian
artist to come and sell/share their work.
Year Round
Will Rogers Memorial Museum
Claremore, Okla. 918-341-0719
The museum honors the Cherokee cowboy,
movie start, writer and humorist every day
from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. with nine galleries, three
theaters and a special children’s museum.
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.
First Tuesday of each month
Cherokee Basket Weavers Association
at the Unitarian Universalist
Congregation
Tahlequah, Okla. 918-456-7787
Monthly meetings are at 6 p.m. the first
Tuesday, but if it is a holiday it’s on the
second Tuesday. Everyone is welcomed to
come and visit or join the CBWA.
as to be self-starters and to rely on each other.
She is survived by her husband, Buckley Ryals;
her children, Vicki Stephenson, Frank Page and
wife Dicksie, Sam Stephenson and wife Shelly
and Kevin Stephenson all of Boise, Idaho; 11
grandchildren, 24 great grandchildren and 2
great greatgrandchildren.
Mom was preceded in death by two children,
Sandra and Stephen; granddaughter, Jennifer
Page and a great grandson, Brent Schofield.
Remembrances can be made to your
favorite charity .
A funeral service will be at 1:00 pm on
Monday, February 11, 2013 at Cloverdale
Funeral Home with burial to follow at Dry
Creek Cemetery, Boise.
To share memories with the family please
visit Helen’s memorial webpage at www.
cloverdalefuneralhome.com.
Community Meetings
March 4
Belfonte, 6:30 p.m.
Glen Qualls 918-427-1700 or 427-0227
Eucha, 6:30 p.m.
Juanita Bark 918-207-4925
Marble City Community Organization, 7 p.m.
Ellen McClendon 918-775-2158 or 774-0074
March 5
Tulsa Cherokee Community Organization, 6 p.m.
Donna Darling 918-808-4142
[email protected]
Muldrow Cherokee Community Organization
7 p.m., Tim Laney 918-427-4006
March 7
Lyons Switch, 7 p.m.
Karen Fourkiller 918-696-2354
Greasy, 7 p.m.
Charlie Shell 918-774-0857
Washington County Cherokee Association, 7 p.m.
Potluck dinner 6 p.m.
Ann Sheldon 918-333-5632
March 10
Rogers County Cherokee Association, 2 p.m.
Cyndi Vaughn 918-704-1588, [email protected]
March 11
Brent, 6 p.m.
Sam Bush 918-316-1054
Marble City Pantry, 7 p.m.
Clifton Pettit 918-775-5975
March 12
Victory Cherokee Organization, 7 p.m.
918-798-2402, [email protected]
Oak Hill/Piney, 7 p.m.
Dude Feather 918-235-2811
March 14
Native American Fellowship Inc.
South Coffeyville, 6:00 p.m.
Bill Davis 913-563-9329
March 19
Fairfield, 7 p.m.
Jeff Simpson 918-696-7959
Rocky Mountain, 7 p.m.
Doris Shell 918-207-4924
Dry Creek, 7 p.m.
Shawna Ballou 918-457-5023
March 21
Tailholt, 7 p.m.
Sam Bush 918-316-1054
March 25
Christie, 7 p.m.
Shelia Rector 918-778-3423
Second Tuesday of each month
Cherokee Artists Association
202 E. 5th Street
Tahlequah, Okla. 918-458-0008
Web site: 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.
cherokeephoenix.org
10
CHEROKEE PHOENIX • MarCh 2013
At Large
Abbott, Homer Thomas
Jr.
Abbott, Nancy Eudema
Abel, Albert Leroy Jr.
Abel, David Martin
Abramowitz, Melissa
Marie
Acuna, Elna Mae
Adair, Gary Joe
Adair, Gunilla Louise
Adair, Josie Blair
Adair, Marc Alan
Adair, Michelle Rae
Adair, Paula Jean
Adair, Toby Dean
Adamack, Matthew Peter
Adams, Brent Alan
Adams, David Barrett
Adams, Gloria S.
Adams, Jerry Denison
Adams, Mike Dennis
Aday, Gale Leon
Adcock, Brenda Eralene
Addington, Billie Lorene
Addington, Eugene
Henry
Adkins, Michael Dean
Adkins, Roger Glenn
Adkins, Ronald Dean
Adkison, Eufa Marie
Admire, Carolyn Sue
Admire, Debra Fay
Admire IV, Andrew
Jackson
Agate, Carrie Kee
Agnew, Alex Jay
Agnew, Wayman Lester
Jr.
Agosti, Tina Marcett
Aguirre, Sue Ann
Akeman, Thomas Dean
Akerberg, Susie Roslee
Akin, Donald Lee
Akin, Effie Natalie
Akins, Wanda
Alaniz, Kristina Elizabeth
Alberty, Beth Renae
Alberty, David Hunter
Alberty, Helen Dorothy
Alberty, Jimmie Doyle Jr.
Alberty, Owen Nelson
Alcorn, Judy Renee
Alderman, Bruce Allen
Aldridge, John Sequoyah
Aldridge, Melva Jean
Aldridge, Traci Leigh
Alec, Carol Jean
Alec, Pamela Renee
Alexander, Dorena
Alexander, Jacqueline
Elaine
Alexander, Marcus Phillip
Alford, John Dale
Allan, Deanna Marie
Allan, William Ryan
Allemann, Virginia
Louise
Allen, Casaja Daye
Allen, Charles Dwight
Allen, Charm
Allen, Goley Harold
Allen, Harold Todd
Allen, Kathleen Marie
Allen, Kathryn June
Allen, Leslie Wayne
Allen, Patricia Lorraine
Allen, Troy Dean
Allen, Vincent S.
Allenbaugh, Matthew
Arnold
Allenbaugh, Sandra
Erlene
Alley, Goldie Marie
Alligood, Jay Dee
Allison, Esther Geraldine
Allison, Ruby Juanita
Alloway, Daniel Lee
Allred, Shirley Jo
Allsup, Tommy Douglas
Alread, David Dale
Alsip, Phyllis Ann
Al-Sulaimani, Karen Joan
Altizer, Charlena May
Amemiya, Paula Jean
Ames, Alfred Wesley
Amlie, Sandra K.
Anderowski, Mary Louise
Anderson, Alexander
Scott
Anderson, Belinda Lee
Anderson, Daniel Scott
Anderson, Don Mckell
Anderson, Douglas Scott
Anderson, Eldon Leo
Anderson, James Franklin
Anderson, Jenette
Audrain
Anderson, John Paul
Anderson, Jonathan Keith
Anderson, Joshua Eldon
Anderson, Joshua Ray
Anderson, Michelle Ann
Anderson, Pamela Kay
Anderson, Pamela Sue
Anderson, Sheila Dawn
Anderson, Steffan
Gregory
Anderson, Thomas
Anderson-Clark, Sondra
Gene
Andoe, Daniel O’Conner
Andrews, Aimee
Elizabeth
Andrews, Mary Eloise
Angel, Lisa Ann
Angier, Pamela Kay
Ankney, Margaret
Elizabeth
Anna, Keith Nelson
Ansola, Wanda Carrol
Apple, Maigan Lorene
Aragon, Patricia Allene
Archambeau, Kenneth
Larae
Archambo, Barbara Lee
Archambo, Gladys Mae
Archambo, Omer David
Archer, Carrie L.
Archer, Frank Lee
Archer, Joe Carroll Jr.
Archuleta, Bette
Arkie, Kerri Donelle
Arko, Georganna Jean
Armon, Thomas William
Armstrong, Natalie
Brooke
Armstrong, Paul Anthony
Arnett, Natalie Rochelle
Arnett, Stanley Curt
Arnold, Gordon Michael
Arnold, June Lucille
Arnold, Wanda Faye
Arp, Kristi Rae
Arp, Marshall L.
Arrington, Charlene
Virginia
Arrington, Karen Lynn
Arrington, William
Steven
Ash, James Edward
Ashby, Brenda Lynn
Ashenfelter, Floyd Melvin
Asher, Marilyn Patricia
Ashwood, Margaret
Ashwood, Margaret Ann
Asmussen, Charles
Eugene
Atchison, Esther Vehlena
Atchison, Herman
Marvin
Atchley, Hadley Lowe
Atkins, John Mark
Atkison, Phillip Lloyd
Auge, Christina Elizabeth
Aultz, Ava Allison
Austin, Charles Robert
Auten, Robert Reed
Autrey, Tamitha Jean
Autry, Gary Alan
Avant, Kimberly Louella
Avant, Phillip Troy
Avant, William Joseph
Avendano, Gonzalo
Bearpaw
Ayres, Gaytha Dawn
Babb, Candice Leann
Babst, Norma Jean
Baccus, Tyler Ashlei
Backwater, Amy Jolene
Bacon, Hazel
Bacon, Loraine Mae
Bacon, Michael Duane
Baden, Monica Louise
Baetz, Robin Sherrill
Bagley, Mark Allen
Bailes, Karen Jayne
Bailey, Donna Gayle
Bailey, Frank Burckhalter
Bailey, Helen Louise
Bailey, Margaret Nancy
Bailey, Mary Belle
Bailey, Neva Joann
Bair, Rachel G.
Baird, Patricia Carlene
Baker, Alan Scott
Baker, Charla Ann
Baker, Daniel Ray
Baker, Debbie Sue
Baker, Norma Lee
Baker, Teresa Nadine
Baker, Virginia Joan
Baker, Willena Janine
Baldridge, Josephine
Baldridge, Wilson
Baldwin, Christy Renee
Baldwin, Leavia
Bales, Dorothy Dalton
Ball, Debra Jean
Ball, Mattie C.
Ball, Rachel Z.
Ballard, Billie Eugene
Ballard, Charles Guthrie
Ballard, Donald Steward
Ballard, Douglas Gene
Ballard, James Dwight
Ballard, Katina Beth
Ballard, Linda Kay
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2013
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MarCh 2013 • CHEROKEE PHOENIX
2013 Ewf #>hAmh • AnIl9
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Samantha
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Elizabeth
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Darrow, Jason D
Daugherty, Elizabeth
Daugherty, Larry Bret
Daugherty, Perry Arthur
Davenport, Tracie Ann
Davidson, Freeman
Edward
Davidson, Harold Leo
Davidson, Jimmie Ray
Davidson, Shonn Renee’
Davis, Allene Juanita
Davis, Alma R.
Davis, Cammie Ann
Davis, Dalyn Renee
Davis, Edward Eugene
Davis, George Joshua
Davis, Helen Jean
Davis, Imogene
Davis, Janice Lynn
Davis, John Kent II
Davis, John Logan Jr.
Davis, Johnny Lee
Davis, Keith Elmo HC
Davis, Kenneth Dean
Davis, Linda Faye
Davis, Louisa Frances
Davis, Michael Roy
Davis, Nannie V.
Davis, Nell J.
Davis, Pauline
Davis, Richard Jr.
Davis, Ronald
Davis, Ronald Glen
Davis, Stephanie Michelle
Davis, Stuart Walter
Davis, Tammy Lynn
Davis, Terrill Elden
Davis, Traci Leann
Davis-Russell, Carol Gene
Dawes, Andy Lee
Dawley, Betty Louise
Dawson, Carol Leigh
Dawson, Larry Ray
Dawson, Madge Nadine
Betty
Dawson, Sandra Kay
Day, April Downing
Day, Carol Jean
Day, Mary Murlene
Day, Patsy Lee
Day, Tammy Luann
Day, William Joe
Daylor, Lori Anice
Dayton, Earl Rogers
Dayton, Phillip James
De Mcclendon, Jennifer
Lynn
Deal, David Cornelius
Dean, Dennis Stuart
Dean, Haley Suzanne
Dean, Karen Denise
Dean, Steven Robert
Deasis, Patricia Ann
Debra, Alicia Beth
Deckard, Vonda Irene
Decker, Carol Jeanette
Dees, Frederick Ray
DeFoe, Deborah Sue
Degarimore, Gary Eugene
Degeer, Stacy Jayne
Dekker, Sarah Jo
Delatte, Stephanie Rana’e
Deline, Linda Carol
Dell, Patrese Louise
Deloney, Valerie
Delozier, Francis Ross
Milton
DeLuca, Brenda Kaye
Dennis, Scott Matthew
Dennis, Sharon Lee
Dennis, Zane Leo
Denton, Kim Kassina
Denton, Sandra Ann
Denwalt, Elizabeth
Charleen
DePaepe, Irene Ernestine
Derby, Charles Lawrence
Derby, John Chandler
Deremer, Eddie Wayne
Derryberry, Allegra
Derryberry, John Reed
Deschamps, John Lefeber
Deschamps, Mandy
Frances
Deshazo, William John
DeSimone, Pamela
Gentry
Devine, Johnny Lee
DeVore, LaDonna
Rachelle
DeWalt, Angela Michelle
DeWalt, David Michael
Dewey, George Lawrence
Dewey, Gregg Charles
Dewitt, Angela Dawn
Dewitt, Carole Annette
Dewitt, Ellen Richelle
Diamond, Teresa Mae
Diaz, Ronald Vanard
Dick, Collauna Carey
Dick, Jennifer Rose
Dick, John Paul
Dick, Joseph Allen
Dick, Kawana Kay
Dick, Kory Jay
Dick, Ronald Eugene
Dick, Talana Dawn
Dickey, Barbara Sue
Dickey, Brandon Lee
Didier, Ina V.
Diebold, Jeffrey Wayne
Dietert, David Lee
Diffee, Michelle DeAnne
Diffie, Margie P.
Dillingham, David Lee Jr.
Dillow, Lola Mae
Dimaio, Donna Jean
DiMaio, Nino Nicholas
Ditullio, Patrick
Divelbiss, Earl Wayne
Dixon, Benjamin Leon
Dixon, Betty Lee
Dixon, Christian Brooke
Dixon, Donald Paul
Dixon, Elizabeth Ann
Dixon, Lonny Wade
Dixon, Lynda Dee
Dixon, Marci Diana
Dixon, Millie Christine
Doan, Woodrow Clayton
III
Dobbins, Joyce Suelene
Dobbs, Inez
Dobson, Sydney Adair
Dockery, Mary Jane
Dockins, Betty Jo
Dodd, Rebecca Renee
Dodge, Russell
Dodge, Victor Anson Jr.
Dodrill, Donna Kay
Dodson, George Guess II
Dolan, Joyce Dean
Dollar, Beverly Patricia
Dollar, David Scott
Dollar, Diana Carol
Donahue, Mary
Catherine
Donald, Lorna Dee
Donaldson, Elsie Lucille
Donat, Suzanne
Dondeville, Connie
Jeanette
Donham, Jessie Josephine
Donnell, Kenneth
Woodbridge Jr.
Donnell, Steven Leon
Donohue, Teresa Gail
Donovan, Maxine Irene
Dooley, Loretta Belle
Dooley, Nick
Dotson, Andrea Lynn
Dotson, Joseph Elmer
Dotson, Raymond James
Dotson, Richard Allen
Dotson, Traci Jo
Doty, James Roscoe
Dougherty, Lawrence
Allan
Doughty, Mary Helen
Darlene
Douglas, Deanna Sue
Douglas, Debra Ann
Dove, William Taylor
Dowda, Steven Henry
Downey, Rosie Lee
Downing, Brad Steven
Downing, Charles
Downing, Clinton James
Downing, Joseph Alan
Downing, M. G.
Downing, Nila Gayle
Downing, Robert Earl
Downing, Ryan Keith
Downs, Jason William
Downs, La Deana Vernice
Downum, Amy Alison
Dozier, Gertrude Marie
Drager, David Leon
Drake, John William
Drake, Johnny Wayne
Drake, Louise
Drake, Robert Jackson
Drane, Guildia Marie
Dreby, Violet
Dreisbach, Patricia Ann
Drew, Jeffery Horton
Driscoll, Beverly Jean
Drum, Lloyd George
Dry, Beverly Jane
Dry, Bobby Joe
Drybread, Rita Sue
DuBois, Tyler Anthony
Duclair, Carolyn Sue
Dudley, Lajunta Ann
Duehning, Larry Dan
Duffield, Luke Beeson
Duffy, Bonnie
Duffy, Kristen Denise
Dugan, James Wesley Jr.
Dugan, Sherri Lynn
Dugan, William
Twymond
Duke, Barry Leroy
Dumond, Johnnie Wayne
Dumond, Michael Wayne
Duncan, Hiawatha Jr.
Duncan, Jo Ann
Duncan, Kristine Lea
Duncan, Martha Laverne
Duncan, Melanie Jean
Duncan, Michael Wayne
Dunham, Damon Ray
Mills
Dunham, Dennis Ray
Dunham, Jack Mills
Dunham, Jack Mills Jr.
Dunlap, Anthony Eugene
Dunn, Alice Corey
Dunn, Candice A.
Dunn, Donna Mae
Dunn, Stephanie Rachelle
Dupree, Lachrisa Sharon
Durall, Robert Landrum
Duran, Laura Jean
Durham, Bobbie Jean
Durkee, Alvin Charles
Durrett, Bennie Ray
Dutcher, Josephine
Virginia
Dutton, Charlene Dee
Dutton, Eva Joleen
Duty, Laura Lynn
Duvall, Ronale Lea
Duyck, Janet Carol
Dycus, Kristy Dawn
Dyer, Carol Ann
Dyer, Ronald Eugene
Dyke, Betty Lou
Dyke, Deborah June
Eades, Brenda Kay
Eades, James Dewayne
Eades, Mark Dewayne
Eads, Clifford Lynn
Eads, Gregory Kevin
Eads, Norman Dale
Eads, Terry Dale
Ealy, Priscilla Joyce
Earley, James Ryan
Eason, Judy Carolyn
Eastman, Sharon Kay
Eastom, Tiffany Lynn
Eastwood, James Arthur
Eaton, Helen Charlott
Eaton, Jeff Scott
Eaton, Pearl Geneva
Eaton, Jr. James Oatmon
Eaves, Heidi Jo
Economen, Jennifer
Christas
Eddingfield, Vickie
Louise
Eddy, Mary Jane
Edeal, Nicole Stephenie
Edgmon, Homer Leroy
Edmondson, Allan Tate
Jr.
Edwards, Carol Jan
Edwards, Deborah Kay
Edwards, Debra Lou
Edwards, Donald David
Edwards, Earlene June
Edwards, Gerald P.
Edwards, Jackie Lee
Edwards, Janet Lynn
Edwards, Larry Dewayne
Edwards, William Alex
Egloff, Alfred Don
Ehman, Gayla Renee’
Ehmke, Jean Marie
Elder, Verna Lavaughan
Eldridge, James Taylor
Eli, Gerald Dewayne
Eller, Gary Lynn
Eller, Reba Maygene
Elliott, Bennie Pink
Elliott, George Steven
Elliott, Jeffrey Garth
Elliott, Mona Lee
Elliott, Theila Ralphine
Ellis, Debra Kay
Ellis, Donald Wayne
Ellis, Jackie Francene
Ellis, Jimmy Don
Ellis, Olen Jay
Ellis, Patrick Wayne
Ellis, William Rudolph
Ellison, Betty Jean
Ellison, Lisa Gail
Emanuel, Robert Eugene
Emmrich, Jeffrey Lynn
Emory, Mary Lavaughn
Ende, Janet Lynn
Endress, Michele Kay
Engel, Cathi Le
Engel, Penny Leigh
England, Christopher
Dewayne
England, Gary Wayne
England, James Loyd
England, Johnnie
Englert, Kelley Patrice
Enloe, Elizabeth Irene
Enloe, Ronald Dale
Ennis, Michele Lee
Ensign, Meredith Miles
Epperson, Alice Mary
Epperson, Denise Lenell
Epperson, Jack Ellis
Epps, Tommie M.
Erb-Alvarez, Julie A.
Ericksen, Jessica Moon
Erickson, Jowilla
Earnestine
Erickson, Stephanie Lynn
Ericson, Gale Emanuel
Erne, Lisa Marie
Erwin, Mary Jane
Eschenburg, Charles
Grant
Escoe, Charles Wilson
Espejo, Edward Andres
Estep, Jason Dewayne
Estes, Delores Jean
Estes, Jimmie Wayne
Estes, Susan Marie
Eubanks, Ella Jean
Eurton, Sequoyah
Laverne
Evans, Brenda Lea
Evans, Calvin Mark
Evans, Donnie Eugene
Evans, James Thorton
Evans, Lara Marie
Evans, Lisa Leanne
Evans, Lloyd Eugene
Evans, Mary Jane
Evans, Nancy Alice
Evans, Robert David
Evans, Samuel Thomas
Evans, Sara Jean
Everett, Alexander
William
Everett, Jessie Kathryn
Evilsizer, Amy Gay
Evilsizer, Bessie Mae
Ewing, June Annette
Ewing, Mary Ella
Ewing Iv, Samuel Edgar
Exline, Isaiah Paden
Eyberg, Julia Ann
Fain, Robert Lee Jr.
Fair, Jacob David
Faircloth, Nell
Falleaf, Marcus Wayne
Falling, Mark Russell
Fanning, Wilnetta Carole
Fansler, Lori Lynn
Fargo, Charles Harry
Farington, Ronald Leon
Farlee, James Wayne
Farley, Douglas Wade
Farley, Jewel Rebeka
Farmer, John Steven
Farmer, Mareha Geneva
Farmer, Sara Jane
Farmer, Vivian Ann
Farrell, Sharlee Lavern
Farris, John Edward
Farrow, Samuel Ray
Fashank, Jo Ellen
Faulkner, Teddy Junior
Fears, Opal Euretta Star
Feeney, Charlotte
Columbia
Felan, Stephanie MayJean
Felts, Emily Martha
Fender, Gloria Jean
Ferguson, Eula
Ferguson, Joyce Jean
Ferguson, Verna Dee
Fesler, Kathleen Suzanne
Fewel, Rodney Wayne
Fiant, Carolyn Sue
Field, Harold James
Fielden, Trev
Fielden, Trista
Fielding, Alesia Daniell
Fields, Bobbie Joe
Fields, Bobbie Lee
Fields, Buddy Louis
Fields, Cleo Helen
Fields, David Alan
Fields, Donald Eugene
Fields, Doris Diane
Fields, Eric Michael
Fields, Franklin Moore
Fields, Gulley George
Fields, Helen Elizabeth
Fields, Jerry Paul
Fields, Juanita
Fields, Julie Darlene
Fields, Kenneth Eugene
Fields, Kenneth Murray
Fields, Lisa Michelle
Fields, Michael Timothy
West
Fields, Richard Randolph
Fields, Thomas A.
Fields, Verble Shannon
Fields, Vernon
Fikes, Caroldean
Fikso, Myrtle Elaine
Filer, Shelia Ann
Filkel, Delvina Louise
Fimple, David Casey
Fincannon, Marvin A.
Findley, Dixie Carrol
Fine, Barbara Elayne
Finney, Robbie Helen
Fish, Lana Jane
Fishback, Robert Edwain
Fisher, Duane Ray
Fisher, George Kenton
Fisher, Jami Ann
Fisher, Jason Wallace
Fisher, Joseph Dean
Fisher, Loretta Ann
Fisher, Paula Lou
Fisher, Rocky Alvin
Fisher, Summer Dell
Fisher, Walter Ray Dean
Fisher, William Anthony
IV
Fishgrab, Dale Wayne
Richard
Fitzgerald, Christina Ann
Fivekiller, Edwin Richard
Fixin, Darlene Frances
Flaherty, Benjamin
Wenson
Flaherty, Norma Lee
Flanagan, Bulah
Flanagan, Thomas Ferl
Flanery, Christine
LaVaughn
Flatt, Richard Lee
Flechs, Dean Anton
Flechs, Sequoya
Fleetwood, Charles Fain
Fleetwood, Henry E.
Fleming, Nina Margaret
Fletcher, Jason Wesley
Fletcher, Robin Linda
Fletcher, Sandra Joann
Flippin, Ray Nelson
Flock, Barbara Ann
Flock, Billy Michael
Flores, LaDonna Colleen
Flores, Tamara Lee
Flournoy, Howard John II
Flournoy, Yula Dorothy
Flowers, Maxine
Floyd, Betty Jo
Floyd, Marlan Dale
Floyd, Mary Lou
Fluke, David Eugene
Fluke, Fred Wendell
Fluke, John Frank
Flynn, Dixie Lee
Fogg, Scott
Fogleman, Joan
Fogleman, Roy Lee
Fogleman, William Perry
Jr.
Foley, Reba Winifred
Follin, Elizabeth Louise
Folsom, Forrest Lee
Foote, Nancy
Forbes, Shawn Bryan
Ford, Grace Evylon
Ford, Terri Lynn
Fore, William Joseph
Foreman, Billie Bruce
Foreman, Christopher
Tipton
Foreman, David Eugene
Foreman, Dorothy Ellen
Foreman, James William
Foreman, John Clifford
Foreman, Rickie Cordell
Foreman, Tara Shawn
Forman, Carol Jeanne
Forman, Carrie Deanne
Forman, Heidi Starr
Forman, Jamie Marie
Formhals, James
Alexander
Fornia, Christopher
Lewis
Forshey, Tabitha Jean
Fortman, Mary Beth
Fortman, Stefan Michael
Fortner, David Alan
Fortner, Emma Jean
Foster, Bertie Maxine
Foster, Billy Lee
Foster, Carolyn Jeannette
Foster, David Eugene
Foster, Gary Lee
Foster, Kimberly Dawn
Foster, Paul Eugene
Fountain, Irene Ruby
Fourkiller, Larking
Fourkiller, Levi Holt
Foust, George
Washington Jr.
Foust, Willard Ainsworth
Fox, Deborah Kalynne
Fox, Gladys May
Fox, Thelma Louise
Frair, Karen Lee
Francis, Gary Gene
Frank, Deborah Kay
Frankenberg, William
Grant III
Franklin, Charles James
Franklin, John Leslie
Franklin, Reba
Franklin, Staci Jo
Franks, Toney Clarence
Frazier, Charles Maynard
Frazier, Jerry Lee
Frazier, Jessica Lynn
Frazier, Kandice Diane
Frazier, Paul Thomas
Frazier, Robert Lewis
Freeman, Jackson Gilroy
Freeman, JoLynne
Freeman, Marvin Keith
Freeman, Mary Jeanette
Freeman, Nola Mae
Freeman, Russell Gene
Frezza, Sommer
Friesner, Juanita Pearl
Fristoe, Shirley Colleen
Frits, John Charles
Frost, Heather Renee
Frost, Kris Anne
Fry, Emily Heath
Fry, Jessica Juanita
Fry, Nancy Jane
Fry, Rose Louise
Fry, Victor Anderson Jr.
Frye, Jim McKinney
Fulkerson, Douglas Ray
Fulks, Dorena Kay
Fuller, Mary Virginia
Fuller, Melissa Pearline
Fuller, Rhonda Rachelle
Fuller, Ricky Ellis
Fuller, Sibyl Iline
Fullerton, Viola Ruth
Fulsom, Constance June
Fulton, Cecile Zene
Fulton, Debra Eileen
Fuson, Charles Edward
Gable, Dorothy Maxine
Gable, Wilma Jean
Gabriel, Janice Kay
Gaddy, Michael Lee
Gaddy, Staci Lynn
Galvin, Raymond
Anthony Jr.
Gangle, Retha Lee
Gann, Frank Lee
Ganson, Coy Richard
Gant, Charlene Genae
Garber, Jeanette Louise
Gardner, Hazel C.
Gardner, Julie Lynn
Garfield, Donna Marie
Garland, Peggy Sue
Garland, Steven Michael
Garner, Charla Sue
Garner, Tina Louise
Garrett, Addie Mae
Garrett, Cassandra Marie
Garrett, Kevin Grant
Garrett, Lisa Jean
Garrett, Rachel Joan
Garrett, Roy Delbert
Garrison, Janette Lee
Garroutte, Doris Lee
Garroutte, Kevin Keith
Garroutte, William Lewis
Jr.
Gartner, Jennifer Kay
Gastineau, Doris Ann
Gatchell, Delores Ann
Gates, Sandra Kay
Gathwright, Pamela Ann
Gatlin, Emma Maxine
Gaug, Donna Jean
Gay, Robin Lee
Gayle, Barbara Ann
Gaylor, Samantha
Gaylord, Jennifer Faye
Gee, Beverly Vaudine
Gehring, Robert Charles
III
Geiger, Kerrie Cah-la-te
Geis, Valerie Dawn
George, Arlis Jeffrey
George, Everette Leroy
George, Frank Patric
George, James Timothy
George, Jamie Lee
George, Janice Rayleen
George, Lyle Eugene
George, Mitchel Shane
George, Wanda Louise
Gerard, Warren Gayle
Gergory, Mary John
Getto, Emmelene
Geyer, Christopher Rome
Geyer, Dixie Elizabeth
Ghere, Mary Maxine
Ghormley, Elizabeth Ann
Ghormley, Nancy Lou
Gibb, Walta Raye Delores
11
Gibbs, Grace Louise
Giboney, Andrew Jackson
Gibson, Lois Earnestine
Gibson, Ola May
Gibson, Paul Gene
Gibson, Rhonda Lee
Gilbert, Dayna Jo
Gilfillan, Steven Wayne
Gililland, Jenny Lee
Gilles, Janice Deann
Gilles, Jeffrey Scott
Gillespie, Jonathan
Andrew
Gillett, Julia Lavata
Gilliland, Georgia Louise
Gilliland, Rory Lee
Gilmore, Cary James
Gilmore, Frances A.
Gindt, Ronald Lee
Gindt, Willis
Gipson, Dena Renee
Girty, Gravel G.
Girty, Robert Michael
Girty, Susan Michelle
Girty, Thomas Martin
Gish, John
Gish, Mark Lyman
Givens, James Harold
Glab, James Ronald
Glad, Jeremy Michael
Glad, Judith Ann
Glass, Carl
Glass, Chester Lee Jr.
Glass, Clyde Irvin
Glass, Jackie Lee
Glass, Margie Marie
Glenn, Jane Nadine
Glenn, Roy Lee
Glidewell, Kelly Miranda
Glory, Dwayne Alan
Glory, Johnny Lee
Glory, Kim Robin
Glory, Steven Ray
Glover, Carol Anita
Glover, Donald Jez
Glover, Lauird Lee
Goad, Daniel Rhea
Goad, James Allen
Goad, Jesse Wade
Goad, Marcie Elaine
Goad, Virginia Jeane
Goard, Willard Watson
Goas, Kathleen
Goddard, Dianna Marie
Goddard, James Howard
Godfrey, Lloyd Wayne
Goetz, Ronald Steven
Goff, Sean Barclay
Goforth, Lillian Marie
Goforth, Nannie Faye
Goforth, Pamela
Goings, Peggy Gale
Goldberg, Hazel Maurine
Golden, Jaunieta Ollie
Golden, Margaret Lois
Goldesberry, Jimmy Lee
Goldman, Gregory Lee
Goldstein, Karol Ann
Gonzales, Sharen Leah
Gonzalez, Sheila Kaye
Gonzalis, Jody Dean
Goodin, Michael John
Goodman, Amy Kathleen
Goodner, Douglas Wayne
Goodner, Shelby T.
Goodpaster, Delores Jean
Goodson, Philip Lloyd
Goodwin, Clarence James
Gootee, Archie Grant
Gordon, Carol Ann
Gore, Bobby Joe
Gore, Joseph Michael
Gore, Patricia Maurice
Gorham, Sherrie Castell
Gorton, Madge Jacquelyn
12
CHEROKEE PHOENIX • MarCh 2013
EduCatION • #n[]Qsd
Ewf #>hAmh • AnIl9
2013
Immersion school grads speaking Cherokee less
BY TESINA JACKSON
Reporter
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – Since nine Cherokee
Language Immersion School graduates started
the seventh grade at Sequoyah Schools, their
use of the tribe’s tongue has dwindled from
speaking it all day to speaking during short
lessons and breaks.
Immersion school Principal Holly Davis
said Sequoyah has made efforts to continue the
immersion graduates’ learning of the Cherokee
language, but that it’s a work in progress.
“We want to expose them to the language
daily, and it’s just getting that perfect schedule
together and we get closer every time. So
eventually we’ll get there, but we are providing
those opportunities to speak Cherokee
everyday,” she said.
In May 2012, the students who attended
the immersion school since its inception
were the first sixth graders to graduate into
Sequoyah’s seventh grade. They are Cambria
Bird, Emilee Chavez, Cheyenne Drowingbear,
Cree Drowingbear, Lauren Grayson, Alayna
Harkreader, Lauren Hummingbird, Sean
Sikora and Maggie Sourjohn.
Cheyenne Drowingbear said it’s been
difficult transitioning into using English all the
time instead of Cherokee.
“The transition has been taking an effect on us
because you’ve gone from speaking Cherokee,
reading, writing nothing but Cherokee to
everyday English, and the hardest thing for me
is not speaking Cherokee,” she said.
While attending the immersion school, the
students studied Cherokee culture and history,
as well as subjects such as science and math.
English was introduced to them in the fifth
and sixth grades to help transition them into
seventh grade.
“When I started here and they were fifth
graders we knew we needed to start preparing
for seventh grade because we knew they would
be in an English environment again, but we
wanted them to have Cherokee,” Davis said.
“We don’t want them to lose those years that
we put into them as speakers.”
Since the immersion school graduates
started the seventh grade, Davis said Sequoyah
officials have tried incorporating the Cherokee
language for them.
“We want to provide a quality education, and
we want to provide the opportunity to continue
the Cherokee language,” she said. “These kids
have invested 10 years of their life in it, and
we want to them to have that opportunity to
continue to grow with that.”
The school incorporated Cherokee into
their lessons at the beginning of school year
by having the immersion school’s sixth grade
teacher go to Sequoyah and teach science in
Cherokee for more than nine weeks. However,
the instructors felt the graduates weren’t getting
enough Cherokee conversation. So the sixth
grade teaching assistant took them on nature
walks for conversations. Both efforts continued
until Christmas break.
“We know we need to do better. We just can’t
find that perfect schedule combination yet, so
right now what we’re doing is Mr. (Jim) Carey,
the high school Cherokee teacher, has become
involved,” Davis said. “He cannot wait to get a
hold of the immersion kids, so he now comes in
daily and has short Cherokee lessons everyday.”
Cheyenne Drowningbear said a lot of what
Carey is teaching all of Sequoyah’s seventh
graders is basic Cherokee, but that doesn’t
stop the immersion graduates from speaking
Cherokee.
“He comes in and teaches us the basics. It’s
basic Cherokee I, so he’s teaching the rest of
them dog, cat and everything, but we’re way
past that. But we’re still speaking it around each
other,” she said.
Davis said because other students who didn’t
attend the immersion school have become
interested in learning Cherokee, the school
created a Cherokee club. As for the immersion
graduates, she said the plan is to have them get
more advanced in speaking Cherokee in each
grade by continued speaking and learning and
keeping the lessons engaging.
“We are offering Cherokee. We just can’t
get the right combination yet. But we give it a
while, we evaluate and then we adjust,” she said.
“That’s really all we can do right now.”
[email protected]
918-453-5000, ext. 6139
ᏓᎵᏆ, ᎣᎦᎵᎰᎹ. – ᏂᏓᎬᏩᏓᎴᏅᏓ ᏐᏁᎳ
ᏣᎳᎩ ᎦᏬᏂᎯᏍᏗ ᏧᎾᏕᎶᏆᏍᏗ ᏥᏚᏂᏍᏆᏛ
ᎤᎾᎴᏅᎲ ᎦᎵᏉᎩᏁ ᏗᏂᏂᏙᎯ ᏄᎵᏍᏔᏅ
ᏏᏉᏲ ᏧᎾᏕᎶᏆᏍᏗᎢ, ᎠᏅᏗᏍᎬ ᎤᏅᏌ
ᎤᏂᏬᏂᎯᏍᏗ
ᎢᎦᏲᎶᏣ
ᎾᏂᏬᏂᏍᎬᎾ
ᎨᏒ ᎤᏙᏓᏆᏗ ᎦᏲᏟ ᎠᎾᎦᏎᏍᏗᏍᎬ ᎠᎴ
ᏳᏂᏲᎯᏍᏔᏂ.
ᏣᎳᎩᎭ ᏧᎾᏕᎶᏆᏍᏗ ᏄᎬᏫᏳᏒ Holly
Davis ᎤᏛᏅ ᏏᏉᏲ ᎠᎾᏁᎶᏗ ᏂᎬᏂᏱᎵᏐᏊ
ᎢᏳᎵᏍᏙᏗ
ᏧᏂᏍᏆᏛ ᏓᎾᏕᎶᏆᏍᎬ ᏣᎳᎩ
ᎦᏬᏂᎯᏍᏗ, ᎾᏍᎩᎾ ᏂᎦᏓ ᎠᎢ ᎢᏳᎵᏍᏙᏗ
ᎤᎬᏩᏟ.
“ᎣᎦᏚᎵ ᏧᎩᏨᏅᏓ ᎦᏬᏂᎯᏍᏗ ᎤᎾᏛᎪᏗ
ᎤᎾᏕᎶᏆᏍᏗ, ᎠᎴ ᎾᏍᎩ ᎢᎬᏗ ᎢᏳᏍᏗ
ᏕᎦᎷᏤ ᏧᏂᏨᏅᏓ ᏓᎾᎦᏎᏍᏗᏍᎬ ᎠᏎᏃ ᎾᎥᏂ
ᏄᏍᏗᏕᎦ. ᏫᏓᏲᏥᎷᏣ, ᎾᏍᎩᏃ ᎣᏣᏁᏢᏍᎬ
ᏧᎩᏨᏅᏓ ᎤᏂᏬᏂᎯᏍᏗ ᏣᎳᎩ,” ᎠᏗᏍᎬᎢ.
ᎠᏂᏍᎬᏘ ᏔᎵ ᏯᎦᏴᎵ ᏔᎳᏚ ᏧᏕᏘᏴᏌᏗᏒ
ᏗᎾᏕᎶᏆᏍᎩ ᎾᏍᎩ ᏧᎾᏕᎶᏆᎥ ᏣᎳᎩᎭ
ᏧᎾᏕᎶᏆᏍᏗ ᎾᏍᎩᏃ ᏱᏚᏂᏍᏆᏓ ᏑᏓᎵᏁ
ᏗᏂᏂᏙᎯ
ᏓᏂᏍᏆᏗᏍᎬ
ᎾᎿᏃ
ᏏᏉᏲ
ᎦᎵᏉᎩᏁ ᏗᏂᏂᏙᎯ ᏭᏂᏴᏍᏗᎢ. ᎾᏍᎩᏃ ᎯᎠ
Cambria Bird, Emilee Chavez, Cheyenne
Drowingbear, Cree Drowingbear, Lauren
Grayson, Alayna Harkreader, Lauren
Hummingbear, Sean Sikora ᎠᎴ Maggie
Sourjohn.
Cheyenne Drowingbear ᎠᏗᏍᎬ ᎠᏍᏓᏯ
ᏲᏁᎦᎭ ᎬᏙᏗ ᎾᏃ ᏣᎳᎩ ᎨᏒᎢ.
ᎤᏓᏁᏟᏴᏒᎢ ᎡᎵ ᏃᎬᏙᏗ ᏅᏗᎦᎵᏍᏙᏗ
ᏂᎪᎯᎸ ᏣᎳᎩ ᎣᏥᏬᏂᏍᎬ, ᏙᏥᎪᎵᏰᏍᎬ,
ᏙᏦᏪᎵᏍᎬ
ᏣᎳᎩᎭ
ᏧᎩᏨᏅᏓ
ᏃᏊᏃ
Tribe’s concurrent enrollment
eligibility expanded
BY TESINA JACKSON
Reporter
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – High school
juniors and home-schooled students who
are Cherokee Nation citizens and live within
the tribe’s 14-county jurisdiction – as well as
contiguous counties in Oklahoma, Arkansas,
Missouri and Kansas – are now eligible for
tribal concurrent enrollment scholarships.
Concurrent enrollment is where a
high school or home-schooled student is
concurrently enrolled in an accredited public
or private institution of higher learning.
Previously the scholarships were offered
only to eligible high school seniors. However,
at its Feb. 11 meeting, the Tribal Council
unanimously amended the Concurrent
Enrollment Scholarship Act of 2011 to allow
more students to apply for the scholarships.
According to the act, eligible students will
receive funding from the CN to supplement
the tuition that Oklahoma State Regents for
Higher Education ordinarily pays for high
school senior tuition. Students will receive
funding for tuition fees and other costs so that
concurrent enrollment costs will be minimal
for both high school or home-schooled juniors
and seniors.
“This is an act that’s going to pay for
juniors that are concurrently enrolled,” said
Tribal Councilor David Walkingstick. “Right
now the higher regents don’t pay for juniors
tuition, but this amendment will pay for the
tuition of juniors.”
Walkingstick, the sponsor of the 2011 act,
also sponsored the amendment after hearing
of the need for it from Tribal Councilor Jodie
Fishinghawk.
“Councilwoman Fishinghawk is the one
who brought this to my attention,” he said.
“There were some juniors in Adair County, I
had some as well in Muskogee County, that
were needing this assistance.”
As director of Indian Education for
Muskogee Public Schools he said he sees
“struggling Native American students”
trying to break family trends to get college
educations.
“I see too many Cherokee college freshmen
and sophomores drop out because they don’t
think college is for them,” Walkingstick
said. “When that happens, we lose out on
our investment to help them. This gets
our students in the door earlier, gets them
comfortable with college and able to finish
high school and most of their freshman
year of college at the same time. All of these
things give our students a better chance of
graduating.”
According to the tribe’s website, the CN
High school juniors, seniors and homeschooled students who are Cherokee
Nation citizens and live within the
tribe’s 14-county jurisdiction – as well
as contiguous counties in Oklahoma,
Arkansas, Missouri and Kansas – are
eligible for tribal concurrent enrollment
scholarships. COURTESY IMAGE
has paid about $85,000 this school year
in concurrent enrollment scholarships to
help 214 CN students earn up to six college
credits per semester.
The act states that an eligible student
attending a public high school must submit a
verification letter from the school counselor
showing concurrent enrollment eligibility. If
the student is home schooled, the student must
submit verification showing eligibility from
the individual providing the home schooling.
When applying, students must also submit
a current college class schedule and cost
verification.
Eligible students can receive a scholarship
of $250 for three credit hours and $500 for
six credit hours each semester. Students can
also receive a tuition waiver equivalent to the
amount of resident tuition for a maximum of
six credit hours per semester at a college or
university in the Oklahoma State System of
Higher Education as a special student.
Applications for the fall 2013 semester are now
available. For more information, call the CRC at
918-453-5465 or toll free at 1-800-256-0761.
[email protected]
918-453-5000, ext. 6139
Cheyenne Drowingbear, a Sequoyah Schools seventh grader and Cherokee Language
Immersion School graduate, reads an assignment during class in Tahlequah, Okla.
TESINA JACKSON/CHEROKEE PHOENIX
ᏲᏁᎦᎭᎢ, ᎠᎴ ᏩᏍᏓᏴ ᎠᏯ ᎨᏒ ᎾᏍᎩ ᏣᎳᎩ
ᏂᏥᏬᏂᏍᎬᎾ ᎨᏒ ᏧᏙᏓᏋᏓ,” ᎤᏛᏅᎢ.
ᎾᏍᎩᎾ
Ꮟ
ᏥᏕᎦᏕᎶᏆᏍᎬ
ᏣᎳᎩᎭ
ᏧᎾᏕᎶᏆᏍᏗ,
ᏗᎾᏕᎶᏆᏍᎩ
ᎠᎾᎦᏎᏍᏗᏍᎬ
ᏣᎳᎩ
ᏳᎾᏛᏁᎵᏓᏍᏗ
ᎠᎴ ᏂᏧᎵᏍᏔᏅᏍᏔᏅᎢ, ᎤᏠᏯᏊ ᎾᎿ
ᎠᎦᏙᎥᎲᏍᏗ ᎡᎶᎯ ᏄᏍᏗᏓᏅ ᎠᎴ ᏗᏎᏍᏗ.
ᎪᏪᎶᏗ ᎤᎬᏩᏟ ᎯᏍᎩᏁ ᎠᎴ ᏑᏓᎵᏁ
ᏦᏥᏂᏙᎯ ᎣᎩᏍᏕᎸᏗ ᎣᎬᏙᏗ ᎦᎵᏉᎩᏁ
ᏳᏬᎩᏴᏝ.
“ᏣᏆᎴᏅᎲ ᎠᎭᏂ ᎠᎴ ᎯᏍᎩᏁ ᏗᏂᏂᏙᎯ
ᎣᎦᏃᏛ
ᎣᎩᏂᎬᎬ
ᎣᎦᏛᏅᎢᏍᏙᏗ
ᎾᎿ
ᎦᎵᏉᎩᏁ ᏗᏂᏂᏙᎯ ᏂᏗᎦᎵᏍᏙᏗ ᎣᎦᏅᏛ
ᏲᏁᎦ ᎠᏂᏬᏂᏍᎩ ᎠᏁᏙᎲ ᏓᏲᏣᏑᏴᏂᏒ ᏏᏊ,
ᎠᏎᏃ ᎣᎦᏚᎵᏍᎬ ᏣᎳᎩ ᎣᎩᎯ ᎢᏳᎵᏍᏙᏗ,”
ᎠᏗᏍᎬ Davis. “Ꮭ ᏲᎦᏚᎵ ᎤᏂᏲᏎᏗ ᎯᎠ
ᏧᏕᏘᏴᏓ ᎣᎩᏱᎵᏙᎸ ᏣᎳᎩ ᎠᏂᏬᏂᏍᎩ
ᏄᎾᎵᏍᏔᏅᎢ.”
ᏂᏓᎬᏩᏓᎴᏅᏓ
ᏣᎳᎩᎭ
ᏧᎾᏕᎶᏆᏍᏗ
ᏗᎬᏩᏂᏍᏆᏛ
ᏧᎾᎴᏅᎲ
ᎦᎵᏉᎩᏁ,
ᎠᏗᏍᎬ Davis ᏏᏉᏲ ᎠᏂᏁᏥᏙ ᎠᎾᏁᎶᏗ
ᎤᎾᏠᏯᏍᏙᏗ ᏣᎳᎩ ᎦᏬᏂᎯᏍᏗ ᎾᏍᎩ.
“ᎣᎦᏚᎵ
ᎣᎦᏛᏅᎢᏍᏙᏗ
ᎣᏍᏓ
ᏧᎾᏕᎶᏆᏍᏗ, ᎠᎴ ᎣᎦᏚᎵ ᎣᎦᏁᎶᏗ ᎾᎿ
ᎠᏜᏅᏓᏗᏍᎬ ᏂᎦᏯᎢᏐ ᎢᏳᎵᏍᏙᏗ ᏣᎳᎩ
ᎦᏬᏂᎯᏍᏗ,” ᎠᏗᏍᎬᎢ. “ ᎯᎠ ᏗᏂᏲᏟ
ᎦᏳᎳ ᎤᎾᎵᏍᎪᎸᏔᎾ ᏍᎪᎯ ᏧᏕᏘᏴᏓ ᎾᎿ
ᎠᎾᎴᏂᏙᎲ, ᎠᎴ ᎢᎦᏚᎵ ᎾᏍᎩ ᎤᏜᏅᏓᏗᏍᏗ
ᏂᎦᏯᎢᏐ ᎠᎴ ᏧᎾᏛᎯᏍᏗ ᎾᏍᎩᎾ ᎢᏗᏜ.”
ᏧᎾᏕᎶᏆᏍᏗ
ᎤᎾᏠᏯᏍᏔᏅ
ᏣᎳᎩ
ᎾᎿ ᎪᏪᎵ ᏓᎾᎦᏎᏍᏗᏍᎬ ᎾᎿ ᎠᏓᎴᏂᏍᎬ
ᏓᎾᏕᎶᏆᏍᎬ ᎤᏕᏘᏴᏌᏗᏒᎢ ᎾᎿ ᏣᎳᎩᎭ
ᏗᎾᏕᎶᏆᏍᎩ ᏑᏓᎵᏁ ᏗᏂᏂᏙ ᏗᎾᏕᏲᎲᏍᎩ
ᎤᏁᏅᏍᏗ ᏏᏉᏲ ᎠᎴ ᏭᏚᎾᏕᏲᏗ ᎠᎦᏙᎢᎲᏍᏗ
ᎡᎶᎯ ᏂᎦᎵᏍᏔᏂᏙᎲ ᏣᎳᎩᎭ ᎾᏍᎩ ᎤᎪᏛ
ᎾᏃ
ᏐᏁᎳ
ᎢᏳᎾᏙᏓᏆᏍᏗ.
ᎠᏎᏍᎩᏂ,
ᏗᎾᏕᏲᎲᏍᎦ ᎤᎾᏕᎶᎰᏒ ᏧᏂᏍᏆᏛ ᎢᎵ ᏂᎦᎥᎾ
ᎾᏂᏬᏂᏍᎬᎾ ᎨᏒ ᏣᎳᎩ. ᎾᏍᎩᏃ ᎢᏳᏍᏗ
ᏑᏓᎵᏁ ᏗᏂᏂᏙ ᏗᏕᏲᎲᏍᎦ ᎠᎵᏍᏕᎸᎯᏙ
ᏓᏘᎾᏫᏗᏍᎬ ᎢᎾᎨ ᏧᏍᏗ ᏕᎦᏅᏅ ᎠᏂᏬᏂᏍᎬ
ᎠᏂᏃᎮᏢᏍᎬᎢ.
ᎢᏧᎳ ᎾᎾᏛᏁᎲ ᏂᎦᏯᎢᏐ ᎨᏒ ᎾᏍᎩ
ᏓᏂᏍᏓᏲᎯ ᎠᏲᎯᏍᏙᏗ ᎢᎪᎯᏓ.
“ᎣᎩᎾᏅᏔ ᎢᏧᎳ ᏓᏤᎸ ᏲᎩᎾᏛᏗ. ᏝᏊ
ᏲᏍᏗᏩᏘ ᎣᏍᏓ ᏗᎪᏪᎵ ᏗᏍᏓᏩᏛᏍᏙᏗ Ꮟ,
ᏃᏊᏃ ᎨᏒ ᎾᏍᎩ ᏃᏍᏓᏛᏁ Mr. (Jim) Carey
ᏓᏕᏲᎲᏍᎬ ᏏᏉᏲ ᎦᎵᏉᎩᏁ ᏗᏂᏂᏙ ᏣᎳᎩ,
ᎾᏃ ᎦᎸᎳᏗ ᏗᏂᏂᏙ ᏣᎳᎩ ᏗᏕᏲᎲᏍᎩ, ᏃᏊ
ᎠᏖᎳᏗᎠ,” ᎤᏛᏅ Davis. “ᎤᏩᏅᎦ ᎾᏍᎩ
ᏣᎳᎩᎭ ᏧᎾᏕᎶᏆᏍᏗ ᏧᎾᏕᎶᏆᎥᎢ, ᏂᏓᏙᏓᏈᏒ
ᎠᏴᏟᎯᎰ ᎠᎴ ᏗᏍᏆᎳ ᏣᎳᎩ ᏗᎪᏪᎳ
ᏙᏣᎦᏎᏍᏗᏍᎪ ᏂᏓᏙᏓᏈᏒᎢ.”
Cheyenne
Drowningbear
ᎤᏛᏅ
ᎤᎪᏕ Carey ᏕᎨᏲᎲᏍᎬ ᏂᎦᏓ ᏏᏉᏲ
ᎦᎵᏉᎩᏁ ᏗᏂᏂᏙ ᎠᏓᎴᏅᏗᏍᎬ ᏣᎳᎩ,
ᎠᏎᏃ Ꮭ ᏯᎴᏫᏍᏙᏗ ᏣᎳᎩᎭ ᏗᎾᏕᎶᏆᏍᎩ
ᏓᏂᏍᏆᏗᏍᎬ ᏣᎳᎩᎭ ᎠᏂᏬᏂᏍᎪ.
“ ᎠᏴᏟᎯᎰ ᎠᎴ ᏙᎨᏲᎲᏍᎪ ᎠᎴᏅᏙᏗ,
ᎠᎴᏅᏙᏗ ᏣᎳᎩ ᎢᎬᏱ, ᏕᎨᏲᎲᏍᎪ ᎠᏂᏐᎢ
ᏯᏛᎾ ᎩᏟ, ᏪᏌ ᎠᎴ ᎾᏍᎩ ᎢᏳᏍᏗ, ᎠᏎᏃ
ᎪᎯᎨ ᎦᏲᎩᎶᏒ ᎾᏍᎩ. ᎠᏎᏃ Ꮟ ᎣᏥᏬᏂᏍᎪ
ᏬᏤᏙᎲᎢ,” ᎠᏗᏍᎬᎢ.
Davis ᎠᏗᏍᎬ ᏅᏗᎦᎵᏍᏙᏗ ᎠᏂᏐᎢ
ᏗᎾᏕᎶᏆᏍᎩ
ᎾᏍᎩ
ᏧᎾᏕᎶᏆᎥ
ᏂᎨᏒᎾ
ᏣᎳᎩᎭ ᏧᎾᏕᎶᏆᏍᏗ ᎤᎵᏍᎨᏓ ᏄᎾᎵᏍᏓᏁ
ᎤᎾᏕᎶᏆᏍᏗ ᏣᎳᎩ, ᎾᎿ ᏧᎾᏕᎶᏆᏍᏗ
ᎤᎾᏙᏢᏅ ᎠᏂᏣᎳᎩ ᎤᎾᏓᏡᏅᎢ. ᎾᏍᎩᏃ
ᏣᎳᎩᎭ ᏧᏂᏍᏆᏛ, ᎤᏛᏅ ᎠᎾᏓᏅᏖᏍᎬ
ᎤᏂᏴᏍᏗ ᎤᎪᏛ ᎤᏂᎦᏙᎲᏒ ᎤᏂᏬᏂᎯᏍᏗ
ᏣᎳᎩ
ᎾᏍᎩ
ᏓᏂᏯᎾᎥ
ᏗᎾᏕᎶᏆᏍᎩ
ᏂᎬᏱᎵᏒᏊ ᎠᏂᏬᏂᏍᎩ ᎠᎴ ᎠᎾᏕᎶᏆᏍᎬ
ᎠᎴ ᏂᎬᏱᎵᏐ ᏓᎾᏕᎶᏆᏍᎬ ᏗᏣᎳᎩ.
“ᏣᎳᎩ ᏧᎾᏕᎶᏆᏍᏗ ᎤᏙᏢᎭ. ᏙᎯᎽᏃ Ꮭ
ᏚᏳᎪᏛ ᏲᎬᏗ ᏦᎦᏕᏲᏗ ᏲᏥᏕᏘᎭ Ꮟ. ᎠᏎᏃ ᏝᎦ
ᏙᏛᏟᎵᏙᎳ, ᎣᏥᎪᎵᏰᏍᎪ ᎠᎴ ᏃᏊ ᎣᏍᏓ
ᏃᏨᏁᎰᎢ,” ᎤᏛᏅ. “ᎾᏍᎩᏊᏃ ᎢᎦ ᎢᎦᏲᎦᏛᏗ
ᏃᏊ ᎨᏒᎢ.”
2013 Ewf #>hAmh • AnIl9
CultuRE • i=nrplcsd
MarCh 2013 • CHEROKEE PHOENIX
13
2013 River City Players
to hold auditions
BY STAFF REPORTS
Cherokee National Treasure Tim Grayson discusses the growth rings in a Bois d’arc
log he will use to make a bow. Growth rings are used as markers by bow makers as
the wood is formed and shaved down into a bow.
PHOTOS BY WILL CHAVEZ/CHEROKEE PHOENIX
Grayson makes bows,
arrows using ‘old way’
Cherokee National
Treasure Tim Grayson
knows a lot about his craft,
but is willing to learn
more.
BY WILL CHAVEZ
Senior Reporter
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – As Cherokee
National Treasure Tim Grayson inspects a
large Bois d’arc tree, he can see the bows he
will produce from it before he cuts it down.
In his mind he divides the logs harvested
from the tree and knows once the wood
is aged he will have plenty of bow-making
material. Once the wood is split and the
bark and sapwood is gone, “a solid piece of
hardwood” is left, Grayson said.
Next he scrapes and carves the wood down
to a growth ring. At this point, he draws the Cherokee National Treasure Tim Grayson
bow’s shape on the wood, which is now about describes how he removes bark from
4 feet in length. He chops around the drawing a piece of Bois d’arc tree that he will
with an axe to start shaping the wood into a fashion into a bow.
bow. “And then it takes very little rasping to used, but to them it was the best material,
finish it,” he said.
Grayson said. The skin of an older fox squirrel
Once he has the bow’s thickness where he can also be used to make a string, as well as
wants it, he bends the wood to ensure it bends groundhog skin. He’s also used the nape of a
evenly. He also looks for stiff spots.
deer’s neck and the tanned hide of deer.
“When you’re looking for that stiff spot, you
“Brain-tanned deer hide is really pretty
can run your fingers down the wood. Your stout, a lot stronger than what you would
fingers are really sensitive, and you can feel actually imagine, for just being a piece of
stiff spots. You can feel little humps,” Grayson leather,” he said.
said. He added that too much wood in certain
For his arrow shafts, he searches for
areas of the bow causes stiff spots, which must straight pieces of river cane. Other woods
be shaved down. “Don’t get
used for arrow shafts include
in a hurry, especially when
Dogwood, Hickory, Black
you get this far into it. Just
Locust and Yellow Locust.
take your time and slowly
Learn how it’s
Arrow points were usually
shave it.”
made
of stone in ancient
done the old way
He prefers using Bois d’arc
times, but Grayson said
wood that has seasoned
first, and then
other materials may be used
four years, although a piece
such as antler and bone. For
you
can
start
seasoned only a year will
instance, he makes some
work, too. “I try to keep a
using metal and
arrow points from ham
steady supply of wood at my
bone.
taking shortcuts
house that I can season out.
“You can use cow bone.
I’ve got wood that’s probably
here and there.
You can use buffalo. You
20 years old.”
can use deer,” he said. He
– Tim Grayson,
Area bow makers prefer
added that an arrow’s weight
Cherokee National
the Bois d’arc (also called
and speed depends on
Osage-Orange and Horsethe point’s weight. “Light
Treasure
Apple) tree, but Grayson
arrows are fast, but heavy
said Cherokees used other
arrows penetrate better. Heavier arrows aren’t
woods such as Yellow Locust, Hickory, Ash affected by the wind as much. People always
and Black Locust. Cherokee men in the old ask me if I have certain arrows for certain
Southeastern homelands preferred to use game. To me it’s one size fits all.”
Black Locust, he said. “It’s a good wood, but
For the fletching or feathers at the back end
it will not let you lie. If you don’t make that of the arrow, Grayson prefers turkey feathers
Black Locust bow just right, it’ll tell on you because they are stiff, which gives the arrow
and it will start getting little compression good flight. Traditionally, two-feathered
cracks across the belly (center).”
fletches were used, but Grayson uses a threeGrayson has been making bows for more feathered fletch, which catches air better and
than 20 years. He was named a Cherokee spins the arrow.
National Treasure in 1998 for his bow-making
One of the last things Grayson does when
and flint-knapping skills. He now works as he finishes shaping his bow is rub it with
a historical interpreter demonstrating flint bear fat to waterproof it and keep it flexible.
knapping and bow making in the Ancient He said constantly rubbing bear fat into it is
Village at the Cherokee Heritage Center in also good for preservation and that he has
Park Hill.
20-year-old bows he can still use for hunting.
Grayson said the people who learned bow
Grayson advises the people he teaches
making from him still ask him questions. He to learn to make a bow the old way, using
shares what he knows but tells them to learn minimal modern tools, because then they
other bow makers’ techniques. “I talk to other always have the tools in nature to make bows
people about bow making even though I and arrows.
know how to do it...because you never know
“Learn how it’s done the old way first, and
what you’re going to learn.”
then you can start using metal and taking
For the bow string, Cherokee men once shortcuts here and there.”
used a strip of bear intestine stretched and
[email protected]
twisted into a string. It was not the only thing
918-207-3961
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – Northeastern State
University’s River City Players will search for
talent at an open audition at 1 p.m. on March 9
at the NSU Playhouse.
Performers need not be NSU students
but must be at least 18 and able to sing and
dance well. Involvement in NSU performing
arts programs or activities is not necessary
to audition.
“I think it is wonderful that we can bring
talent from the community and the campus
together on one stage,” Robyn Pursley, assistant
professor of theater and director of River City
Players, said.
River City Players is produced by the NSU
College of Liberal Arts and during the summer
will present three musical revue productions.
Performers are paid and may also enroll in
an upper division elective course for college
credit at NSU.
“This is a really great summer job
opportunity for students,” Pursley said. “We
would love to see a large turnout of NSU
students at the audition. I know there is so
much great talent on our campus. This is a
great chance for them to do what they enjoy
and make a little money.”
During the 2012 season, the production
was known as “Stars in the Summer” and in
previous years two separate casts performed
for two cooperating productions – “Downtown
Country” and “River City Players.”
Downtown Country began in 1995 and
River City Players dates to 1983.
Producers said “The River City Players” is
where NSU’s summer shows all began, so they
wanted to reintroduce the name. This season
The River City Players will perform a countrythemed show, in addition to their 1950s show
and a 1980s themed show.
Candidates should prepare two songs, one
country and one modern pop-rock song. A
pop-rock selection from the 1980s is preferred.
Auditions should provide their own CD
accompaniment. No piano will be available.
Musical theater pieces are not acceptable.
A group dance audition immediately
follows the vocal audition. Those auditioning
should bring suitable dance shoes and clothing
to change into following the vocal audition.
Callbacks will follow the dance audition
if necessary. All vocal auditions are closed.
Only the auditioning performer and directing
personnel may be present. All must fill out a
form prior to the audition.
Hired performers will be contracted to
work daily between May 15 and June 13 and
Thursdays through Saturdays between June 13
and Aug. 3.
“I encourage those who may be unfamiliar
with the audition process to write or call me,”
Pursley said.
For more information, call 918-444-4500.
CHC calls for TOTA Show entries
BY STAFF REPORTS
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – The Cherokee
Heritage Center is calling for entries for artwork
for the 42nd Annual Trail of Tears Art Show and
Sale set to run April 20 through May 26.
The art show features authentic Native
American art in one of Oklahoma’s oldest
art shows.
Entries will be accepted through March
25. Photographs of artwork must be in digital
form and received by email at Mickel-yantz@
cherokee.org or by CD and mailed to the
shipping address listed on the website for
FedEx, UPS and USPS. Photographs must be
of actual completed artwork to be shown. No
late entries will be accepted.
Complete artists’ guidelines and rules are
posted at http://www.cherokeeheritage.org/
for-artists/
On April 1, accepted artwork will be posted
on www.CherokeeHeritage.org. Notices will
also be emailed to artists. Accepted artwork
must be delivered to the CHC by 5 p.m. on
April 8. Artwork not received or late will
forfeit their place in this year’s show.
An awards reception is set for 6 p.m. on
April 19. Award-winning artwork will be
announced and ribbons and prize money will
be awarded.
This year’s categories are paintings, graphics,
sculpture, pottery, basketry, miniatures,
jewelry and Trail of Tears theme. To submit
an entry, artists must be at least 18 years old
and must be a citizen of a federally recognized
American Indian nation or tribe. A copy
of the artist’s tribal citizenship card and/
or Certificate Degree of Indian Blood must
accompany entry.
The Chickasaw Nation and Bank of
Oklahoma are again sponsoring the art show
and sale.
14
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Murrow Home provides
safety for Native children
BY WILL CHAVEZ
Senior Reporter
MUSKOGEE, Okla. – For more than 100
years, the Murrow Indian Children’s Home
has provided a safe, home environment for
Native American children who come from
tribes located in Oklahoma.
Tribal governments and the state place children
there when they have no other place to go.
“We provide care for Native children that are
in out-of-home placement. We have a contract
with the state for state beds and we have tribal
beds,” Executive Director Betty Martin said.
Historically, the Murrow Home has filled
a need of caring for Indian children who are
either orphaned or are deprived of normal
family care for various reasons. Following the
end of the Civil War in 1865, Rev. J.S. Murrow
began taking orphaned and homeless Native
children into his home.
In 1902, Murrow opened an orphan’s home
in Atoka. In 1919, he realized that more
support would be needed if the home were to
meet the educational, spiritual and personal
needs of the children. So he arranged for the
American Baptist Mission Home Societies to
take responsibility for the home and moved it
to the Bacone College campus in Muskogee.
As of Feb. 9, there were 12 children living at
the home. However, it is licensed to care for up
to 30 children at a time, Martin said.
“We go through times when children may
be reunified with their parents or they may get
to go to an adoptive home, and so sometimes
are numbers go down, but then they always
come back up,” she said.
As of Feb. 9, the youngest child staying at the
facility was 3 years old and the oldest was 17.
“The main thing is when the children are
placed here they need to be able to attend
school all day. Our 3-year-old goes to Head
Start,” Martin said.
Children staying at the home attend
Muskogee Public Schools.
The home depends on monetary and inkind donations from various sources as well
as volunteers and mentors for the children.
On Feb. 9, the Inter-Tribal Council of AT&T
Employees donated $5,000 to the home. The
council is a common-interest Native American
organization open to all active and retired
AT&T employees. It is committed to the
cultural development, career advancement,
education, understanding and the general
well-being of all employees and more
specifically Native Americans. There are local
councils in Georgia, Minnesota, New Jersey,
Dallas and Kansas City, Mo.
President of the Dallas ICAE Rachell
Saul visited the home to present the $5,000
check. The group also secured a $5,000 grant
for the Murrow Home in 2012. Saul said the
Dallas ICAE routinely supports the home
by performing volunteer work, bringing
Christmas gifts for the children, holding field
day events and hosting pizza parties.
Some of the AT&T grant money will be used
to place fencing between the street and the home’s
playground to protect the children, Martin said.
She said the Cherokee Nation annually
donates $5,000 and that monetary donations are
also received from the Muscogee Creek and Sac
& Fox nations. However, its main fundraising
event is an annual powwow at Bacone College.
This year’s powwow is set for June 29.
Martin said on the home’s website there is a
consumable supply needs list for the home if
people would like to donate supplies. Church
groups also assist the home by volunteering
to for minor renovations on its cottages and
donating supplies. Churches also hold food
drives for the home.
“They just do what needs to be done,”
Martin said.
There are five cottages on the Murrow Home
campus. Three are devoted to the children and
have the capacity to house 10 children each.
One of the cottages is used for staff offices and
one is used to house volunteers.
Volunteers and mentors are always needed
for the home as well as monetary and in-kind
donations. For more information, call 918-6822586 or email murrowhomedirector@gmail.
com. Those interested in assisting the home may
also visit www.murrowchildrenshome.org.
[email protected]
918-207-3961
The Murrow Indian Children’s Home in
Muskogee, Okla., was opened under the
direction of the Rev. J.S. Murrow, who is
remembered for taking in orphaned and
homeless Indian children after the Civil
War. WILL CHAVEZ/CHEROKEE PHOENIX
COTTA Conference set for April 12-13
BY STACIE GUTHRIE
Reporter
CATOOSA, Okla. – The eighth annual
Community Organization Training and
Technical Assistance Conference has been
set for April 12-13 at the Hard Rock Hotel &
Casino Tulsa.
The COTTA Conference brings together
community leaders together to talk about
what their respective communities have done
for the past year.
Paul Buckner, COTTA technical assistance
coordinator, said breakout sessions are held
to help organizations become more efficient
at what they do as nonprofit businesses. The
sessions also relay cultural information as well
as information on Cherokee Nation programs.
Buckner said the conference also allows
leaders to evaluate the needs of each
community. Each breakout session is designed
around the topics of a certain community.
“Each community is not homogenous,” he said.
“Each one of them has their own unique needs.”
The conference starts at 9 a.m. and goes
until 5 p.m. on April 12. On April 13, it starts
at 9 a.m. and ends with a luncheon banquet.
The Deputy Chief S. Joe Crittenden will be
the opening speaker for the conference and
Principal Chief Bill John Baker will close the
event. Also, awards will be given out to the
community organizations that have worked
with COTTA this past year.
Tammy Miller, COTTA technical assistance
specialist, said booths will be set up at the
conference for any CN departments that would
like to attend to share information. She said the
booths are for citizens of the communities to learn
about programs the departments have available.
So far 14 departments at CN have requested
booth spaces, she said, and several departments
will present during the breakout sessions.
Buckner said the breakout sessions are a
great part of the conference because of the
information provided.
“We can stand there and present
information all day long, but the true
learning comes from each other,” he said.
“There’s probably not one thing out there
that an organization is going to encounter
that another organization hasn’t already.”
Organizers said about 325 people are
expected to attend the event as each community
organization is allowed to bring a limited
number of representatives. Most attendees
have participated with COTTA or similar
organizations, which provides for networking.
“In my opinion the best part is the
networking,” Miller said. “Other communities
getting together with sister communities or
fellow communities and talking about this is
what we do at our organization.”
[email protected]
918-453-5000, ext. 5903
United Keetoowah Band citizen James Locust participates in recreation time during
a Project NATIVE workshop assisting low-vision Native Americans on Feb. 2 at
Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Okla. The program is free to all Native
Americans 18 and older with low-vision problems. JAMI CUSTER/CHEROKEE PHOENIX
AIRC offers workshops for
low-vision Native Americans
BY JAMI CUSTER
Reporter
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – Project NATIVE
or Native Americans Teaming in Vision
Empowerment serves Native Americans with
low vision. Funded by an American Indian
Resource Center grant, the service is free to
all Native Americans 18 and older with lowvision problems.
The program offers workshops for
participants to help them live independently
through teaching life skills, orientation and
mobility, self-advocacy, low-vision aid and
recreation for those suffering from low vision.
Those five components are taught at each
workshop.
Life-skills teaching reviews home safety
issues such as safe cooking and medication
organization. Orientation and mobility
helps with moving safely around the home
and unfamiliar places. Low-vision aid offers
products that help perform daily activities
such as watching television, sewing and
reading. Recreation gives examples of visual
aids to assist in leisurely activities such as
playing cards. Self-advocacy helps participants
know when and how to stand up for one’s self
as well as assistance with legal issues.
“In each of these areas we demonstrate
different technology or gadgets or products
that would help enhance their lives,” Project
NATIVE Director Lillie Young said.
Many participants’ eyesight may not be too
bad right now, but many suffer from diabetic
retinopathy or macular degeneration, which
may get worse as they age.
“So there may be products that they don’t
need now, but they’ll know what’s available
when the time comes if they don’t need it
right now,” Young said. “We’ve got talking
food thermometers. We’ve got talking blood
pressure monitors. We have talking pill
boxes…you can set the alarms on it and it will
tell you when to take your pills.”
The program helps individuals who are
losing their vision find products that can help
with their lives.
“We can spend up to $600 per person, and
I tell them that just because there is $600 per
person doesn’t mean you have to spend the
whole $600 because if they’re not too visually
impaired they may not need very much.
Somebody else may be more visually impaired
and need more. So what you don’t spend we
can give to somebody else to spend,” she said.
Young said she modeled the project after
a similar one from the Oklahoma State
Department of Rehabilitation.
“The Oklahoma State Department of
Rehabilitation has a project like this that I did
an internship in, and they only serve about 40
clients a year…,” Young said. “So we wrote this
grant to provide this service to the older adult
Native Americans with any kind of visual
impairment.”
Participant James Locust, a United
Keetoowah Band citizen, said he found out
about the program through a friend of his and
decided to apply.
“I came trying to get an iPad, but after I
got here I see so many things that can help
people and so many things that would help
me with just daily living,” he said. “So it’s very
interesting all the stuff that they have. There is
a lady here that is blind and a lot of this stuff
can help her.”
Young said 25 participants are accepted
each workshop. She said she’s already started
accepting applications for the upcoming
workshops on June 1, 8 and 16 in Tahlequah.
She said the workshops are first-come, firstserve and that breakfast snacks, lunch as well as
fuel stipends are provided. The workshops are
from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on three consecutive
Saturdays.
For those interested in applying, call Young
at 918-456-5581.
[email protected]
918-453-5560
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15
Student volunteers help fix Cherokee homes
beyond themselves and not be “mecentered” people. She said she’s done
that with the aid of CN officials, who
STILWELL, Okla. – In early for the past eight years have found
January, college students from Cherokee towns with people or
different areas of Missouri voluntarily organizations needing help.
Tammy Miller, CN Community
came to Stilwell and surrounding
areas to help Cherokee Nation Organization Training and Technical
Assistance specialist, said she started
citizens improve their homes.
The students mainly helped her work with Boehmer’s group
with dry walling and painting when the tribe’s COTTA program
but performed other tasks to help was called Compassion Capital.
She said Boehmer’s group learned
homeowners.
Beverly
Boehmer,
director of Compassion Capital and reached
out to it. The two
of
Youth
and
organizations
College Ministries
together
have
with
Missouri
I just can’t believe helped people all
Conference of the
over the Nation’s
Methodist Church,
it, giving up your
1 4 - c o u nt y
accompanied
nearly 50 students
time to come help jurisdiction.
“It’s just been
from Missouri on
people like this.
a
wonderful
their
volunteer
p
a
r
t
n
e
r s h i p ,”
trip to the Nation.
– William Terrapin,
Miller said. “We
She said her group
Cherokee Nation worked
with
makes trips during
citizen them for so long
the
students’
we know how
winter
and
organized they are and how much
summer breaks.
The group volunteered at Rocky work they do so we were happy to
Mountain Baptist Church, Echota accommodate them.”
COTTA’s Community Services
Church, Watts Community Center
and six homes in Stilwell. She said Volunteer Program usually has a
they helped families that needed group of 200 to 250 students help
home repairs to handle cold and CN citizens during the summer.
Miller said this past January was
hot weather.
Boehmer said her dream when the first time Boehmer’s group
taking the job was that she could has volunteered in the CN during
provide opportunities for people to the winter.
The group helps with CN elders
be involved with missions and reach
BY STACIE GUTHRIE
Reporter
and those who are disabled and need
a helping hand.
“I am always encouraged by how
people really do want to help, and
I think to reach today, the young
people, that is a real passion for
them. And in this generation it is
exciting to see what will happen
over the years as these young people
grow,” Boehmer said.
She said the Cherokee people are
what keep her groups coming back
because they appreciate everything
done for them. The college students
also enjoy seeing the culture and
hearing stories of the Cherokee
people, she said.
“The Cherokee Nation does an
excellent job of helping to immerse
us in the culture and the history of
the Cherokee people,” Boehmer said.
CN citizen William Terrapin,
who had his home worked on by
the volunteers, said he’s grateful they
helped fix his home by installing
insulation and new sheetrock.
“They’re just tremendous they’ve
done a great job,” he said. “Boy, if
all these kids grow up like this, we’ll
have a good nation. I just can’t believe
it, giving up your time to come help
people like this.”
For more information on the
tribe’s volunteer program, call 918207-4950 or email tammy-miller@
cherokee.org.
[email protected]
918-453-5000, ext. 5903
CN offers citizens free
home energy audits
BY STACIE GUTHRIE
Reporter
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – As temperatures
drop, some families are feeling the cold
and seeing their utility bills rise because
their homes are losing energy. However, the
Cherokee Nation’s Environmental Programs
can help those Cherokee families with free
home energy audits.
Terrel Mitchell, a CN environmental
specialist and home energy audit coordinator,
said the audits help CN citizens because they
show where energy leaks occur within a
citizen’s home. Once those leaks are fixed, the
homes hold energy better and it costs less to
heat or cool the home.
Mitchell said home energy auditors conduct
a series of tests such as using a blower door
and infrared cameras to spot where the energy
is leaving the home or cold air is entering. The
test usually take an hour to complete.
“We will measure the air leakage on the
home, and then by knowing the home and how
much air is leaking out at standard conditions,
we can convert all of that information into what
we call an air exchange rate,” Mitchell said.
Mitchell said the idea AER is 5 because it
leaves the house enough room to “breathe.” If
the number is too low, it can make the house
too tight, where the house cannot let out heat
and tends to create water buildup on walls and
windows like condensation.
He said when the number is too high, such
as 12, it creates gusty air throughout various
places of the home. This creates an uneasy living
environment and causes utility bills to rise.
The home energy audits can help citizens
fix their homes to a comfortable standard of
living and save money on their utility bills in
the process, Mitchell said.
According to the Department of Energy,
family households usually lose up to $450
dollars a year due to poor home conditions.
After fixing their homes the number usually
cuts down by two-thirds, about $300.
The energy audit also applies for the
summer to help keep homes cool. Mitchell
said the audits are just as important then
because Oklahoma’s summers usually reach
triple-digit temperatures.
“If the house leaks or isn’t properly insulated
then it’s harder to cool and cost you more
money,” said Mitchell.
He said many people do not realize that
leaking occurs in many areas of the home,
such as doors, windows, light fixtures and wall
sockets if they are not properly insulated or
caulked.
After the audit, the homeowner receives
a weatherization kit to fix the problems
found by the audit. If the homeowner does
not know how to use the items in the kit the
auditor will show them how. The homeowner
also receives a detailed report of all things
tested during the audit.
CN citizens who live within the 14-county
jurisdiction and want to receive a free energy
audit can call 918-453-5099 to schedule an
appointment or to acquire more information.
[email protected]
918-453-5000, ext. 5903
College housing assistance
now offered twice annually
The program assists lowincome Cherokee Nation
citizens secure housing
while they seek first-time
bachelor’s degrees.
Housing And Self-Determination Act income
guidelines.
BY JAMI CUSTER
Reporter
• Priority will be given to students who received
CHAP assistance the previous semester.
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – The Housing
Authority of Cherokee Nation board of
directors in December voted to allow students
to apply twice a year for the HACN’s College
Housing Assistance Program.
Resolution 2012-51 states that the HACN
will take CHAP applications twice a year for
the spring and fall semesters instead of once a
year like it did previously.
According the HACN website, the CHAP
is to assist low-income Cherokee Nation
citizens to secure safe and affordable housing
established on need and eligibility while
seeking a first-time bachelor’s degree and
maintaining full-time student status at an
accredited institute of higher education.
The program provides up to $1,000 per
semester to students living on or off their
respective school’s campus. Students must also
meet all eligibility requirements to qualify for
the program:
• Applicant must be a CN citizen.
• Applicant must be a resident of the 14-county
jurisdictional area.
• Applicant must meet all CHAP eligibility
requirements, including Native American
• Applicant must be seeking a first-time
bachelor’s degree at an accredited institute of
higher education.
• Must participate in the Cherokee Cultural
Curriculum while on the program.
• Assistance is limited to eight semesters.
• Other eligibility requirements may apply
according to the CHAP policy.
For more information, call the local housing
office in your area. Area 1 consists of Adair,
Cherokee and Wagoner counties and can
be called at 918-456-8374, ext. 245. Area 2
consists of Craig, Nowata, Rogers, Tulsa and
Washington counties and can be called at
918-342-6810. Area 3 consists of McIntosh,
Muskogee and Sequoyah counties and can
be called at 918-774-0922, ext. 225. Area
4 consists of Delaware, Mayes and Ottawa
counties and can be called at 918-253-8315
(Jay) or 918-479-3212 (Locust Grove).
The CHAP deadline for the 2013 spring
semester was Jan. 18. Deadlines for the fall
semester have not been set as of yet, but are
slated to be taken this summer.
For more information, call 918-4565482. To download an application, go
to
http://housing.cherokee.org/Portals/
HACN%5BPortalID%5D/Docs/CHAP_20122013.pdf
[email protected]
918-453-5560
On Jan. 10, Megan Dunshee, sophomore at Jefferson College in
Hillsboro, Mo., cuts dry wall for a section of a Cherokee Nation
citizen’s home in Stilwell, Okla. Dunshee used her winter break to
volunteer in the Cherokee Nation. STACIE GUTHRIE/CHEROKEE PHOENIX
16
CHEROKEE PHOENIX • MarCh 2013
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2013
Cancer survivors honored at Think Pink event
BY JAMI CUSTER
Reporter
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – On Feb. 12,
more than 35 female cancer survivors
with nearly 250 combined years of
survivorship gathered at Sequoyah
Schools’ The Place Where They Play
to be honored during the fifth annual
Think Pink basketball game.
The event allows cancer survivors
to gather and be honored after
the Sequoyah girls games for their
survivorship.
“They honor them on the floor at
the end of the girls game,” Barbara
Neal, Cherokee Nation Cancer
Programs health educator, said.
“In the meantime, we have a little
reception and visit with our breast
cancer survivors. There are several
ladies that come every year. We have
a lot of new faces each year, too. And
it’s just a good time to get together, get
to visit, renew acquaintances and just
get to sit down and talk to each other.”
CN citizen Ruby Wells, an 11-year
breast cancer survivor from Welling,
said she’s attended Think Pink event
at Sequoyah every year.
“I was diagnosed with Stage 4
cancer in 2001. I had no idea I had
cancer. I had found it, located the
lump myself,” Wells said.
She said she found the lump about
six months after having a check-up.
“But through self-education and
self-breast exam, I found it myself.
And at that time I immediately had
surgery. The biopsy was done and I
was at a Stage 4. If I hadn’t located the
mass, I probably would not be here
today,” Wells said.
United Keetoowah Band citizen
Georgia Reese Hogner of Briggs is
a breast cancer survivor of 23 years.
She was diagnosed in 1989 and had
a mastectomy in 1990. She said she
likes to attend the event because of
the fellowship she has with fellow
cancer survivors.
“You know, just to draw
encouragement from each other,” she
said. “I’m thankful we have this. It helps
us to realize we’re not alone. We’re not
going through this alone. There’s other
people that are actually worse off than
we are. Here I am 23 years being well.
I guess I’m considered cured now
though and that’s good.”
Betty Mouse, also a UKB citizen
and 23-year cancer survivor, said
she’s had several cancer recurrences
in different parts of her body but is
Cherokee Nation citizen Aletha Arkie of Locust Grove, Okla.,
celebrates being 28 years cancer free at the fifth annual Think Pink
Game reception on Feb. 12 at Sequoyah Schools in Tahlequah.
JAMI CUSTER/CHEROKEE PHOENIX
grateful to be alive and attend the
Think Pink event.
“It helps to realize that there are
others who have gone through or are
going through the same thing that I
have and they are still here and very
much active,” she said.
Mouse suggested to others who
are going through cancer or have a
family member fighting the disease is
to “keep hoping, keep the faith” and
“a lot of prayer.”
Neal said she educates CN citizens
on breast and cervical cancers and
that early detection is key to winning
the battle.
“It is my pleasure to be able to
go out and visit with ladies that are
getting mammograms. And I do
one-on-one education with ladies
that get their mammogram. I’m able
to sit down and visit with them and
tell them the importance of getting a
mammogram,” she said. “I also set up
health fairs. I get to go out and visit
with people in the 14 counties and
we just talk about the importance of
mammograms, checking for breast
cancer and also cervical cancer.”
The next event for breast cancer
survivors is the 14th annual Breast
Cancer Survivor Dinner set for Oct.
12. For more information, call Neal
at 918-453-5138.
[email protected]
918-453-5560
Camp ClapHans in Norman, Okla., features two cabins for campers and is located
next to an 11-acre lake. The camp is for children with disabilities and it opens in
June. COURTESY PHOTO
Registration opens for
Camp Claphans
BY STAFF REPORTS
NORMAN, Okla. – Registration is open for
Camp ClapHans, a new residential summer
camp for children with special needs.
The camp, which opens in June, is for
youth ages 8 to 16 and is an outreach project
of the J.D. McCarty Center for children with
developmental disabilities in Norman. The
camp is located on the center’s campus at 2002
E. Robinson St. and features two cabins and an
activities building that are located next to an
11-acre lake.
The deadline to register is May 24. The
cost for a weekly camp session is $325,
and scholarships are available to families
who qualify.
Camp sessions will take place in June and
July and will feature themes that focus on
different disabilities, such as attention deficit
hyperactivity disorder, physical disabilities,
autism, intellectual disabilities, feeding
disorders and sensory issues.
“We will work with families to determine
the camp session that will best fit their child’s
abilities and interests,” camp director Megan
Stanek said.
Camp activities will include archery, arts
and crafts, canoeing, fishing, field games,
horseback riding, hikes and swimming.
Stanek said she is thrilled about opening the
camp and sees it as a place where children can
have fun, make friends and learn valuable skills.
“We have an exciting summer full of
activities, exploration and social programs for
our campers,” she said. “We are beyond excited
in taking another big step toward beginning a
new project of the J.D. McCarty Center.”
The idea for the camp developed in 1995
when McCarty Center officials discussed
options on how to reach more kids with
disabilities in the summer months when they
are out of school and not receiving therapeutic
services, Vicki Kuestersteffen, director and
CEO of the center, said.
The camp was seen as a way to “reach kids
in a fun and exciting way and integrate therapy
so that we could maintain or increase their
functional level,” she said.
Officials broke ground on the camp in
October 2008.
The camp is named in honor of the late
Sammy Jack Claphan, a Cherokee Nation
citizen and a Stilwell, Okla., native.
Claphan played football at the University
of Oklahoma and graduated with a degree in
special education. He later played in the NFL
for the Cleveland Browns and the San Diego
Chargers. After retiring from the NFL, he
returned to Oklahoma and became a special
education teacher. He died in 2001.
Camp registration ends May 24. To register,
call 405-307-2814 or email [email protected].
ᏓᎵᏆ,
ᎣᎦᎵᎰᎹ.
–
ᎾᎿ
ᎧᎦᎵ ᏔᎳᏚᏏᏁ, ᎤᏂᎪᏓ ᎾᏃ
ᏦᏍᎪᎯᏍᎩ ᎠᏂᎨᏯ ᎠᏓᏰᏍᎩ
ᎤᎾᏓᎵᏁᎯᏛ ᎠᏠᏯᏍᏗ ᏔᎵᏧᏈ
ᎯᎦᏍᎪᎯ ᏗᎵᏍᏔᏅ ᎢᏧᏕᏘᏴᏓ
ᎤᏂᎦᏛᎴᏒ ᎤᎾᏓᏟᏌᏅ ᏏᏉᏲ
ᏧᎾᏕᎶᏆᏍᏗ’
ᎯᎠ ᏣᏍᏆᎵᏍᎬ ᎠᎵᏍᎪᎸᏛ
ᎠᏓᏰᏍᎩ ᎤᏂᎦᏛᎴᏒ ᎤᎾᏓᏟᏐᏗ
ᎠᎴ ᏧᎾᎵᎮᎵᏍᏙᏗ ᏧᎾᏁᎶᏃᏅ
ᏏᏉᏲ ᎠᏁᎯ ᎠᏂᎨᏳᏣ ᎾᏍᎩ
ᎤᏂᎦᏛᎴᏒᎢ.
“ᏚᎾᎵᎮᎵᏍᏔᏅ
ᎾᎿᏂ
ᏍᏆᏞᏍᏗ
ᏧᎾᏁᎶᏃᏅ
ᎠᏂᎨᏳᏣ,” ᎤᏛᏅ Barbara
Neal, ᏣᎳᎩ ᎠᏰᎵ ᎠᏓᏱᏍᎩ
ᏧᎾᏙᏢᎯ ᎥᏰᎸ ᏗᎾᏕᏲᎲᏍᎦ.
“ ᏃᏊᏃ, ᎦᏲᏟ ᏚᏂᏬᏂᏒ ᎠᎴ
ᏗᏟᏃᎮᏗ
ᎨᏒ
ᎾᏍᏊ
ᎾᎿ
ᎠᏓᏰᏍᎩ ᎤᏂᎦᏛᎴᏒᎢ. ᎢᎸᏍᎩ
ᎾᏂᎠ
ᎠᏂᎷᎪ
ᏂᏓᏕᏘᏴᎯᏒ.
ᎤᏂᎪᏓ ᏗᏤ ᏚᎾᎧᏙ ᏂᏓᏕᏘᏴᎯᏒ,
ᎾᏍᏊ. ᎠᎴ ᎣᏍᏓᏊ ᎡᏓᏍᏗ
ᎨᏐ, ᏗᏟᏃᎮᏟᏓᏍᏗ, ᏗᏤᎲᏍᏙᏗ
ᏗᏙᎵᎦ ᎨᏒ ᎠᎴ ᎠᎵᏍᏛᏡᏗ
ᏗᏓᏩᏛᎯᏓᏍᏗᎢ.”
ᏣᎳᎩ ᎠᏰᎵ ᎨᎳ Ruby Wells,
ᏌᏚ ᎾᏕᏘᏯ ᏗᎦᏅᏗ ᎠᏓᏰᏍᎩ
ᎤᎦᏛᎴᏒ
ᎾᎿ
Welling
ᎡᎭ, ᎠᏗᏍᎬ ᎡᏙᎰ ᎠᏓᏅᏖᏗ
ᎩᎦᎨ ᎤᏍᎪᎸᎢ ᎾᎿ ᏏᏉᏲᎢ
ᏂᏓᏕᏘᏴᎯᏒᎢ.
“ᎥᎩᏃᎯᏎᎸ ᎠᏓᏰᏍᎩ ᎠᏇᎲ
ᏅᎩ ᎪᏪᎵ ᏫᏄᏍᏗ ᎥᏉᏎᎸ ᎾᎿ
ᏔᎵ ᏯᎦᏴᎵ ᏌᏊ ᏧᏕᏘᏴᏌᏗᏒᎢ.
Ꮭ ᎪᎱᏍᏗ ᏯᏆᏅᏖ ᎠᏓᏰᏍᎩ
ᎠᏇᎲᎢ. ᎠᎩᏩᏛᎲ, ᎤᏓᏟᏌᏅ
ᎾᎿ ᏥᏰᎸᎢ,” ᎠᏗᏍᎬ Wells.
ᎧᏃᎮᏍᎬ
ᎤᏩᏌ
ᎤᏩᏛᎮ
ᎤᏓᏟᏌᎲ
ᎠᏰᎸ
ᏑᏓᎵ
ᏳᎾᏙᏓᏆᏍᏗ
ᎣᏂ
ᎦᎾᎦᏘ
ᎠᏥᎪᎵᏰᏓ.
“ᎠᏎᏃ ᎤᏕᎶᏆᎥ ᎨᏒ ᎤᏩᏌ
ᎤᏓᎪᎵᏰᏗ ᎠᎴ ᎤᏩᏌ ᏧᎪᎵᏰᏗ
ᏗᎦᏅᏗ, ᎠᏮᏌ ᎠᎩᏩᏛᎲᎢ.
ᎠᎴ ᎾᏍᎩᏃ ᏄᏟᏍᏛ ᎬᎩᏰᏝᎸ.
ᎾᏍᎩ ᎤᏂᎪᎵᏰ ᏅᎩ ᎪᏪᎵ
ᎠᏓᏰᏍᎩ
ᎠᏟᎢᎵᏒᎢ.
ᎢᏳᏃ
ᎾᎩᏩᏛᏓ ᏱᎨᏎ, Ꮭ ᎠᏎ ᏱᎦᎨᏙᎮ
ᎠᎯ ᎢᎦ,” ᎠᏗᏍᎬ Wells.
ᎠᏂᎩᏚᏩᎩ ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯ ᎨᎳ
Georgia Reese Hogner Briggs
ᎡᎯ
ᎾᏍᏊ
ᎤᏓᎵᏁᎯᏕᎸ
ᎠᏓᏰᏍᎩ ᎾᎿ ᏔᎵᏍᎪ ᏦᎢ
ᏧᏕᏘᏴᏓ.
ᎠᏥᏩᏛᎡᎸ
ᎾᎿ
ᏐᏁᎳᏚ ᏯᎦᏴᎵ ᏁᎵᏍᎪᏐᏁᎳ
ᎤᏕᏘᏴᏌᏗᏒᎢ. ᎠᏗᏍᎬ ᎤᎸᏉᏓ
ᎤᏪᏓᏍᏗ ᎯᎠ ᏓᏍᏆᎵᏍᎬᎢ
ᏓᏟᏃᎮᏗᏍᎪ
ᎠᏂᏐᎢ
ᎤᏠᏯ
ᎢᏳᎾᎵᏍᏓᏁᎸ ᎠᎴ ᎤᏂᎦᏛᎴᏒ
ᎤᎾᏓᎵᏁᎯᏕᎸ ᎠᏓᏰᏍᎩ.
“ᏣᏅᏔᏛ,
ᏗᏓᎦᎵᏍᏙᏗ
ᏄᏍᏛ
ᎤᏂᎦᏛᎴᏒᎢ,”
ᎠᏗᏍᎬᎢ. “ ᎦᎵᎡᎵᎪ ᏄᏍᏛ
ᎢᎩᎲ ᏂᏓᏛᏁᎲᎢ. ᎣᎩᏍᏕᎵᏍᎪ
ᎣᏣᏕᎶᏍᎪ
ᎣᎬᏌ
ᏂᎨᏒᎾ
ᎨᏒᎢ. ᎠᏒᎭ ᏂᎨᏒᎾ ᎨᏒᎢ.
ᎠᏕᎶᎰᎯᏍᏗ ᎢᎨᏐ ᏐᎢ ᎩᎶ
ᎤᎪᏙ
ᎤᎵᏍᏓᏁᎸᏅ
ᎢᎨᏐ
ᎣᏩᏌᏃ ᎨᏒᎢ. ᎠᎭᏂ ᎨᏙᎭ
ᏔᎵᏍᎪ ᏦᎢ ᏧᏕᏘᏴᏓ ᏙᎯᎢ.
ᎨᎵᎠ ᎠᏆᎦᏎᏍᏛ ᎢᎩᏅᏩᏅ
ᏃᏊ ᎠᎴ ᏙᎯᏳ ᎣᏍᏓ.”
Betty
Mouse,
ᎾᏍᏊ
ᎠᏂᎩᏚᏩᎩ ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯ ᎨᎳ ᎠᎴ
ᏔᎵᏍᎪ ᏦᎢ ᎾᏕᏘᏯ ᎾᏍᏊ ᏙᎯ
ᏂᎨᏐ ᎤᏓᎵᏁᎯᏕᎸ ᎠᏓᏰᏍᎩ,
ᎠᏗᏍᎬ
ᎢᎸᏍᎩ
ᎢᏳᏩᎪᏗ
ᎤᏓᎴᏅᏓ
ᎢᎸᏍᎩ
ᏂᏚᏍᏛ
ᎠᏰᎸᎢ ᎠᏎᏃ ᎠᎵᎮᎵᎪ ᎬᏃᏓ ᎨᏒ
ᎠᎴ ᎠᎭᏂ ᎡᏙᎲᎢ ᎾᎿ ᎠᏓᏅᏖᏗ
ᎩᎦᎨ ᎤᏍᎪᎸ ᏓᎾᏓᏟᏌᏂᏙᎲᎢ.
“ᎣᎩᏍᏕᎵᏍᎪ ᎣᏣᏕᎶᎰᏍᎪ
ᎾᏍᎩ ᎠᏂᏐᎢ ᎤᏠᏯ ᎤᏂᎦᏛᎴᏒ
ᎨᏒ ᎠᎴ Ꮟ ᎾᏍᎩ ᎤᏂᎦᏛᎴᏏᏓ
ᎤᏠᏯ ᎠᏴ ᎠᎩᎦᏛᎴᏒ ᎠᏂᏃ
ᎠᏁᏙ ᎠᎴ ᏗᏅᏃᏓ,” ᎠᏗᏍᎬᎢ.
Mouse ᎧᏁᎢᏍᏗᏍᎬ ᎠᏂᏐᎢ
ᎤᎾᏛᎪᏗ ᎾᏍᎩ ᎤᏂᎦᏛᎴᏏᏗᏒ
ᎠᏓᏰᏍᎩ ᎠᎴ ᏏᏓᏁᎸ ᎨᎶ ᎾᏍᎩ
ᎥᏳᎩ ᏳᏕᏁᎵ “ᏙᎯᏳ ᎤᏚᎩ
ᎢᏨᏎᏍᏗ, ᎢᏥᎮᏍᏗ ᎪᎯᏳᏗ”
ᎠᎴ “ᎤᎪᏓ ᎠᏓᏙᎵᏍᏗ.”
Neal ᎠᏗᏍᎬ ᏕᎨᏲᎲᏍᎪ
ᏣᎳᎩ
ᎠᏰᎵ
ᎠᏁᎳ
ᎾᎿ
ᎠᏓᏰᏍᎩ ᎠᏂᎨᏯ ᏗᏂᏂᏅᏗ
ᎠᎴ ᏗᏐᎢ ᎤᏙᏢᏒ ᎠᏂᎨᏯ
ᎾᏍᎩ ᎠᏓᏱᏍᎩ ᏂᏓᎬᏩᏓᎵᏗ
ᎨᏒᎢ ᎢᎬᏱ ᏳᏂᏩᏛᎯ ᎠᎯᏗᎨ
ᎨᏐ
ᎪᎱᏍᏗ
ᎤᎾᏛᏁᏗ
ᎤᏂᏅᏬᏗ ᎢᏗᏢ.
“ᎣᏍᏗᏃ
ᎠᎩᏱᎸᏐ
ᎩᎬ
ᎠᎴ
ᏕᏥᏩᏛᎯᏙᎲ
ᎠᏂᎨᏯ
ᎨᏥᏍᏕᎵᏍᎬ ᏧᏂᏅᏗ ᎺᎼᎨᎻ.
ᎠᎴ ᏌᏊᎭ ᎦᏥᏃᎯᏎᎰ ᎠᏂᎨᏯ
ᏗᎨᎦᏟᎶᏍᏙᏗ.
ᎣᏣᏅᏍᎪ
ᏙᏣᏟᏃᎮᏍᎪ
ᎦᏥᏃᎯᏎᎰ
ᏄᏍᏆᏂᎪᏛ ᎾᏍᎩ ᎯᎠ ᎺᎼᎨᎻ.
ᎡᎵᏊ ᎬᏩᎵᏍᏛᏡᏍᏗ ᎠᎴ
ᏓᎦᏲᎦᏟᏃᎮᏓ
ᎦᎦᏥᏃᎯᏎᏗ
ᏄᎵᏍᎨᏗᏴ ᎺᎼᎨᎻ,” ᎠᏗᏍᎬᎢ.
“ᏃᎴᏍᏊ
ᎤᎾᏓᏟᏐᏗ
ᎥᏰᎸ
ᏄᏛᎾᎶᎬ ᎤᎬᏩᏟ ᏓᎾᏓᏟᏏᏍᎪ
ᎠᎴ
ᎤᏬᎵᏗ
ᎡᏓᏍᏗᎢ.
ᏕᏥᏩᏛᎯᏙᎰ ᎾᎿ ᏂᎦᏚ ᏗᏍᎦᏚᎩ
ᎠᎴ ᎣᏥᏃᎮᏍᎪ ᏄᎵᏍᎨᏗᏴ ᎾᎿ
ᎺᎼᎨᎻ ᎤᏂᎩᏍᏗ ᎠᏂᎨᏯ, ᎠᎴ
ᏭᏩᎪᏛ ᎠᏂᎨᏯ ᎨᏥᎪᎵᏰᏓ ᎾᏍᎩ
ᎠᏓᏰᏍᎩ ᏂᏓᎬᏩᏓᎵᏗ ᎨᏒᎢ.”
ᏐᎢᏃ ᎤᏍᏆᎵᏗ ᎾᏍᎩ ᎠᏓᏰᏍᎩ
ᎤᎾᏓᎵᏁᎯᏛ ᎤᏁᏓᏍᏗ ᎾᏍᎩ
ᏂᎦᏚᏏᏁ
ᏑᎶᏘᏴᏓ
ᎢᏳᏓᎵ
ᎨᏒ ᏛᎾᎵᏍᏓᏴᎾ ᎾᎿ ᏚᏂᏃᏗ
ᏔᎳᏚᏏᏁ ᎯᎠ ᏧᏕᏘᏴᏌᏓ. ᎤᎪᏛ
ᎠᏕᎶᎰᎯᏍᏗ, ᏍᏓᏟᏃᎮᏓ Neal
at 918-453-5138.
2013 Ewf #>hAmh • AnIl9
PEOPlE • xW
MarCh 2013 • CHEROKEE PHOENIX
17
CN citizen’s fashion school celebrates 50th year
founded Miss Wade’s Fashion Merchandising
College, which later became the accredited
Wade College.
“So it’s a wonderful fairy tale,” Wade said. “It’s
TAHLEQUAH, Okla.
for someone that just wants to get out there,
– In 1962, with just 10
work hard and make a living and do good, they
students, Cherokee Nation
can do it.”
citizen Sue Wade founded
The college began by offering courses in
Wade College in Dallas
modeling and fashion merchandising with day
for those who wanted
and evening classes so students could work
to join the fashion and
while attending.
merchandising industries.
“Job placement was a very important part
Originally
from
of our success,” Wade said. “Once a student
Muskogee, Wade became Sue Wade
started, we worked very hard into talking them
interested in fashion at
age 15 while working for a department store into going to work. You don’t know if you like
under a distributive education program at a job or if that’s what you want to do until you
Central High School. The program allowed go to work in it and then you can figure out
students to attend school half a day and then if that’s what you really enjoy doing. So work
wasn’t just to make money, work was to help
work half a day.
“That was absolutely the best thing that you decide on ‘have I chosen the right area?’”
In 1965, the college moved from the Turtle
ever happened to me because I was very, very
bashful and very, very shy,” Wade said. “I didn’t Creek area to within the Dallas Market
have any friends with that I went to school Center complex. In 1971, the modeling and
evening classes were discontinued in favor of
with, I was that bashful and shy.”
While working at the store, Wade became full-time enrollment in merchandising. The
college’s educational process
a model for its fashion shows
evolved beyond what was
and learned how to become
offered by trade or technical
its sportswear and lingerie
schools. Graduates of the
buyer, becoming responsible
We never had
associate degree program
for purchasing those products
to make a loan
in
merchandising
were
sold in the store.
advancing regularly in their
“So that’s how I got started
or never had to
careers and moving up to
and I thought ‘wouldn’t this
borrow money. We management
positions.
be fabulous to have a college
Significant
changes
were
where you could enroll the
opened the door
then made in the college’s
students and they could work
and there were
educational
program,
half a day and go to school
particularly
in
regard
to
half a day?’ doing exactly what
those students.
faculty credentials and library
I did as a young girl,” Wade
Sue Wade, holdings.
said. “So that’s kind of how the
In 1985, Wade College
college got started with that
Wade College founder
earned accreditation from the
idea in mind.”
At age 20 she moved to Dallas and started Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
working for a Neiman Marcus store as a Commission on Colleges.
“We were just instantly successful,” Wade
model. She also began teaching modeling at
local modeling schools. Three years later, she said. “We started the college on $1,500 and
BY TESINA JACKSON
Reporter
Heidi Dillon is honored during a Wade College graduation. The college was founded
by Cherokee Nation citizen Sue Wade and is based in Dallas. COURTESY PHOTO
opened the doors and the money was gone, but
we never had to make a loan or never had to
borrow money. We opened the door and there
were those students.”
Today, Wade College has more than 300
students and offers dual-major associate’s and
bachelor’s degrees in merchandising and design
with morning, evening and Saturday classes. It
offers a general education curriculum, designed
to provide an introduction to major areas of
knowledge and to stimulate individual interests
in specialized fields. Students may specialize in
graphic design, fashion design, interior design
or merchandise marketing at the associatedegree level and fashion design, interior
design, merchandise management or visual
communication at the bachelor’s degree level.
Wade said the college added the other
degrees because students wanted to focus on
different careers and aspects of fashion instead
of just modeling and fashion merchandising.
For her accomplishments in the fashion and
Wrestling proves therapeutic for student, coach
A young Cherokee
with autism benefits
from wrestling just as it
benefitted his coach in his
youth.
BY WILL CHAVEZ
Senior Reporter
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – Playing sports can
be therapeutic for some people, helping them
overcome or cope with disabilities. Wrestling
has benefited a student and coach involved
with the Tahlequah-based Indian Youth
Wrestling Club.
Ten-year-old Cherokee Nation citizen Landen
Girty was diagnosed with mild to moderate
autism when he was 3. Autism is a disorder of
neural development characterized by impaired
social interaction and communication and
restricted and repetitive behavior.
“He would not speak and only repeated what
someone else was saying. He had intensive
speech therapy and is getting occupational
therapy,” his mother Jill Girty said.
Landen began wrestling at age 6 with the
hope it would help his autism, but he quit his
first season.
Jill said at wrestling meets there “are tons
of people,” six to 15 mats with matches going
on at each one, referees with whistles, parents
yelling and cheering on their kids, coaches
yelling instructions to their wrestlers and
conversations in the crowd.
“It’s very chaotic. It’s controlled in a sense, but
there’s a lot going on everywhere,” she said. “It
was too much, and he would cry. He couldn’t
even get out there on the mat half the time.”
IYWC coach Jeromie Hammer said
wrestling can be intense and challenging even
for kids with no issues.
“The crowd is loud. You’re the only guy on
the mat facing another opponent and you
kind of feel exposed a little bit. It’s stressful
for any kid. And then you take a guy in
Landen’s situation, different triggers and the
environment can change the course of his
mood and his day,” Hammer said.
With his second attempt, Landen handled
the stimulus better. And in 2012, he began
using medication to help him handle the stress
and stimuli associated with wrestling. Jill said
over time wrestling has helped her son handle
large crowds.
“He would have meltdowns at Wal-Mart
or just anywhere there was a large crowd. It
would be too much for him, and we would
have to leave,” she said. “I think putting him
in wrestling and going to a tournament every
weekend, and having to be around large
crowds, he has learned to adjust.”
She said she also believes wrestling helped
education realms, Wade recently received the
Lifetime Achievement award at the 2012 Night
of Stars, Fashion and Lifetime Awards Gala
hosted by the Fashion Group International of
Dallas Inc.
“That was such an honor,” she said. “They
don’t always offer a lifetime fashion award, but
this was the year they decided to do it. Since it
was our 50th year, they asked if I would accept
the award and so I was very honored to have
received that. It was a very nice honor. I had
worked very hard to earn it.”
For those wanting to work in the fashion
industry or attend a fashion institute, Wade
said the best thing for students to do is to first
work in that field to see if they like it and then
see what’s available and what interests them.
For more information about Wade College, call
1-800-624-4850 or visit www.wadecollege.edu/.
[email protected]
918-453-5000, ext. 6139
Goodrich
becomes
KU all-time
assists leader
BY STAFF REPORTS
Ten-year-old Landen Girty, right, competes in the Oklahoma Kids Wrestling State
Championship Tournament on Feb. 15-16 in Tulsa and finished sixth in his division.
Girty’s mother, Jill Girty, credits wrestling with helping her autistic son deal with
crowds and improve his social skills. COURTESY PHOTO
Landen improve his social skills because now
he interacts with other wrestlers he sees on a
regular basis at tournaments.
Hammer said now that Landen has grown
to love wrestling, he uses it as an outlet or a
means of expression, thriving on the pressure
and the crowd.
“When he loses, you can tell it bothers him
more than your average kid,” he said. “Landen
really expresses himself through wrestling. It
really is something that’s helped him a lot.”
Hammer has a personal understanding
of how wrestling can help with a disability.
A former high school wrestler, he said his
parents got him involved in wrestling because
he had cerebral palsy, a condition marked by
impaired muscle coordination and sometimes
other disabilities typically caused by damage
to the brain before or at birth.
“They used that as a tool to help me develop
motor skills. That’s why I have a soft spot for
the sport because I know what it did for me,”
he said. “I was developmentally behind by
the time I was 5 or 6 years old, and through a
lifelong commitment to wrestling, that helped
level the playing field in my case. It helped
me learn that what I thought was difficult,
if I could learn to persevere, that I could
overcome just about anything, and I hope that
I instill that in the kids.”
Hammer, who teaches physical education
at the Cherokee Language Immersion School,
said the IYWC began from him introducing
wrestling to students because the school did
not have enough students in some grades to
field sports teams.
“Wrestling really develops your own
character because it’s a lot of one-on-one
stuff and a lot of commitment that the kids
have to make not only in practice. It’s sort of
a lifestyle change. Kids have to make it a point
in their lifestyle to have good nutrition. It’s a
developmental tool for kids,” he said. “I think
wrestling helps kids realize that they can push
themselves to achieve things beyond what
their own comfort zone, and then on the other
side of that they really grow into good kids
and become good adults.”
Parents help with the club, and Hammer
enlisted his cousins Jarrod Hammer and
Dewayne Hammer, who also wrestled in high
school, to help him coach 4- to 14-year-olds.
The club is a nonprofit, open to any student
and is not affiliated with Sequoyah Schools.
Fees are $30, which help pays for uniforms
and T-shirts. Parents and coaches organize
other fundraisers to help pay for travel to
wrestling meets.
Members start practicing in October and
the season runs from November to February.
The club practices on Monday, Tuesday
and Thursday and wrestles on Saturdays.
Those who qualified for state wrestled in the
Oklahoma Kids Wrestling Association State
Championship Tournament on Feb. 15-16 in
Tulsa. Landen placed sixth in his division.
“I would like to give credit to Jeromie
Hammer because he’s really good with kids
and Landen’s disability.
“He’s done a super job with the kids,
and I’m just glad he wants to volunteer his
time,” Jill said.
For more information about the IYWC, call
918-931-0850.
[email protected]
918-207-3961
LAWRENCE, Kan. – February turned out to
be a good month for Cherokee Nation citizen
Angel Goodrich as the Kansas Lady Jayhawks
point guard became the school’s all-time assists
leader in an upset win over No. 22-ranked
Oklahoma on Feb. 17 in Allen Fieldhouse.
The former Sequoyah High School star
combined with fellow seniors Monica
Engleman and Carolyn Davis to score 62 of
the 81 points in the Kansas’ 81-71 win over the
Lady Sooners.
Competing in her 100th game at KU,
Goodrich recorded a double-double with 17
points and 10 assists as she surpassed Lisa
Braddy as the school’s all-time assists leader
with 687 career assists. The record-breaking
assist was nothing short of artistic. Trapped
under KU’s hoop, Goodrich threaded a pass to
teammate CeCe Harper near midcourt, leading
her perfectly for an uncontested layup that put
KU up 10 points with 54 seconds left.
After achieving the feat, the record was
announced over the public address system but
Goodrich couldn’t make out what was said.
“When the horn went off and we won, that
was the best moment,” KU coach Bonnie
Henrickson said. “The second-best moment was,
she (Goodrich) said, ‘I did what? What did I do?’
That’s how the kid plays. She didn’t have any idea.
She said, ‘I thought somebody put something on
Twitter, but I’m not on Twitter.’ I said, ‘Stay off
Twitter. You don’t need to be on Twitter.’”
Earlier in the month, Goodrich was named to
the 2013 Academic All-Big 12 Women’s Basketball
Team for the fourth-straight season, including the
past two years as a first-team honoree.
The Big 12 Conference office named 35
student-athletes to the Academic Big 12 Team,
26 of which, along with Goodrich, were firstteam recipients. First-team members consist
of those who have maintained a 3.20 or better
grade-point average.
To qualify, student-athletes must maintain a
3.0 GPA or higher (either cumulative or the two
previous semesters) and must have participated
in 60 percent of their team’s scheduled contests.
Freshmen and transfers are not eligible in
their first year of academic residence. Senior
student-athletes who have participated for a
minimum of two years and meet all the criteria
except percent of participation are also eligible.
Through 24 games, Goodrich averaged 13.2
points, 6.7 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game.
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Area students sign college intent letters
BY JAMI CUSTER
Reporter
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – Five local Cherokee students from
Sequoyah and Tahlequah high schools signed letters of intent
on Feb. 6 as part of National Signing Day to play sports at their
chosen colleges and universities.
Cherokee Nation citizen and SHS senior Tanner Sheets,
18, signed his letter of intent to play football for Northeastern
State University in Tahlequah. Sheets said he is considering
majoring in sports medicine but has not completely made the
commitment to that area of study.
He said he’ll play defensive end or on the offensive line for
the Riverhawks.
“(My goal is) just to work hard and get better,” Sheets said.
Fellow SHS senior Mvhayv Locust, 18, who is Cherokee and
Muscogee Creek, signed his letter of intent to play offensive
tackle for the University of Central Oklahoma in Enid.
“I’m going to try to (major) in biology. (My goals are) to be
the best that I can be and graduate,” Locust said. “I’m just excited
about everything, starting college and football, everything.”
At THS, three Cherokee students signed their letters of intent.
CN citizen Jessica Hembree signed to run cross-country and
track with the University of Oklahoma.
“I’m really excited to just be a part of the team and compete at
the division one level,” she said. “(My goal) is to just do the best
that I can to try to compete at that level.”
Hembree said she plans to major in biology and later major
pre-medical studies.
CN citizen Jordan Roach will be attending Oklahoma Baptist
University to also run track. She said she wants to major in
psychology but is unsure of what particular area of the field.
“Just being part of a team, getting to know them and being
plugged in somewhere (is exciting),” she said.
Tyler Eisensmith, also a CN citizen, signed to play football for
Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa. He said he chose the
private Christian college because of its “prestigious program.”
“Everything, their winning tradition you know, they’ve had
two losing seasons in 46 years, so they expect it and that’s one
thing I really liked,” he said. “It’s a nice community.”
He said he would probably play wide received for
Northwestern and is considering majoring in education and
later possibly coaching.
“Getting to be successful my first year is one (goal),” he added.
“College football has always been a dream…that’s the biggest
thing I’m most excited about.”
On Jan. 15, two CN citizens from Sequoyah signed with NSU to
play baseball, Karter Woodruff and Ryan Helsley. Also, CN citizen
Brayden Scott, who graduated from Sequoyah in December, is
enrolled with the University of Memphis to play football.
[email protected]
918-453-5560
LEFT: Cherokee Nation citizen Tanner Sheets, left, signs his letter of intent on Feb. 6 at Sequoyah Schools in
Tahlequah, Okla., to play football for Northeastern State University. Next to him is his mother Tera Meadors.
RIGHT: Cherokee Nation citizen Jordan Roach signs her letter of intent on Feb. 6 at Tahlequah (Okla.) High School
to run track for Oklahoma Baptist University in Shawnee. PHOTOS BY JAMI CUSTER/CHEROKEE PHOENIX
LEFT: Cherokee Nation citizen Jessica Hembree signs her letter of intent on Feb. 6 at Tahlequah (Okla.) High School
to run track and cross-country at the University of Oklahoma. CENTER: Cherokee Nation citizen Tyler Eisensmith
signs his letter of intent on Feb. 6 at Tahlequah (Okla.) High School to play football for Northwestern College in
Orange City, Iowa. RIGHT: Mvhayv Locust, right, who is Muscogee Creek and Cherokee, signs his letter of intent on
Feb. 6 at Sequoyah Schools in Tahlequah, Okla., to play football at the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond.
Jessica Bluebird, sitting left in Neosho shirt, and Kara Linch, sitting right in Neosho
shirt, are surrounded by coaches and parents after signing their letters of intent to
play softball for Neosho County Community College in Chanute, Kan.
STACIE GUTHRIE/ CHEROKEE PHOENIX
2 Sequoyah seniors sign
softball intent letters
BY STACIE GUTHRIE
Reporter
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – On Jan. 15,
Sequoyah High School senior softball players
Jessica Bluebird and Kara Linch signed letters
of intent to play softball at Neosho County
Community College in Chanute, Kan.
Friends and family members showed up
at Sequoyah to support the girls during the
signing ceremony. Bluebird and Linch signed
their letters of intent and received their new
jerseys for the Neosho team and coaches.
Both girls said they have being playing
softball since they were 5 and that signing to
play for a college was a great accomplishment
for them to achieve.
Sequoyah’s athletic department officials said
they were excited and proud for the girls to
carry their Cherokee heritage to Neosho.
The girls said they are not certain if playing
softball is something they want to do as a
career but are willing to see where it takes
them in their college lives.
Linch and Bluebird both found out about
this school in different ways.
“I use to play for my old coach and she knew
about them and then she took me up there and
I just really liked it,” Linch said.
Bluebird was approached at a showcase
when representatives from Neosho talked to
her about the school.
“They saw me at a showcase in Texas and
I went up for a visit and I really liked the
campus,” she said.
Neosho begins its 2012-13 regular season
on Feb. 18 by hosting Rose State College of
Midwest City. The Lady Panthers are a part
of the Kansas Jayhawk Community College
Conference and coached by Kim Alexander.
[email protected]
918-453-5000 ext. 5903
SHS names new head coach
BY STAFF REPORTS
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – Sequoyah High
School has named defensive coordinator
Shane Richardson as its new head football
coach.
“We could not be more pleased with
the selection of Shane Richardson for our
head football coach,” SHS Athletic Director
Marcus Crittenden said. “We believe he is an
outstanding fit for what we need, and we are
looking forward to the good things to come
for Sequoyah Indians football.”
Richardson, 33, served as the interim
head coach the final two games of the 2012
season and has been on the staff the past
eight seasons, serving the past three years as
defensive coordinator.
Richardson replaces Brent Scott, who
had been put on administrative leave after
12 football players had been suspended
for violating Oklahoma Secondary School
Activities Association rules. He was later
terminated from his head coach position.
“I’m very excited for the opportunity, and I’m
grateful to the Cherokee Nation and Sequoyah
for allowing me to have this opportunity,”
Richardson said. “I want to provide solid
leadership. If I provide solid leadership and
hardworking values, then hopefully it will
trickle down through the program.”
The Sallisaw native graduated from
Northeastern State University in 2002. Before
coming to Sequoyah, Richardson served as
an assistant coach at Sallisaw High School for
three years.
Sequoyah also named girls basketball coach
Larry Shade as the new slow pitch softball head
coach. Shade replaces Larry Grigg, who was
the former athletic director during the time
the school violated the OSSAA rules. Grigg
was also terminated from his positions at SHS.
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