BY LINDSEY BARKReporter

TAHLEQUAH – After being set up nearly a century ago by the Daughters of the Confederacy, the Cherokee Nation on June 13 removed two Confederate monuments from the tribe’s Capitol Square as Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. watched.

The monuments were placed when the property was a county courthouse and owned by the state of Oklahoma.

“We’ve suffered for centuries with too many others telling our story for us as they see fit,” Hoskin said. “It’s difficult to tell our story when we have non-In-dian-driven monuments talking about the Confederacy, when they greet people as they come into our Cherokee Nation

museum. It was time for a change.”On the downtown Capitol Square

dwells the tribe’s oldest building, the for-mer CN Courthouse. The tribe reclaimed ownership of the property in 1979, and the building now resides as the Cherokee National History Museum.

The removed monuments were of a fountain memorializing Confederate soldiers and Cherokee Confederate Gen. Stand Watie, dedicated in 1913, and a granite monument weighing 13,000 pounds, also honoring Watie, dedicated in 1921, according to a CN press release.

In 2017, Watie’s name was removed from an Oklahoma City elementary school in the wake of violent white supremacist protests on the removal of a

BY CHAD HUNTERReporter

TAHLEQUAH – The United Kee-toowah Band’s 2019 legal win for land in trust remains intact following the U.S. Supreme Court’s refusal to consider a Cherokee Nation plea for intervention.

“Speaking as a tribal member, this is a monumental day for the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma,” UKB Chief Joe Bunch said in a prepared statement. “We had our highest courts in the land rule that we have the right to land in trust. Keetoowahs can now rest assured that with this ruling, the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma cannot fight us or hamper our efforts for growth any longer.”

For 15 years, the UKB sought approval for land in trust within the CN’s jurisdic-tion. Those efforts were met with delays and eventual legal opposition by the CN, which asserted the UKB was not a “successor in interest” to its former res-ervation or treaty territory. The CN also argued that its consent was required for taking land into trust within Nation boundaries.

In September, the U.S. Court of Ap-peals 10th Circuit vacated an injunction that prevented the UKB’s land from be-ing placed in trust in the case of United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians v. the Cherokee Nation. The CN subse-quently filed a petition for rehearing, which was denied, as was a motion to temporarily stop the judgment.

Unsatisfied with the lower court’s

rulings, in January the CN petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court via a writ of cer-tiorari to hear the case. The certiorari petition was “based on the United States’ unprecedented assertion of unilateral authority to take land into trust for one tribe within the boundaries of another tribe’s treaty-protected territory,” a letter from CN Attorney General Sara Hill stated.

An order released by the Supreme Court on June 22 listed the certiorari as “denied.”

“Today the UKB has victory and is not suffering agony at the hands of CNO,” UKB Tribal Councilor Jeannie Tidwell wrote in a Facebook post. “The UKB has been blessed. The CNO’s petition to the Supreme Court to overturn our 76 acre land in trust decision was denied. That means the case is over. Our 76 acres in trust, is for good.”

As of publication, CN officials had not responded to the decision.

UKB leaders officially signed a deed to place the land in trust on Dec. 5.

“The handcuffs that were upon us are removed,” Bunch said at the time. “Oth-er generations of the Keetoowah people will have this land in trust.”

Ernestine Berry, director of the tribe’s cultural museum, said the UKB had been waiting decades for trust land.

“We first submitted this request for land in trust when Dallas Proctor was chief,” she said. “So this time it’s been 17 years, but 80 years ago, John Hitcher, who was our chief at that time, he submitted a

BY CHAD HUNTERReporter

TAHLEQUAH – In a video announce-ment on June 24, Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr., said the 68th annual Cherokee National Holiday would be “virtual” in response to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Under typical circumstances, the event is a colossal attraction for the Cherokee Nation and Tahlequah, drawing more than 100,000 visitors annually during Labor Day weekend. With record spikes in COVID-19 incidence nationally and in Oklahoma, the CN will hold a downsized holiday with many events arranged to be viewed online.

The full list of activities has not yet been released, but traditional game demonstrations, the Miss Cherokee com-petition, the Cherokee art show and the State of the Nation address will be view-able online. The parade, powwow, softball tournament, fishing derby, food, arts and

crafts, and vendor markets are cancelled for this year’s holiday.

Because of the COVID-19 risks and a recent uptick of cases in Oklahoma, as well as an abundance of caution for CN citizen participants and visitors’ safety, the holiday will be celebrated by watching many key events online.

Hoskin said it was essential to the health of CN citizens and the general public that a revised holiday take place in 2020. He cited the rising incidence of COVID-19 and the expectation of many epidemiologists of a second surge of cases this fall, meaning “a decision on the holi-day had to be made now.”

“It’s important we celebrate the great achievements of the Cherokee Nation, our government and our citizens, but COVID-19 still remains a threat, especial-ly for our elders and our community, with the thousands potentially coming into the Cherokee Nation Labor Day weekend,”

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MONUMENTALMONUMENTAL

COURTESYA Confederate monument is lifted by crane and removed on June 13 from the Cherokee Nation Capitol Square in Tahlequah. The tribe removed two Confederate monuments from the Capitol Square.

COURTESYPrincipal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. looks on as workers remove two Confederate monuments on June 13 from the Cherokee Nation Capitol Square in Tahlequah. Hoskin said it was time for the change.

ARCHIVEStudents from the Cherokee

Immersion Charter

School’s first class ride a float in the

2019 Cherokee National

Holiday during Labor Day Weekend.

CN removes 2 Confederate monuments

Supreme Court won’t hear UKB trust land case

Hoskin says 2020 Cherokee National Holiday will be ‘virtual’

The Cherokee Nation removes monuments dedicated to soldiers and Stand Watie.

The United Keetoowah Band’s effort to secure land in trust has been decades in the making.

The holiday, scheduled for Sept. 4-7, will not hold events where social distancing would be difficult.

BY D. SEAN ROWLEYSenior Reporter

TAHLEQUAH – With federal ap-proval granted on June 8 for new gam-ing compacts between Oklahoma and the Comanche Nation and Otoe-Mis-souria Tribe, the Cherokee Nation was quick to oppose it.

Gov. Kevin Stitt announced that the U.S. Department of the Interior had signed off on the compact agreements, saying he was “extremely pleased.”

“I appreciate and respect the thoughtful leadership for (Otoe-Mis-souria) Chairman (John) Shotton and (Comanche) Chairman (William) Nelson who worked hard to secure fair terms for their citizens, and whose contributions throughout the negoti-ations ensured a more level playing field and modernized gaming market in Oklahoma,” Stitt said.

The two tribes had been party to a lawsuit initially filed by the Cherokee, Choctaw and Chickasaw nations on Dec. 31, that was subsequently joined by other tribes. The tribes want a legal interpretation of the gaming compacts, which they believe automat-ically renewed at the start of 2020. Stitt claims the compacts expired and must be renegotiated. The legal impasse is in mediation, though he has since requested a federal court ruling on a legal opinion issued by Oklahoma At-torney General Mike Hunter claiming the governor agreed to the new com-pacts by exceeding his authority.

In response to the Interior’s deci-sion, Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. said no federal offi-

Hoskin speaks against Interior’s OK of 2 tribal gaming compactsPrincipal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. says no federal official can give Gov. Stitt the needed authority to legally bind the state to the compacts.

SEE COMPACTS, 3SEE MONUMENTS, 3

SEE HOLIDAY, 3SEE UKB, 3

2 CHEROKEE PHOENIX • JULY 1, 2020 ᏣᎳᎩ ᏧᎴᎯᏌᏅᎯ • ᎫᏰᏉᏂ 1, 2020NEWS • ᏗᏕᏃᏣᎸᏍᎩ

TAHLEQUAH – On May 28, Cherokee Nation officials announced a $332 million spending plan to use the tribe’s first por-tion of an $8 billion set aside in CARES Act funding from the U.S. Treasury earmarked to help tribal governments recover from the impact of COVID-19.

According to a CN press release, the CN’s COVID-19 Respond, Recover and Re-build spending plan will help offset unbud-geted expenses due to coronavirus, protect employees from layoffs, add safety mea-sures to infrastructure, increase services for citizens and invest in strengthening Cherokee communities to speed recovery.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupt-ed the lives of all of us, including here in the Cherokee Nation and within our tribal communities. Faced with the worst crisis of our generation, we reacted and quickly adjusted to make tough but neces-sary decisions, taking steps to stabilize a more than $100 million revenue shortfall sustained from COVID-19 efforts,” said Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. “We also took bold and innovative measures to help our citizens and employees recov-er by ensuring they have a stable job and income. We strove to make the Cherokee Nation’s infrastructure safer, and we did everything in our power to offer relief to Cherokee citizens through our vital pro-grams, allowing us to persevere through this trial, heal together, and rebuild as a stronger tribe and community. The COVID-19 Respond, Recover and Rebuild spending plan is the crucial next step in our approach to recovering and rebuild-ing the great Cherokee Nation.”

Approximately $100 million of the spend-ing plan is allocated to restoring opera-tions. Both CN and Cherokee Nation Busi-nesses changed or suspended operations in March to safeguard from the spread of COVID-19, with employees working remotely or on paid administrative leave.

“Sadly, many employers across the country have had to make drastic pro-gram cuts and mass layoffs,” Treasurer Tralynna Scott said. “I’m very proud that the Cherokee Nation did not have to take the same route. We were able to continue paying our employees so they did not suffer financially, and we were not forced

to cut critical tribal services because of this health crisis.”

Additionally, $100 million in CARES Act funding will be invested in an array of safety measures, such as purchasing thousands of personal protective equipment for employees’ safe return to work and adding fa-cility space and retrofits for employee social distancing. The CN will also invest in its IT infrastructure so that it is as prepared as possible should there be a second wave of COVID-19.

Another $100 million will be an investment in strengthening communities and CN citizens to help with economic recovery and for ongoing response to COVID-19. The largest emergency food distribution effort in CN history, in response to COVID-19, helped some 45,000 Cherokee elders and individuals who

needed assistance with food security. The tribe’s spending plan adds more funding for food services. The plan expands emer-gency services to assist CN citizens with utilities or rental and housing payments

and expands employment programs in order to help citizens get back

to work. “During this crisis, it was

our mission to help our citizens and communities remain safe and receive the aid they needed during such a trying

time,” Deputy Chief Bryan Warner said. “Together, we

will begin to move forward by expanding tribal programs,

services and grants. This spirit of helping Cherokees is in our nature, just as it was with our ancestors.”

The plan also creates grants to assist community organizations with responses to COVID-19, including helping schools

increase distance learning capabilities and providing relief funds to fire departments, police departments, food banks, Cherokee community organizations and will boost funds available to Tribal Councilors to ad-dress COVID-19 response in their districts.

Another $32 million is earmarked to complete health projects, including the OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine at Cherokee Nation and Wilma P. Mankiller Health Center, and potentially establish a future epidemiological center.

The attorney general’s office issued an opinion on federal CARES Act funding stating that funds should be directed to necessary expenses and programs that support the recovery of the tribe from disruptions caused by COVID-19.

“Congress was clear that all funds provided from the tribal set-aside of the Coronavirus Relief Fund must be used for necessary expenditures incurred due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A ‘per capita’ scheme – which would split the funding equally between all citizens – is an illegal use of the funds. The funds must be tied to costs incurred due to the public health emergency the Nation is facing,” Attor-ney General Sara Hill said.

Officials said the spending plan is in the early process, with further details emerging to the Tribal Council and citi-zens in the future. Plans are also subject to change as the pandemic and needs change, officials said.

The Tribal Council modified the Na-tion’s fiscal year 2020 budget to accommo-date the spending plan and will continue to monitor and provide input on the plan as it further develops. It approved the spending plan unanimously during its May 28 meeting.

“The U.S. Treasury is very specific on what our funding can be used for which guided our spending plan that helps every facet of our tribal nation,” Tribal Council Speaker Joe Byrd said. “This is another example of the Cherokee people faced with adversity, but relying on our strength, unity and leadership of our administration, Tribal Council and CNB business arm, to pull together and get us through the crisis, and stronger as a result.”

CN announces $332M plan for CARES Act funds

COURTESY PHOTOSCherokee Nation COVID-19 Respond, Recover and Rebuild plan.

BY D. SEAN ROWLEYSenior Reporter

TAHLEQUAH – With Oklahoma re-porting record numbers of COVID-19 cases in late June, many Cherokee Na-tion employees – particularly those at higher risk – are waiting to see whether CN officials choose to continue on sched-ule with the reopening of offices and workplaces.

As of June 22, the CN had made no announcement concerning a possible delay to implementing the third phase of its reopening, scheduled for July 6. The start of Phase 3 would end the alter-nating days or weeks currently used in the Nation’s buildings to roughly halve staffing and minimize contact between workers. Offices would be back to full staff, but those 65 and over or at elevated risk must work from home or take ad-ministrative leave, unless willing to sign a waiver.

“Our government offices are now re-open to the public, allowing us to get back to the business of serving our citizens at capacities that continue to increase,” said Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. in a video address posted June 12.

Hoskin said CN citizens are visiting tribal offices and staff are “working hard,” but he also encouraged use of online services when available, and told those visiting in person to follow safety protocols.

“If you visit one of our 150 offices across the 14-county jurisdiction, we thank you for wearing masks and keep-ing our workspaces safe,” Hoskin said.

Currently, the wearing of masks is expected for anyone inside CN offices or workplaces, whether employees, guests, clients, customers or visitors.

Hoskin added that the CN, through its recent agreement with Elite Element Testing Laboratories, had increasing access to test kits to routinely test work-spaces for COVID-19.

“This is another measure to ensure that our employees and our citizens are out of harm’s way, and that all of our cleaning

efforts are paying off,” Hoskin said.The Oklahoma State Department of

Health reported on June 22 that 10,733 state residents had tested positive for the novel coronavirus. Despite all-time highs in incidence, there has not been an accompanying increase in deaths. The state’s COVID-19 death toll stood at 369 on June 22.

Officials have also said the state’s health care resources are not under stress, despite the increase in positive COVID-19 tests. The OSDH report for June 12-18 said 211 Oklahomans were hospitalized for novel coronavirus infec-tions.

Hoskin said the CN Health Services were not sighing with relief, and re-mained vigilant.

“We’re not out of the woods yet,” he said. “We are still seeing a few new cases of citizens who have tested positive for COVID-19 in our health system. As we integrate back into society, it remains vital that we wear our masks, use hand sanitizer and practice social distancing. We’re practicing those safety measures here in the Cherokee Nation and inside our casinos. We’ll continue to take these measures….”

The CN on May 8 announced the phases of its reopening. The phases had target dates, but were not rigid. The sta-tus of public health in the CN jurisdic-tion and Oklahoma must be conducive to reopening, and dates can be delayed. CN officials did not anticipate any phases being enacted earlier than the target dates.

Phase 4, starting no earlier than Aug. 4, will allow all employees to return to the office, though high-risk employees can request continued arrangements to work from home or administrative leave. Employees making the request will be expected to shelter in place, and be available at home during regular business hours if applicable.

Phase 5, which begins no earlier than Sept. 7, is when all employees will be expected to return to work in their re-spective offices.

CN continues reopening plan, masks mandatory

BY CHAD HUNTERReporter

TAHLEQUAH – In an effort to gauge how its COVID-19 sanitation strategy is faring, the Cherokee Nation has begun testing workspace surfaces as office doors reopen to the public.

“This is another measure to ensure that our employees and our citizens are out of harm’s way, and that all of our cleaning efforts are paying off,” Princi-pal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. said.

CN environmental teams began their effort June 12 by taking swab samples from door handles, vending machines and other surfaces at the CN Food Distri-bution Center in Tahlequah.

“The public hasn’t been inside here in a couple of months,” Wayne Isaacs, senior director of CN Environmental Programs, said. “So we’re focusing on areas heavily used by staff. Areas that have a lot of hand-touching around the office.”

Testing is expected to continue at all 150 CN governmental offices within the tribal jurisdiction.

“Given where we’ve seen some positive cases, we just wanted to make sure our sanitation efforts are working correctly,” Chief of Staff Todd Enlow said. “We didn’t want to miss anything. To use a cliché, we didn’t want to leave any stone unturned.”

Samples will be tested at Elite Element Laboratories in Sallisaw. Isaacs, who sees the sampling effort also as training experience for environmental staff, ex-pects “a lot of new data” that could help steer future housekeeping practices.

“We may have some additional in-sights into the virus that can assist (the Centers for Disease Control) and others potentially,” Enlow added. “But, that’s a lot of ifs and what ifs. I know there are a few places out there doing this, but not many. The laboratory said that in conjunction with the testing we’re doing and the contact tracing, this might be a model for others to look at in the future.”

Within the CN’s Health Services, there were 175 confirmed cases of COVID-19 as of June 26.

“We’re seeing some additional posi-tive cases,” Enlow said. “I wouldn’t say that we’re seeing like a wave yet. But, it’s a number that we’re watching very closely.”

Three deaths in CN health care system have been attributed to COVID-19.

“As we integrate back into society, it remains vital that we wear our masks, use hand sanitizer and practice social distancing,” Hoskin said. “We’re prac-ticing those safety measures here at the Cherokee Nation and inside our casinos. We’ll continue to take these measures so that our number of COVID-19 cases does not spike.”

CHAD HUNTER/CHEROKEE PHOENIXJerry Bigfeather, a Cherokee Nation environmental health specialist, swabs a pallet jack handle on June 12 at the Food Distribution site in Tahlequah. He and other CN employees tested various surfaces to help monitor the tribe’s COVID-19 cleaning efforts.

Cherokee Nation tests own coronavirus cleaning effortsAll 150 tribal offices in its jurisdiction are to be tested.

cial can give Stitt the needed authority to legally bind the state to the compacts and that Interior officials were not willing to say the compacts were consistent with federal law.

“Instead, the Department of the Interior dodged the ques-tion and left the governor, Comanche Nation, and Otoe-Mis-souria Tribe looking at months or years of continued litiga-tion,” Hoskin said. “It’s hard to see how any of this equals a ‘win’ for Governor Stitt or for the citizens of Oklahoma.”

The compacts leave room for the two tribes to offer sports-book betting, which has never been approved by the Okla-homa Legislature. Hunter’s opinion, issued May 5, said he “concludes Governor Stitt was without legal authority to bind the State of Oklahoma to these agreements and therefore it cannot be said that the State has entered into a new gaming compact with these tribal nations.”

Hunter added that “the Governor cannot authorize the vio-lation of state law through a compact with an Indian tribe.”

While the DOI decision has irritated the Cherokee Nation and other Oklahoma tribes, state lawmakers voiced concern over Stitt’s request for a federal judge to intervene in a dispute that they believe is a state issue. Senate President Pro Tempo-re Greg Treat (R-Oklahoma City) and House Speaker Charles McCall (R-Atoka), in an effort to keep the impasse under the

state’s aegis, have asked for a ruling from the Oklahoma Su-preme Court.

“Federal judges decide matters of federal law, not matters of state law, and at issue is a matter of state law,” Treat said. “Asking federal judges to decide a matter of state law is a dangerous intrusion into states’ rights.”

The Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association announced on May 7 the suspension of the Otoe-Missouria Tribe and the Comanche Nation of Oklahoma through the end of 2020, fol-lowing an adjustment of the association’s bylaws. Following the DOI decision, the OIGA restated its support of Hunter and legislative leaders.

“While we respect the sovereignty of each tribe to take what actions it believes it must on behalf of its citizens, these agreements do not advance the tribal governmental gaming industry in Oklahoma,” the OIGA statement reads. “On the contrary, the agreements introduce the type of potential instability that existing compacts were designed to avoid and exacerbate the relationship between tribal governments and Governor Stitt.”

Stitt’s attorneys asked on May 29 that Judge Timothy De-Guisti of the Western District of Oklahoma delay mediation – two days before the deadline – pending the governor’s request.

request for land. So we’ve been 80 years in acquiring this land.”The 76-acre site in Tahlequah, purchased by the UKB in 2000, is

home to the tribe’s museum, community center, law enforcement headquarters, a wellness center and other buildings and offices. The 76 acres do not include any land for gaming facilities and were not approved as land in trust for gaming purposes.

“It’s a glorious day that the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma

was denied their final appeal,” UKB Assistant Chief Jamie Thompson said June 22. “They have nowhere else to go to try and deny the UKB its land in trust. This case was settled and we signed the deed to the land last December. Now we’re officially equal to any other federally recognized tribe and we’re looking forward to a future where we can exercise our rights like every other federally recognized tribe that has land in trust.”

JULY 1, 2020 • CHEROKEE PHOENIX 3 ᎫᏰᏉᏂ 1, 2020 • ᏣᎳᎩ ᏧᎴᎯᏌᏅᎯ NEWS • ᏗᏕᏃᏣᎸᏍᎩ

Confederate statue in Charlottesville, North Carolina, accord-ing to an AP article.

“Today marks a new chapter in the history of the Capi-tol Square in which Cherokees, for the first time in over a century, can exercise control of the entirety of the square and let Cherokees, not non-Cherokees, tell our story more fully,” Hoskin said.

He added that the CN is not erasing history, as the story of the Civil War needs to be told along with pivotal figures such as Watie, but told “through the Cherokee Nation lens, told appropri-ately, and told in a message that evokes unity,” the release states.

On the CN website, it is noted that the Civil War created a division among Cherokees with one-third of men joining the Confederacy, and later then-Principal Chief John Ross agreeing to support the Confederacy after Union troops left a nearby fort.

“There are some painful references on these monuments, and I think we live in a time when we need to be mindful of the unity we have here on the courthouse Capitol Square,” Hoskin said. “If there is one place at the Cherokee Nation that should stand for unity it should be here. After all, this is where we reconstituted our government and came back together as a people, and I think we need to do that today.”

The monuments were lifted by crane and were to be placed in storage. The tribe is working on more expansive plans for the Capitol Square including commissioning future arts projects such as a monument dedicated to the Trail of Tears, the release states.

“A lot is going on in this country in terms of racial strife, and the Cherokee Nation plays a role in healing, and this is one of the ways we can do that,” Hoskin said.

MONUMENTS: They were placed when the property was a county courthouse owned by the state.

UKB: UKB leaders officially signed a deed to place the land in trust on Dec. 5.

COMPACTS: Stitt claims the compacts expired and must be renegotiated.

HOLIDAY: The full list of activities has not yet been released.

Court rules to cancel energy lease on land sacred to tribes

HELENA, Mont. (AP) – A federal appeals court ruled June 16 to cancel a long-disputed oil and gas lease on land in northwestern Montana considered sacred to Native American tribes in the United States and Canada.

The three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Ap-peals for the District of Columbia Circuit overruled a judge’s 2018 decision that had allowed a Louisi-ana company to keep its lease within the Badger Two-Medicine area of Lewis and Clark National Forest.

That area near Glacier National Park is the site of the creation story of the Blackfoot tribes of southern Canada and Montana’s Blackfeet Nation.

John Murray, the Blackfeet’s tribal historic pres-ervation officer, said the court’s decision will close a “long and painful chapter in the history of our people.”

“These leases should never have been issued in the first place,” Murray said. “Today’s ruling shows that these companies and their lawyers were not just on the wrong side of history but were also on the wrong side of the law when they waged their 40-year crusade to drill our ancestral land.”

U.S. judge denies tribe’s bid to halt virus relief funding

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) – A federal judge in the nation’s capital has denied a request from a Native American tribe in Kansas to halt further distribution of coronavirus relief funds for tribal nations.

The Prairie Band of Potawatomi Nation recently sued the U.S. Treasury Department, alleging it was shortchanged in an initial distribution of $4.8 billion. The tribe, whose reservation is north of Topeka, said the Treasury Department should have relied on the tribe’s own enrollment data, rather than population data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The HUD data showed the tribe had 883 citizens. The tribe argued it should have received $7.65 million dollars more based on its enrollment figure of more than 4,840.

After record year, tornadoes numbers decline in Oklahoma

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – Following a record-set-ting year for the number of tornadoes in Oklahoma, the state has seen fewer thus far in 2020, according to state climatologist Gary McManus.

There were 33 twisters during the first five months of this year, including 13 during May, down from 186 during the same period last year that included a record 105 tornadoes last May and a record 149 for the year, according to the National Weather Service.

The month of May has averaged 24.4 tornadoes since 1950, according to the weather service and there have been an average of 41 tornadoes during the months of January to May.

North Dakota tribe to fight ruling giving minerals to state

FARGO, N.D. (AP) – Leaders of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation in North Dakota and others are challenging a Department of Interior opinion rolling back an Obama-era memo stating that mineral rights under the original Missouri River bed should belong to the Three Affiliated Tribes.

The memo filed May 26 by Daniel Jorjani, solicitor for the department, said a review by Historical Re-search Associates, Inc. shows the state is the legal owner of submerged lands beneath the river where it flows through the Fort Berthold Reservation. That contradicts a January 2017 memo by former solici-tor Hilary Tompkins, the department secretary under Obama and enrolled member of the Navajo Nation.

At stake is an estimated $100 million in oil royal-ties waiting in escrow to be claimed as well as any future payments. Three Affiliated Tribes Chairman Mark Fox said he plans to take legal action “ASAP,” likely with a federal lawsuit.

Oklahoma group submits signatures for sentencing question

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – A group seeking to reduce Oklahoma’s high prison incarceration rate delivered more than 260,000 signatures to the state on June 1 as part of its effort to get a state question on the ballot.

Volunteers with Yes on 805 delivered the boxes to the Oklahoma Secretary of State’s Office. They need about 178,000 signatures of registered voters to qualify the question for a statewide ballot. The governor will set the date of the election once the signatures have been counted.

Yes on 805, a group of business, political and religious leaders, is seeking to amend the state con-stitution to prohibit prosecutors from using previous felony convictions to enhance prison sentences. It would also allow people who already had such sen-tence enhancements to petition the courts for relief. They say this practice leads to Oklahoma prisoners serving far more time behind bars than inmates in other states, especially for drug and property crimes.

Oklahoma prisons to reopen to visitors

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – State prisons in Okla-homa have started to reopen for inmate visitation, but with precautions to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, according to the state Department of Correction.

Visitors must remain in their vehicle until called, wear a mask provided by the facility, complete a health-screening, show no symptoms of the virus and maintain social distancing, the department said May 29.

Visitors will be allowed to carry only an identifi-cation card, car key, and baby care items if a young child is present.

The DOC suspended inmate visitation in March in an effort to prevent the spread of the virus.

BY D. SEAN ROWLEYSenior Reporter

OKLAHOMA CITY – After suggesting his court had no standing in a state dispute, a federal judge on June 15 declined to give Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt a legal opinion on the authority of the governor to negotiate gaming compacts with tribes in the state.

Western District of Oklahoma Chief Judge Timothy DeGiusti said in his ruling: “In the court’s view, it would be inappropriate for a federal court to interfere in the resolution of such a sensitive state law matter, which implicates important concerns of sovereignty and comity that underlie many federal abstention doctrines.”

DeGiusti’s four-page decision supports the contentions of the state lawmakers and the Oklahoma attorney general, and rebuffs Stitt’s request that mediation be delayed between the tribes and state regarding gaming compacts.

“The court did not direct the Governor or the State to participate in the mediation proceeding in any particular way,” DeGiusti wrote in his decision. “Nor did the court direct Governor Stitt to participate in the mediation with ‘full settlement’ authority, as argued in (the governor’s) motion.”

The extent of Stitt’s legal authority heads to the Oklahoma Supreme Court, where oral arguments are scheduled for July 1.

The Judicial Center remains closed, and the court said on June 15 it planned to provide a live video stream.

Federal approval was granted on

June 8 for new gaming compacts – by not acting on them during the 45-day window – between the state and the Comanche Nation and Otoe-Missouria Tribe. The Cherokee Nation was quick to announce its opposition.

Stitt said at the time he was “extremely pleased” that the U.S. Department of the Interior had signed off on the compact agreements.

“I appreciate and respect the thoughtful leadership for (Otoe-Missouria) Chairman (John) Shotton and (Comanche) Chairman (William) Nelson who worked hard to secure fair terms for their citizens, and whose contributions throughout the negotiations ensured a more level playing field and modernized gaming market in Oklahoma,” Stitt said.

The two tribes had been party to a lawsuit initially filed by the Cherokee, Choctaw and Chickasaw nations on Dec. 31 that was subsequently joined by other tribes. The litigating tribes want a legal interpretation of the gaming compacts, which they believe automatically renewed at the start of 2020. Stitt claims the compacts expired and must be renegotiated. The legal impasse is in mediation, though Stitt later requested a federal court ruling on a legal opinion issued by Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter claiming the governor agreed to terms exceeding his authority.

“No federal official can give Gov. Stitt the authority he needed to legally bind the state to these compacts, and Interior officials were not willing to say that the compacts were consistent with the provisions of federal law,” said

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. “Instead, the Department of the Interior dodged the question and left the governor, Comanche Nation, and Otoe-Missouria Tribe looking at months or years of continued litigation. It’s hard to see how any of this equals a ‘win’ for Gov. Stitt or for the citizens of Oklahoma.”

The compacts left room for the tribes to offer sportsbook betting, which has never been approved by the Oklahoma Legislature. Hunter’s opinion, issued May 5, said he “concludes Governor Stitt was without legal authority to bind the State of Oklahoma to these agreements and therefore it cannot be said that the State has entered into a new gaming compact with these tribal nations.”

“The Department of the Interior’s thoughtless and irresponsible inaction on the compacts doesn’t change our conclusion that the governor lacks the authority to enter into compacts that include activities not legal in Oklahoma,” Hunter said after approval of the compacts. “The tribes cannot begin operating under the terms of these compacts until the many questions that remain pending before the Oklahoma Supreme Court are resolved.”

State lawmakers had raised their concerns over Stitt’s request for a federal judge to intervene in a dispute that they considered a state issue. Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Treat (R-Oklahoma City) and House Speaker Charles McCall (R-Atoka), in an effort to keep the impasse under the state’s aegis, have asked for a ruling from the Oklahoma Supreme Court.

Stitt’s request for gaming authority opinion rejected

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Hoskin said. “This was a tough decision, but we always want to err on the side of caution and protect our employees who put on the events and the public, so this year we felt it best to share our Cherokee National Holiday celebration and traditions safely online for viewers around the globe to tune in and see.”

Hoskin said the virtual holiday was a decision of the adminis-tration based on the safety recommendations of health officials within the tribe and across all levels of government.

“I know that many of our arts and crafts vendors, food ven-dors, artists, dancers, parade entries – all of those who come to visit us each year – may be disappointed,” he said. “But taking this step is the right thing to do. We simply cannot take the risks associated with taking in 100,000 visitors from all over the country into the Cherokee Nation all at once.”

The theme for the 68th holiday is “We the People of the Chero-

kee Nation: Celebrating Tribal Sovereignty.”“This Cherokee National Holiday will be unlike any we’ve

ever had, and while some events won’t be open to the public so that we can maintain safety here in the Cherokee Nation, it does allow citizens across the globe to watch an array of events that are traditional to our Cherokee people, and plan their trip to Tahlequah in 2021,” said Austin Patton, holiday coordinator.

The Cherokee National Holiday commemorates the signing of the CN Constitution in 1839, which reestablished the tribe’s government in Indian Territory after the Cherokees’ forced removal from their traditional lands in the southeastern U.S.

A full schedule of virtual events is to be announced. Visit https://holiday.cherokee.org for updates. For questions con-cerning the holiday, call Patton at 918-822-2427.

4 CHEROKEE PHOENIX • JULY 1, 2020 ᏣᎳᎩ ᏧᎴᎯᏌᏅᎯ • ᎫᏰᏉᏂ 1, 2020OPINION • ᏃᎵᏍᎬ

BY CHUCK HOSKIN JR.Principal Chief

Across our country, we are having a

new dialogue about how we experience race and the painful chapters of United States history, including the Ameri-can Civil War. Recently, I oversaw the removal of two monuments from the historic Cherokee Nation Capitol Square in Tahlequah. The monuments failed to reflect the CN’s values of freedom and inclusion, and they run contrary to the idea that CN should have control of tell-ing its own story.

We have long had public discussion about the potential removal of these monuments. I concede that recent events in the country caused me to reflect fur-ther on the matter. America is engaged in a dialogue on the subject of whether public monuments glorifying the Con-federacy are appropriate. I think they are not, but that only begins to delve into the reasons I removed the monuments. The discussion goes even deeper, to the core of whether a people should have the power to tell their own story.

Contrary to popular belief, the monu-ments, both relating to the Confederacy and Confederate Gen. Stand Waite, are not “Cherokee” in terms of creation or origin. The monuments were set in place by a non-Cherokee organization, the Daughters of the Confederacy, in 1913 and 1921. This began less than a decade after the CN lost ownership of our his-toric Capitol Square at Oklahoma state-

hood. The state owned the property, and it was controlled by the county government as a courthouse. The CN, its government suppressed by the federal government, was not involved in the placement of the

monuments. What an insult to a great nation to

have its capitol taken and then adorned with monuments by those who seized it. It would take a half-century for CN to regain its full ability to self-govern and take back its Capitol Square. Yet, for the last century, one of the most hallowed places in the CN – a symbol of Cherokee unity, endurance and progress – was decorated based on the judgment of the state government, the county govern-ment and a non-Indian organization as they saw fit.

The days of Cherokees leaving it to others to tell our story are over. We have suffered for centuries with others telling our story for us and telling us which peo-ple, places and events should be glorified in monuments. I have committed much time and energy to giving our national story back to Cherokees. On that point, I will never yield.

Today, we have the power and re-sources to build our own monuments and memorials to significant people, places and events. We have exercised that power across the CN in a way that

has brought pride and unity to our tribe. You can see it in each of our public spac-es. Through museums, books and online material, people can explore the Chero-kee story. This includes a discussion of Stand Waite and the Civil War, as it is not possible to explore Cherokee history without understanding both.

Telling our story allows us to tell it more fully and accurately. The Daugh-ters of the Confederacy had as its mis-sion the glorification of the Confederacy. The monuments were set in the midst of great racial strife in the country, includ-ing lynchings, race massacres and the enforcement of Jim Crow laws. To any-one with even a basic understanding of the CN’s connection to the Civil War, the monuments did a poor job of depicting that pivotal era in Cherokee history. The monuments, bearing painful references to the Confederacy and glorifying the cause of the rebellion, detract from the spirit of unity and friendship that Cher-okees today want to extend to each other and to the world. We can do better.

As for the monuments, we will work to find them a new and appropriate home.

Going forward we plan to develop more artistic spaces for Cherokees to better tell our story across the entirety of the Capitol grounds. For the first time in more than a century, the CN will take full control over the images and symbols depicted on our historic Capitol Square. As long as I am chief, those symbols will reflect unity and inclusion, not divisiveness.

BY LINDSEY SCHNEIDERColorado State University

The SARS-CoV-2 virus is novel, but

pandemic threats to Indigenous peoples are anything but new. Diseases such as measles, smallpox and the Spanish flu have decimated Native American com-munities ever since the arrival of the first European colonizers.

Now COVID-19 is having similarly devastating impacts in Indian Country. Some reservations are reporting infec-tion rates many times higher than those observed in the general U.S. population.

We are social scientists who study many aspects of environmental justice, including the politics of food access and food sovereignty, the impacts of extractive resource industries such as uranium and fossil fuels, and how Indig-enous communities navigate relation-ships with state and federal governments to maintain their traditional practices. As we see it, Native American commu-nities face structural and historical ob-stacles related to settler colonial legacies that make it hard for them to counter the pandemic, even by drawing on innova-tive Indigenous survival strategies.

Native communities in North America have been disrupted and displaced for centuries. Many face long-standing food and water inequities that are further complicated by this pandemic.

On the Navajo reservation, which covers more than 27,000 square miles in Arizona, Utah and New Mexico, 76% of households already have trouble afford-ing enough healthy food, and the near-est grocery store is often hours away. COVID-related restrictions have further curtailed access to food supplies.

Clean water for basic sanitary mea-sures such as hand-washing is also scarce. Native Americans are 19 times more likely to lack indoor plumbing than whites in the U.S. Nearly one-third of Navajo households lack access to run-ning water.

Many health issues that can increase COVID-19 mortality rates occur at high levels among Native Americans. These underlying and pre-existing conditions – things such as hypertension, diabe-tes, obesity and cardiovascular disease – are linked to diet and stem from dis-ruption and replacement of Indigenous food systems.

Meanwhile, housing shortages on reservations and homelessness in ur-ban Native communities make social distancing to reduce COVID-19 transmis-sion impossible.

These factors have clear health im-

pacts. On the Navajo reservation, for in-stance, through May 27, 4,944 people out of a population of 173,000 had tested positive for COVID-19, and 159 had died.

This infection rate per capita exceeds

those in hot spots such as New York and New Jersey. Importantly, however, it may also reflect a much more proactive approach to testing on reservations than in many other jurisdictions.

The fact that elderly people are es-pecially vulnerable to COVID-19 could worsen the pandemic’s effects in Indian Country. Elders are the keepers of tradi-tional knowledge, tribal languages and culture – legacies whose loss already threatens the persistence of Indigenous communities.

Elders also play key roles in pre-serving traditional plant and medicine knowledge. In the absence of COVID-19 interventions from Western medicine, many elders have been called on to per-form healing practices, which increases their exposure risk.

Many tribal citizens rely on the federal government’s Indian Health Service for health care. But lack of capacity at the agency has hampered its response. Bud-get shortfalls, inaccurate data, the chal-lenges of providing rural health care and ongoing personnel shortages in IHS clin-ics are compounded by staff being pulled away to fight the virus in large cities.

And while many states have raised frustrations with the Trump adminis-tration’s unwillingness to distribute protective supplies from the dwindling national stockpile, IHS and tribal health care authorities never had access to the stockpile at all.

Although the federal government has begun distributing relief funds to IHS agencies, there have been serious problems with the accompanying sup-plies. The Navajo Nation has received faulty masks, and a Seattle Native health center asked for tests but received body bags instead.

Meanwhile, federally imposed limits on tribal sovereignty have obstructed tribal governments’ efforts to deal with the pandemic themselves. Federal and state governments are challenging tribes’ jurisdictional authority to close borders to tourists who may carry the vi-rus. South Dakota’s governor has threat-ened legal action against two tribes who set up checkpoints to monitor incoming traffic on their reservations.

Energy development and resource extraction have had disproportionate impacts on tribes for many years. To-day, many Native American leaders worry that ongoing energy production – an “essential” activity under federal guidelines will bring outsiders into close contact with reservation communities, worsening COVID risks.

The owners of the Keystone XL oil pipeline have announced that they in-tend to continue construction, which will bring an influx of workers along the proposed route through Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska. The Rosebud Sioux Tribe in South Dakota and Fort Belknap Indian community in Montana have filed for a temporary restraining order, and a key permit for the pipeline was revoked in April 2020, but work con-tinues at the U.S.-Canada border.

Construction is accelerating on the southern border wall, which bisects the Tohono O’odham reservation in Arizona and Mexico. The Trump administration has increased patrols at the border, de-spite the tribe’s concern that the patrols’ presence is spreading coronavirus on the reservation.

And in Bristol Bay, Alaska, a salmon fishing season that brings in thousands of temporary workers is set to open in June because the federal government has also deemed commercial fishing “essential critical infrastructure.” Many local Native villages depend on the fish-ery for income, but have nonetheless pleaded with state regulators to cancel the season. The regional hospital has just four beds for possible COVID-19 pa-tients.

Native communities are taking de-cisive action to reduce the spread of COVID-19. They’re imposing aggressive quarantine measures like lockdowns, curfews and border closures. Communi-ties are ramping up health care capacity and elder support services, and banish-ing nontribal citizens who violate travel restrictions.

Other strategies include helping hunt-ers provide traditional foods to their communities, mobilizing to support trib-al health care workers, and linking the pandemic and the climate crisis. Look-ing ahead to a post-COVID future, we believe one priority should be attending to front-line environmental justice strug-gles that center tribes’ sovereignty to act on their own behalf at all times, not just during national crises.

Editor’s Note: The Conversation via the As-sociated Press is an independent and nonprof-it source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.

Why I removed Confederate monuments from Cherokee Capitol

Native tribes’ pandemic response hamstrung by inequities

Native AmericanJournalists AssociationM

embe

r Oklahoma PressAssociation

CherokeePhoenix

JULY 1, 2020Volume 44, No. 13

The Cherokee Phoenix is published twice monthly by the Cherokee Nation, PO Box 948, Tahlequah, OK 74465.Application to mail at Periodicals post-age rates is pending at Tahlequah, OK 74464.POSTMASTER: Send address changes toCherokee Phoenix, PO Box 948, Tahle-quah, OK 74465

Editorial StaffTyler ThomasExecutive Editor

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JULY 1, 2020 • CHEROKEE PHOENIX 5 ᎫᏰᏉᏂ 1, 2020 • ᏣᎳᎩ ᏧᎴᎯᏌᏅᎯ COMMUNITY • ᎾᎥ ᏄᎾᏓᎸ

IN MEMORIAMWilliam AcornDec. 22, 1951 – May 29, 2020

Justin Ray BaileyJuly 21, 1979 – May 29, 2020

Lawrence Curtis Bias Aug. 20, 1929 – June 9, 2020

Pearl Elizabeth (Parrish) BienFeb. 24, 1938 – June 9, 2020

Donald Lee BlackbirdMay 24, 1956 – June 8, 2020

Daniel Clarence BrysonOct. 6, 1963 – June 7, 2020

Jesse David BushyheadJan. 21, 1965 – June 15, 2020

Walter Dale ChoateMarch 23, 1941 – May 21, 2020

Leroy CombsJan. 13, 1936 – May 28, 2020

Shirley Ann CopelandSept. 4, 1948 – June 5, 2020

Jerry DraperOct. 5, 1967 – June 7, 2020

Homer Lee Dry Jr.June 20, 1952 – June 1, 2020

Andrea Denice DudleyJune 24, 1969 – June 8, 2020

Charlene EnglandMay 31, 1960 – June 1, 2020

Freddie Gene FerrellApril 11, 1941 – June 2, 2020

Deloris Ann (Brown) GeorgeNov. 13, 1958 – May 28, 2020

Archie Lee Girty Jan. 3, 1945 – June 12, 2020 Lauren Michele GlassFeb. 21, 1989 – June 14, 2020

Pauline Louise (Curl) GoodwinApril 7, 1939 – May 24, 2020

Edna Louise (McWilliams) HavensApril 22, 1935 – June 9, 2020

Novella Pittman (Jeremiah)Aug. 3, 1933 – June 5, 2020

Michelle Lynn JohnsonApril 2, 1974 – June 11, 2020

Betty Mae JumperMarch 3, 1955 – June 6, 2020

Leonard Junior KocherAug. 1, 1962 – June 13, 2020

Larry Franklin MeltonJuly 16, 1959 – June 5, 2020

Jonathan NofireJune 20, 1982 – May 13, 2020

Darrell Paul ReidMarch 1, 1943 – June 3, 2020

Echo Garvin RiderOct. 19, 1919 – May 27, 2020

Cheryl Ann RitzmanMarch 31, 1959 – May 30, 2020

Floyd Rowland Dec. 23, 1927 – June 12, 2020

Leona Maxine (Ross) ScottAug. 26, 1920 – May 22, 2020

Joan Anna SellersMarch 16, 1937 – June 7, 2020

Carolene (Cochran) SevenstarMarch 2, 1951 – May 21, 2020

Mikey Joe SharpDec. 31, 1959 – May 23, 2020

Loretta Ann ShrumMarch 13, 1937 – June 1, 2020

Earnest Melvin SmithApril 23, 1956 – June 5, 2020

Stephen Carl SmithMay 26, 1952 – May 23, 2020

Shirley Jean TudorFeb. 8, 1938 – June 7, 2020

Martin VannAug. 2, 1950 – May 25, 2020

Sharon Kay WaltersJan. 26, 1960 – June 10, 2020

Marilyn Jean WattMay 9, 1944 – June 4, 2020

Delina WhiteOct. 23, 1964 – June 6, 2020

Toney Leon WhitsonJan. 12, 1967 – June 11, 2020

The Cherokee Nation makes recommendations to community leaders about reopening organizations and facilities.BY STAFF REPORTS

TAHLEQUAH – In a May 29 teleconference meeting between Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr., Cherokee Nation Community and Cultural Outreach officials and CN Public Health Officials,

recommendations were made for the reopening of Cherokee community organizations and facilities.

“Cherokee Nation continues to monitor COVID-19 and the effects of the state and local governments openings,” CCO Director Kevin Stretch stated in an email to community leaders. “Cherokee Nation Public Health Officials, in the recent Zoom meeting, provided guidance to Cherokee community organizations and facilities anxious to restart normal operations,”

According to CCO and Public Health officials, recommendations for June included:

• Strictly follow Centers for Disease

Control recommendations such facility sterilization, personal protective equipment (PPE), personal hygiene, etc;

• Follow CDC guidelines for at-risk attendees. Guidelines can be found at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/index.html;

• Keep gatherings to less than 10 people;

• Having an event outdoors is better than indoors;

• If indoors, fresh air circulation is desired;

• Observe strict social distancing of at least 6 feet;

• Wear masks at all times (per Hoskin’s executive order);

• Sanitize/sterilize thoroughly, repeatedly; and

• No communal food sharing. Families eat only what they prepare themselves and don’t offer others the same food.

Stretch said CDC guidance regarding COVID-19 and social distancing can be found at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/prevention.html.

“Ultimately organizational leaders have the responsibility and assume the liability of whether to operate in disregard to Cherokee Nation recommendations,” Stretch said.

CN gives reopening tips to community leaders

Echo Garvin Rider is a true legacy to be treasured forever. She was an educator, horsewoman, rancher, rodeo queen, historian, distinguished Cherokee citizen and a woman blessed with a large family filled with love. She began and ended her life on her father’s Cherokee Nation allotment and homestead nestled between creeks, hills, massive oak trees and prairie grasslands in the community of Miller Ridge, Oklahoma. The same family ranch which is recognized as an Oklahoma Centennial Ranch established in 1817, and the homeplace of one of the largest cattle produc-ers in the early years of the Cherokee Nation. Today’s event is a celebration of Echo Rider’s life – a life of challenges, adventures, prestige, appreciation, and most of all, honor and love.

In late April, 1919, an afternoon storm cloud arose producing a bolt of lightning striking a prominent stockman. A handsome Cherokee named John Franklin Garvin was tragically killed at the young age of 29, leaving behind his lovely wife, Claudie Amos Garvin, and three small children, Lee, Juanita, and Emmet. A few months later, on October 19, 1919, a beautiful, green-eyed, Cherokee baby girl was born and given the name Echo. A name suggested by her father months before her birth after he had watched a Hollywood silent adventure film serial with a character named “Echo” which was believed to be the

reincarnation of a long-lost Princess from an Incan tribe. Echo was a blessing born in a time of disparity. This was also a time before women had the right to vote, before all Native American Indians were considered citizens of the United States and Cherokee Nation Principal Chiefs were appointed and not freely elected as they are today.

Echo attended schools in the area and graduated with honors from Sequoyah School which was commonly called Miller Ridge School, Central High School, Connors State Agricultural College where she was crowned football queen, and Northeastern State Teach-ers College. By taking courses at night and over summer break, she obtained a Master’s Degree in Education from Northeastern State University and taught students of all grades at Seven Oaks, Brushy, Central High, Roland, and Sallisaw Schools. Understanding the hardship of riding horseback and crossing icy creeks to teach school at Seven Oaks, Echo was excited to purchase her first car, a second-hand Model A Ford for $75. Later, it was a proud accom-plishment for her when she began the first school bus route for student transportation while serving as Principal at Brushy School. Her educational accomplishments were nota-ble and worthy of praise by her students for 43 years of dedicated service.

The highlight of her lifetime began when she married the true love of her life, Tom F. Rid-er, on July 3, 1947. Some knew Tom as “Spide Rider,” but Echo always called him “Jimmy.” He was a soldier, a cowboy, a business owner, a rancher…and the most wonderful person

ever to her. They spent over 62 years together, ranching, traveling, racing horses, and raising cattle, together, every day, and he made her the Queen of the TRJ Ranch. He was the spark and she was the fire. They had a love that was unmeasurable. His passing in January, 2010, left an unfillable void but Echo’s strong con-stitution pushed her to continue on with her legacy. She always wanted to see how things were going to turn out.

Echo is considered part of the Greatest Generation and survived the Great Depres-sion. An OsiyoTV documentary shared Echo’s personal contributions to the war efforts during World War II. She was recruited to work in Wichita, Kansas, for Boeing Aircraft where she painted stars on the wings of the airplanes as she instructed others in the trade. From there, this young beauty moved to California to paint liberty ships and troop ships for Moore Dry Dock in Oakland, and Kaiser Shipyards in Richmond. She was truly a Cherokee Rosie the Riveter.

Echo accomplished many out-standing achievements in her 100 plus year lifespan. She was the co-founder of the Fourteen Flags Museum located in Sallisaw and was immensely proud to be able to preserve the Judge Franklin Faulkner Cabin as it was the birthplace of her father at its original location just west of Akins. She was an originator of the Sallisaw Round-Up Club and for many years, the Rodeo Parade Marshal. She was instrumental in establishing Blue Ribbon Downs in Sallisaw and instituting pari-mutuel quarter horse racing in Oklahoma. Echo was a charter member of the Sequoyah County

Historical Society, was active in the Redbud Garden Club, the Retired Teachers Association and the oldest member of the Akins Baptist Church. She was an avid researcher and had many published works. Echo was also featured in National Geographic and Oklahoma Hall of Fame magazines. She was a contributing source for Route 66: The Mother Road and Pretty Boy: The Life and Times of Charles Ar-thur Floyd. She was a wealth of information.

Echo is leaving behind a son, Dr. J G Rider of the home, a grandson; Michael Rider of the home; her sister, Jean Ales-Roberts of Sal-lisaw; her sisters-in-laws, Mary C. Young, Ruth Wetzel, and Lillian Ketchell; and many nieces, nephews, cousins, and special friends.

Honorary Pallbearers are Ann Frix, Barbara Fine, Yvonne Blevins, Sandra Rudick, Faye Al-len, Kaye Tinney, Jawana Martindale, Wynona Burney, Emma Sue Brock, Christine Henshaw, Susanne Roth, and Vicki Gilstrap.

Active Pallbearers are Michael Rider, Gar-ret Holt, Trajan Lattimore, Teagan Lattimore, Braxton Stewart, and Colby Martin.

She was preceded in death by her husband; parents; step-father, T. K. Miller; 3 sisters, Juanita Garvin Lattimore, Dicie Miller Pinkerton, and Fannie Miller Rives; 1 sister-in-law, Maxine Rider; 3 brothers, Lee Garvin, Emmet Garvin, and Nakdimen Miller; 5 nieces and nephews, Frances Garvin Johnson, Gary Lattimore, Janelle Lattimore Fullbright, Patsy Garvin McCrary, and John C. Garvin.

Echo Garvin Rider is a treasure worthy of remembrance….a polished gem in the crown of glory.

HEALTH • ᎠᏰᎸ ᏄᏍᏛ6 CHEROKEE PHOENIX • JULY 1, 2020 ᏣᎳᎩ ᏧᎴᎯᏌᏅᎯ • ᎫᏰᏉᏂ 1, 2020

(AP) – Researchers in England say they have the first evidence that a drug can improve COVID-19 survival: A cheap, widely available steroid called dexamethasone reduced deaths by up to one-third in severely ill hospitalized patients.

Results were announced June 16 and researchers said they would publish them soon. The study is a large, strict test that randomly assigned 2,104 patients to get the drug and compared them with 4,321 patients getting only usual care.

The drug was given either orally or through an IV. After 28 days, it had reduced deaths by 35% in patients who needed treatment with breathing machines and by 20% in those only needing supplemental oxygen. It did not appear to help less ill patients.

“This is an extremely welcome result,” one study leader, Peter Horby of the University of Oxford, said in a statement. “The survival benefit is clear and large in those patients who are sick enough to require oxygen treatment, so dexamethasone should now become standard of care in these patients. Dexamethasone is inexpensive, on the shelf, and can be used immediately to save lives worldwide.”

Even though the drug only helps in severe cases, “countless lives will be saved globally,” said Nick Cammack of Wellcome, a British charity that supports science research.

“Dexamethasone must now be rolled out and accessed by thousands of critically ill patients around the world,” said Cammack, who had no role in the

study. “It is highly affordable, easy to make, can be scaled up quickly and only needs a small dosage.”

Steroid drugs reduce inflammation, which sometimes develops in COVID-19 patients as the immune system overreacts to fight the infection. This overreaction can prove fatal, so doctors have been testing steroids and other anti-inflammatory drugs in such patients. The World Health Organization advises against using steroids earlier in the course of illness because they can slow the time until patients clear the virus.

Researchers estimated that the drug would prevent one death for every eight patients treated while on breathing machines and one for every 25 patients on extra oxygen alone.

This is the same study that earlier

in June showed the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine was not working against the coronavirus. The study enrolled more than 11,000 patients in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland who were given either standard of care or that plus one of several treatments: dexamethasone; the HIV combo drug lopinavir-ritonavir, the antibiotic azithromycin; the anti-inflammatory drug tocilizumab; or plasma from people who have recovered from COVID-19 that contains antibodies to fight the virus.

Research is continuing on the other treatments. The research is funded by government health agencies in the United Kingdom and private donors including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

First drug proves able to improve survival from COVID-19

WASHINGTON (AP) – The first experimental COVID-19 vaccine in the U.S. is on track to begin a huge study in July to prove if it really can fend off the coronavirus, while hard-hit Brazil is testing a different shot from China.

Where to do crucial, late-stage testing and how many volunteers are needed to roll up their sleeves are big worries for health officials as the virus spread starts tapering off in parts of the world.

Moderna Inc. said June 11 the vaccine it is developing with the National Institutes of Health will be tested in 30,000 people in the United States. Some will get the real shot and some a dummy shot, as scientists carefully compare which group winds up with the most infections.

With far fewer COVID-19 cases in China, Sinovac Biotech turned to Brazil, the epicenter of Latin America’s outbreak, for at least part of its final testing. The government of São Paulo announced that Sinovac will ship enough of its experimental vaccine to test in 9,000 Brazilians starting in July.

If it works, “with this vaccine we will be able to immunize millions of Brazilians,” said São Paulo´s Gov. Joao Doria.

Worldwide, about a dozen COVID-19 potential vaccines are in early stages of testing. The NIH expects to help several additional shots move into those final, large-scale studies this summer, including one made by Oxford University that’s also being tested in a few thousand volunteers in Brazil.

There’s no guarantee any of the experimental shots will pan out.

But if all goes well, “there will be potential to get answers” on which vaccines work by the end of the year, Dr. John Mascola, who directs NIH’s vaccine research center, told a meeting

of the National Academy of Medicine on June 11.

Vaccines train the body to recognize a virus and fight back, and specialists say it’s vital to test shots made in different ways – to increase the odds that at least one kind will work.

Sinovac’s vaccine is made by growing the coronavirus in a lab and then killing it. So-called “whole inactivated” vaccines are tried-and-true, used for decades to make shots against polio, flu and other diseases – giving the body a sneak peek at the germ itself – but growing the virus is difficult and requires lab precautions.

The vaccine made by the NIH and Moderna contains no actual virus. Those shots contain the genetic code for the aptly named “spike” protein that coats the surface of the coronavirus. The body’s cells use that code to make some harmless spike protein that the immune system reacts to, ready if it later encounters the real thing. The so-called mRNA vaccine is easier to make, but it’s a new and unproven technology.

Neither company has yet published results of how their shots fared in smaller, earlier-stage studies, designed to check for serious side effects and how well people’s immune systems respond to different doses.

Even before proof that any potential vaccine will work, companies and governments are beginning to stockpile millions of doses so they can be ready to start vaccinating as soon as answers arrive.

In the United States, a program called “Operation Warp Speed” aims to have 300 million doses on hand by January. Under Brazil’s agreement with Sinovac, the Instituto Butantan will learn to produce the Chinese shot.

BY STAFF REPORTS

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma City Indian Clinic, a nonprofit clinic providing health and wellness services to American Indians in central Oklahoma, is hiring for positions that provide medical and mental health care during the COVID-19 pandemic.

During the pandemic, people are losing their jobs, includ-ing those who work in health care, clinic officials said.

“During these unprecedented times, many medical fa-cilities have had to furlough and terminate employees,” OKCIC Chief Human Resource Officer Monica Krienke said. “We have been fortunate. Not only have we been

able to keep our whole workforce, but also continue to hire in areas that support our patients.”

In response to the pandemic, OKCIC is hiring posi-tions to support the medical and mental health needs of patients, including adult therapist, child therapist, intensive outpatient therapist, screener/case manager, social services specialist, trauma informed therapist, child psychiatrist and medical laboratory technician.

“Minority groups and more vulnerable populations, including American Indians, have been dispropor-tionately affected by the coronavirus,” Krienke said. “During this pandemic we have continued to treat pa-tients, especially through virtual visits. This has helped

to keep vulnerable patients and staff healthy. These new positions will support the additional needs that the pan-demic has brought and will assist in providing excellent care to American Indians.”

People interested in applying should visit http://ok-cic.com/about/careers/

The OKCIC, established in 1974, and its staff care for more than 20,000 patients from more than 200 federally recognized tribes every year. American Indians can re-ceive a range of services such as medical, dental, pediat-rics, prenatal, pharmacy, optometry, physical fitness, nu-trition, family programs and behavioral health services. For information, call 405-948-4900 or visit okcic.com.

Concluding tests of some COVID-19 vaccines to start

OKCIC continues to hire during pandemic

Moderna Inc. says the vaccine it is developing with the National Institutes of Health will be tested in 30,000 people in the U.S.

BY CHAD HUNTERReporter

GALVESTON, Tex-as – Medical school graduate and Cher-okee Nation citizen Dr. Adam Carlton has embarked on a multi-year journey at the University of Texas Medical Branch to become a neurosur-geon specializing in brain and spine surgery.

“From an early age, I knew I wanted to be a surgeon, but after working in a neuroscience research lab in high school and college, I knew that neurosurgery was what I wanted to do,” he said.

An advocate for Native health care, Carlton, 29, grew up in Dallas. He ob-tained a degree in biology at the Univer-sity of Texas before attending Rosalind Franklin University’s Chicago Medical School. There, he completed his mas-ter’s degrees in biomedical sciences and health care administration, along with a doctorate in medicine.

He now attends UTMB in Galveston as a neurosurgery resident – a doctor who has graduated from medical school and is training in a specific medical field, he said.

“Neurosurgery residency is a sev-en-year training program where I learn the art of taking care of patients and how to perform brain and spine surgery,” he said. “The hours are long and I sacrifice a lot of time with family and friends, but I find it exceptionally rewarding to take care of this patient population. They range in age anywhere

from unborn to 100 or more years old, and may have been diagnosed with a brain tumor, aneurysm, severe trauma or just normal low back pain.”

Carlton plans to practice in Montana, Idaho or Wyoming when he completes his neurosurgery training.

“My hope is to be near a tribal reser-vation where I can be involved in Native health care and give back by mentoring Native students interested in becoming physicians,” he said. “I am always hap-py to provide guidance and mentorship to any Native students interested in be-coming a physician of any kind, not just aspiring neurosurgeons. I firmly believe encouragement and opportunity are the greatest assets in encouraging students to reach their full potential.”

As an Association of American In-dian Physicians member, he hopes “to become more active in that, as well, to advocate for Native health care at the federal level.”

Carlton’s mother and her side of the family in Stilwell, Oklahoma, are his “linkage to the Cherokee tribe.”

“Even though we lived in Dallas, we frequently went back to Stilwell to see family,” he said. “I have very fond mem-ories of Christmas there, as well as the Strawberry Festival, and try to make it back at least once a year.”

Carlton attributes a “love for giving back to my family, community and tribe, as well as for nature and the outdoors” to his Cherokee heritage.

“People are often curious when they find out (I am Cherokee), and it is fun for me to share my knowledge and interest in Indigenous culture with them,” he said.

BY PAUL MONIESOklahoma Watch

More than 300,000 medical marijuana customers and dispensaries were told May 15 about tainted cannabis from an Edmond company, the state’s first recall issued by the Oklahoma Medical Marijua-na Authority.

The products in a batch from manu-facturer Moon Mix LLC tested for high-er-than-allowed amounts of pesticide in vape cartridges and mints, officials said. About 150 products were involved.

“We request that you immediately examine your inventory to identify any products associated with Batch 158 and ensure such products are not sold to consumers,” said an email to dispensaries. “If you have further distrib-uted this product, please identify your customers and notify them of this product recall and your recall procedures.”

A representative of Moon Mix did not immediately return a request for com-ment on May 15.

Concerns were raised in early March about the levels of salmonella and staphy-lococcus in some medical marijuana test batches during a quarterly meeting of the authority’s food safety standards board. Some of it was detected in the marijuana

flower after it had been processed, indicat-ing likely exposure toward the end of the manufacturing chain.

“A lot of salmonella. It was shocking,” said Hal Purdy, owner of Pure Labs in Oklahoma City. “We’ll take it to a buddy lab and let them run it too and they find it too.”

The marijuana authority approved the first licenses for testing labs in January and there are now 18 licensed labs across the state. All cannabis products were required to undergo testing in licensed

labs by April 1, although that deadline was pushed back to July 1 after com-plications arose amid the response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Meanwhile, the Senate was expected to vote on an omnibus bill making some changes to the state’s medical marijuana law. Among the changes in House Bill 3228, by Rep. Jon Echols, R-Oklahoma City, is the addition of home delivery of medical

marijuana. That would only come after the state’s seed-to-sale tracking system goes into place later this year.

More than 282,000 Oklahomans had medical marijuana cards as of May 1, ac-cording to data from the authority. Voters legalized medical marijuana after approv-ing State Question 788 in June 2018.

Cherokee doctor embarks on lengthy journey to become brain surgeon

Okla. marijuana authority issues first recall

TED S. WARREN/ASSOCIATED PRESSIn this March 16 photo, Neal Browning receives a shot in the first-stage safety study clinical trial of a potential vaccine for COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, at the Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute in Seattle. The first experimental COVID-19 vaccine in the United States is on track to begin a huge study in July to prove if it really can fend off the coronavirus.

JULY 1, 2020 • CHEROKEE PHOENIX 7 ᎫᏰᏉᏂ 1, 2020 • ᏣᎳᎩ ᏧᎴᎯᏌᏅᎯ HEALTH • ᎠᏰᎸ ᏄᏍᏛ

BY LINDSEY BARKReporter

CATOOSA – After taking her daugh-ter Madilyn to numerous doctor visits during the past several years and fight-ing to find a cure for the rare genetic disease Madilyn carries, Cherokee Na-tion citizen Heather Lens is advocating for children and others diagnosed with Tuberous Sclerosis Complex.

TSC, as it is more commonly known, is a genetic disease that causes tumors to grow on vital organs such as the brain, eyes, heart, kidneys, skin and lungs and can lead to complications of the function of those organs, according to tsalliance.org. It is estimated that one in 6,000 are born with the disease.

“My daughter was diagnosed with that disease when she was five months old. She was born completely healthy. When she started having seizures at five months old we took her to the doctor and they immediately diagnosed her with TSC. They saw the tumors in her brain. We were kind of thrown into this crazy world of what do we do now? Is our daughter going to be OK? They told us that she may never walk, may never talk, may never live an independent life. So it was a huge shock for sure,” Lens said.

Lens said Maddie, as she is called, was having more than 100 seizures a day, called infantile spasms, and had two brain surgeries in 2015. “Thankfully, she has not had a seizure since her brain surgery, which has been a miracle.”

Now at 7 years old, Maddie makes multiple trips per year with her parents to a clinic in Memphis, Tennessee, that specializes in TSC for check-ups and yearly scans to monitor her tumors.

Maddie has tumor growth on her brain and kidneys. In 2018, the tumors on her kidneys began to give her prob-lems and her blood pressure was also being affected, so now they are making the trip every three months.

“It was very hard to get up and go ev-ery three months. She has to go through yearly scans on her body. She has to have her brain and abdomen (scanned). We do MRIs every year to make sure the tumors aren’t growing or if they are at what rate. She has to be sedated for those. That is one of the hardest appointments because she has to be put under. It’s hard on her, obviously hard on us. So that has kind of been our new normal every three months,” Lens said.

After her daughter was diagnosed, Lens said she immediately got involved in the Tuberous Sclerosis Alliance, a nationwide organization that works to fund research studies on TSC.

“The TS Alliance is the only orga-nization out there who is doing ev-erything they can to find a cure. They fund research studies. It’s a good or-ganization that is really fighting for a cure,” she said.

After discovering there were local state chapters, but not one in the state of Oklahoma, she and another mother of a child with TSC, saw the need and began

an Oklahoma chapter and started rais-ing awareness through various events.

“So we knew that there was definitely a need for an Oklahoma chapter here. So we started that back in 2013. Then I did some small fundraisers here in our area. We were at the Strawberry Fes-tival. We even put our TS logo on the shirts for the 5K run. Which was really cool to get some awareness brought that way,” Lens said.

In 2014, Lens was asked by the TS Al-liance to be a part of the initiative that travels to Washington, D.C., to meet with congressmen and senators and ask them to continue funding the Tuber Sclerosis Complex Research Program.

“No one from Oklahoma was coming to the hill to meet with the congress-men and senators. So they asked me if I wanted to be a part of it and it was definitely something I wanted to do. Though…I was terrified because I knew nothing about politics. It wasn’t something that I was used to. It wasn’t something I felt very confident in. But, I did feel confident in how important research was for my daughter and for other people who have TSC,” she said.

In her first year at D.C. she and others in the alliance attempted to get Oklahoma congressmen and senators to sign a bipartisan letter for the continu-ation of research funding and were met with no luck.

But the following year, Rep. Mark-wayne Mullin agreed to sign the letter, which led to every congressperson from Oklahoma signing the following year. In 2019, Mullin became a co-sponsor of the letter, which Lens said was a “big deal.”

“So Congressman Mullin has been a huge champion for the TS Alliance. He has done a lot for this research. But he’s

also become a champion for TSC research for our community. Not just Oklahoma but the entire organization which covers the United States,” she said.

Thanks to the continued efforts in Lens’ and others’ advocacy work for TSC research, she said her daughter recently started a new medication that shrinks tumors.

“It came from this research program and it shrinks tumors. It’s not a cure by any means but it is treatment. It is just incredible the research program is directly impacting my daughter’s life now. It’s bittersweet. I don’t want her to be on medication, but the fact all the work that we’ve done with that research program and all the congress-man and senators who signed on is di-rectly impacting my daughter is really cool,” Lens said.

For more information on TSC, visit tscallliance.org.

BY LINDSEY BARKReporter

SALINA – After seeing a family mem-ber decline in health when she was younger, Cherokee Nation citizen Ja-mie White was motivated to live a long and healthy life.

Being an athlete for most of her life, White played sports and lifted weights in high school as well as in college. She has since continued her journey to be healthy and active.

“When I was young, my grandfather had a stroke and he had some paral-ysis,” White said. “And I never knew what that was from as a young person. But the older I got and that fact that I went into the medical field, it made me very aware of what a poor lifestyle can do to a person’s body. I did not want that to be me. I want to age and I want to age well.”

After having her first child, White said she slowed down on fitness, putting herself “on the backburner.” After her second child was born, she was motivat-ed to start back.

For the past five years, she has been using a health and wellness system called Xyngular, started working out again at her local recreation center, joined a CrossFit gym two years ago and has been on a plant-based diet for the past seven months.

“I am actually a member of CrossFit Push the Limits in Pryor,” she said. “I am also a level one CrossFit (CFL1) trainer. I get to help people in their fitness journeys now. I workout any-where from four to six days a week and changed over to a plant-based diet five months ago. I really, really like that aspect of it. It’s not been as challenging to transition over to being a no-meat athlete than I thought it would.”

Being on Xyngular, she said she has lost 40 pounds and 20 inches in her waist. As an independent distributor, she has had more than 540 people in her network over the past year and help

people get jumpstarts on their health journeys.

“Changes that I’ve noticed were increases in my energy and a better overall outlook. I think if you’ll focus on yourself and your health that it can give you a mental boost just as well as a physical boost,” she said.

Since switching to the plant-based diet, she has also noticed more changes in her body.

“I’ve noticed a big difference in my physique. The biggest aspect I have no-ticed is a lot less joint pain and a lot less bloating. I’ve noticed a big difference in my physique pictures. That plant-based diet goes really well, hand in hand, with my Xyngular system,” White said.

She encourages those who want to

start their health journeys to focus on themselves, be consistent and commit to being active.

“The first choice is just making sure you’re doing it for you, concentrating on you and being OK with focusing on yourself,” she said. “It takes just as much time to cook a healthy meal as it does to cook an unhealthy meal. So making the simple choices is what it’s really all about being consistent. I think if people will just make a commitment, do 30 minutes a day focusing on being active, even if its out walking around in your yard or down the street, that is going to be a big turning point for them because they’re focusing on themselves and on their health.”

Lens works to fund research for rare genetic disease

White persistent on maintaining healthy lifestyle

COURTESY PHOTOSCherokee Nation citizen Heather Lens, left, with her daughter Madilyn and her husband Chris after one of Madilyn’s brain surgeries in 2015. Madilyn was diagnosed at 5-months-old with Tuberous Sclerosis Complex that causes tumors to grow on vital organs.

COURTESYCherokee Nation citizen Jamie White deadlifts at her gym CrossFit Push the Limits in Pryor. White has been a CrossFit member for two years and is a level one trainer.

Cherokee Nation citizen Heather Lens and her mother Teresa Self visits with U.S. Rep. Markwayne Mullin during one of Lens’ visits to the Tuberous Sclerosis Alliance in Washington, D.C.,

OKHD urges virus testing after events

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – A day after President Donald Trump held a campaign rally on June 20 at an indoor arena in Tulsa, the Oklahoma State De-partment of Health urged anyone who has recently attended a large-scale event to be tested for the coronavirus.

The department did not specify any event in its news release.

Nearly 6,200 people attended Trump’s rally at Tulsa’s BOK Center. The campaign did not require attendees to wear face masks to guard against the spread of the coronavirus. And just hours before the rally began, the campaign announced that six staffers had tested positive.

The state health department recommends that people take a test before and after attending such events and encourages participants to wear face masks and practice social distancing. The Trump campaign handed out masks to attendees as they arrived, but the majority did not wear one, including the president.

“Personal responsibility remains key in protecting yourself and our local communities from COVID-19. We continue to encourage Oklahomans to consider wearing a mask, to routinely wash hands, and to use physical distancing measures,” interim state Health Commissioner Dr. Lance Frye said in the news release.

Okla. health agency reverses decision on COVID-19 data

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – The Oklahoma State Department of Health on June 3 reversed course on its decision from earlier in the week to no longer release COVID-19 infection data by city and zip code.

The agency made the move after consulting with Attorney General Mike Hunter, who advised them releasing epidemiological information for statistical purposes is legal as long as no individual person can be identified.

Hunter said in a statement the release of the more detailed infection data by locality “threads the needle of providing up-to-date information to the public while protecting the privacy of Oklahomans.”

Lawyers for the health department and the governor’s office made a decision earlier to no longer release the data because of state medical privacy laws. They claimed they were able to release the data under the Catastrophic Health Emergency Powers Act, which gave the governor the authority to suspend any state law that might hinder the response to a health emergency. The Legislature opted in May not to renew those powers for the governor.

Oklahoma medical marijuana sales continue to smash records

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – Sales of medical marijuana in Oklahoma topped $73 million in May, the highest monthly total yet, the Oklahoma Tax Commission reported on June 1.

The data shows May sales generated more than $11.6 million in tax revenue, including $6.5 million in state and local taxes and another $5.1 million from the marijuana excise tax.

The medical marijuana business has been boom-ing in Oklahoma since voters approved a citizen-led initiative petition in 2018 that made it easy and relatively inexpensive for patients, dispensaries and growers to obtain a license.

4 tribes get funds for pandemic fight

WASHINGTON (AP) – Four Oklahoma tribes are being awarded a total of nearly $1.2 million to combat the coronavirus.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services through the Health Resources and Services Administration announced the awards.

They include $300,000 to both the Cherokee Nation and the Cheyenne and Arapho Tribes, more than $299,000 to the Quapaw Tribe of Oklahoma and more than $295,000 to the Chickasaw Nation.

The funding can be used by the tribes to acquire personal protective equipment; pay for overtime and hazardous duties; building infrastructure; increase testing and the isolation of suspected COVID-19 pa-tients; purchase mobile clinics or vehicles for trans-porting COVID-19 patients; and provide educational resources to help slow the spread of the virus.

VA to temporarily suspend Saturday outpatient services

TULSA – Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Eastern Oklahoma Veterans Affairs Health Care Sys-tem has temporarily suspended Saturday outpatient services in Tulsa and Muskogee effective May 16.

As VA moves forward with reopening plans in coordination with various agencies, including state and local government, we will determine a date to resume Saturday services for veterans.

To schedule an appointment, veterans should call 1-888-397-8387.

FDA allows emergency use of drug for coronavirus

WASHINGTON (AP) – U.S. regulators recently allowed emergency use of an experimental drug that appears to help some coronavirus patients recover faster.

It is the first drug shown to help fight COVID-19, which has killed more than 230,000 people worldwide.

The Food and Drug Administration acted after pre-liminary results from a government-sponsored study showed that Gilead Sciences’s remdesivir shortened the time to recovery by 31%, or about four days on average, for hospitalized COVID-19 patients.

The study of 1,063 patients is the largest and most strict test of the drug and included a compar-ison group that received just usual care so remde-sivir’s effects could be rigorously evaluated.

Those given the drug were able to leave the hos-pital in 11 days on average versus 15 days for the comparison group. The drug also might be reducing deaths, although that’s not certain from the partial results revealed so far.

8 CHEROKEE PHOENIX • JULY 1, 2020 ᏣᎳᎩ ᏧᎴᎯᏌᏅᎯ • ᎫᏰᏉᏂ 1, 2020EDUCATION • ᏧᎾᏕᎶᏆᏍᏗ

BY STACIE BOSTONMultimedia Reporter

TAHLEQUAH – The Cherokee Nation Foundation is imple-

menting its Native Amer-ican Mentoring five-year grant, awarded in October 2018, a little differently this summer due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

CNF has taken to Zoom, an online video communi-cations platform, to con-duct classes with its focus being on science, tech-nology, engineering and math, or STEM. CNF is no stranger to Zoom, so when the pandemic swept across the world it was ready to keep the learning going through virtual means.

“When we first started our grant that was the first thing (ZOOM) we bought. So we were already in place,” CNF Executive Director Janice Randall said.

Randall said the Cher-okee Nation Immersion Charter School and CNF have used the equipment since the school closed its doors in March to help curb the spread of COVID-19.

“These classes are going every Wednesday until the end of June,” said Randall. “It started to kind of finish out the school year and then we just went into fun stuff for the summer.”

During the June 17 class, students ranging from pre-school to seventh

grade learned how to build a tower using spaghetti noodles and marshmal-lows. In previous classes, Randall said students made drums and tried origami.

“These are STEM proj-ects, and to them it’s fun activities. I think they look

forward to every Wednes-day doing this,” she said.

Yearly funding from the grant is $325,000, and Randall said this allows the CNF to offer a free, after-care program to pre-pare students for Oklaho-ma Achievement tests.

“We are just trying to

make sure that students not only have the Chero-kee (language) but they get ready for the Oklaho-ma Achievement tests. They’re taught in Chero-kee, but they’re still tested in English,” she said. “So, we just take 20 to 30 min-utes a day and enhance.”

The grant also allowed CNF to provide the immer-sion school with a comput-er lab with new computers and furnishings as well as smart boards, robotics equipment and Oculus virtual reality headsets, which gives students a virtual way to learn and

“travel” to places around the world and in space all from the classroom.

Randall said students in Betty Frogg’s immersion class used the Oculus to learn Cherokee while vir-tually visiting a zoo.

“She uses the Oculus and she would have them traveling through, and she would say a Cherokee word for bear and they would have to find the bear and they repeated the words,” Randall said.

A main goal behind the grant, Randall said, is to supplement and help inte-grate whatever STEM-re-lated needs the school has.

“By getting this grant we were able to do a lot of STEM projects, which they didn’t have before,” she said. “We’re trying to be supplement, whatever they (immersion school officials) don’t have that would help the kids. We want to be there finan-cially to help them as well as the summer program, taking them on field trips. We want them (students) to really be excited about coming to school every day and not wanting to miss school.”

The grant is through the U.S. Department of Edu-cation’s Office of English Language Acquisition. There are 48 immersion students enrolled in CNF’s summer Zoom classes.

For information about CNF, visit cherokeenation-foundation.org.

BY LINDSEY BARKReporter

OKLAHOMA CITY – Nicolas Sayegh grew up in a diverse community and was raised by a single parent. He eventually realized that he wants to give back to his community. An academically accom-plished Cherokee Nation citizen, Sayegh has plans to do so by becoming an execu-tive in corporate America.

He recently graduated from the West-ern Heights High School with a 4.0 GPA, selected valedictorian of his senior class and has obtained several accolades including being a Presidential Scholar. Each year, up to 161 students are named such scholars, one of the nation’s high-est honors for high school students.

“It was the big-gest surprise and honor for me to be considered one of the two students to represent the entire state,” Sayegh said.

He said it’s important to him because he is able to represent students with backgrounds such as his. Sayegh also acquired an associate’s degree from Okla-homa State University-Oklahoma City before graduating high school, the first student to do so at Western Heights.

He said his school paid for his concur-rent expenses so he took college courses his junior and senior year.

“I’d really encourage other schools to look into that program. We’ve only had the program going rigorously for a couple of years but I’m the first student at Western Heights to graduate with an associate’s degree,” he said. “My coun-selor brought it up one day and I was like

that’s going to be me. I’m going to try and do that. It’s pretty cool that it was all able to work out.”

Several other awards and honors Sayegh has collected include being named an Oklahoma Academic All-State member, Oklahoma Indian Honors Society Scholar, Horatio Alger National Scholar, National Dell Scholar, Elks Most Valuable Student national finalist and Oklahoma Music Educators Association All-State percussionist.

He plans to attend Oklahoma City University, double majoring in market-ing and finance and eventually enter the business world to become an executive.

“I think that many business execu-tives, obviously it comes with a nice paycheck, but you also have the power to give back to your community through the position that you’re given espe-cially after,” Sayegh said. “Like once you’ve made mon-

ey and have power, I see it as anyone’s responsibility who has any amount of money or power to then give back to the less privileged people around you and of course where you came from and your background.”

He said fellow Cherokees should not be afraid to step outside their comfort zones when figuring out what they want to do in life. “I’m an example of no one is too young to make a difference. I’ve seen people younger than me do far greater things. I would just like see the world be better off if all children of all ages could understand the impact they could make in their community and the power that being young really has.”

Nicolas Sayegh

BY LINDSEY BARKReporter

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Growing up in a rural area led Cherokee Nation citizen Hannah Trostle to want a career in Indigenous environmental planning, where she can help communities simi-lar to the one she lived in develop land-use plans while ensuring that culture and traditions are considered in the planning process.

Trostle earned a master’s degree in urban and environmental planning in May from Arizona State University in Tempe.

She said she chose ASU be-cause it offered a class on tribal community plan-ning that would allow her to focus on Indigenous planning.

“Urban plan-ning often focuses on urban areas, but planning is ac-tually a tool that is used in rural communities, it’s used on regional levels, and what it is, is it helps set the agenda for development in those particular areas,” she said.

“A lot of folks think it’s like bike lanes or public transit and it’s not. It’s about where do you put roads, where do you build out water infrastructure, where do you build out new internet infrastruc-ture, what does the community want to see,” she added.

She said while getting her degree she worked with the Navajo Nation in New Mexico on a visioning workshop to see what it wanted to do on a regional level

for its communities. Before pursuing a doctorate, she said she wants to get more work experience, as she did before obtaining her master’s degree.

“I really want to take some time off to focus on getting some more work experi-ence,” Trostle said.

“I did sort of a gap year between my bachelor’s degree and my master’s degree and got a lot of work experience on internet access research that helped me narrow down what I wanted to focus on in my master’s program. So I really want to be able to do good work and work with more Indigenous communi-ties,” she added.

Trostle said she hopes to open her own consulting firm for Indigenous planning and work with tribes across the United States.

She said growing up in a rural area and growing up Cherokee has made her realize what those areas and peo-ple need.

“To be Cherokee for me is really about

honoring the past and our ancestors and recognizing all the ways that we can reimagine the future, and that’s what I see planning doing is reimagining the future based on what the community wants,” Trostle said.

“I think that’s really, really important in rural areas, especially ones that are more depressed economically. I think it’s really important for everyone to have the opportunity to go on whatever career path and make a living wherever they choose to live,” she added.

Immersion pupils offered STEM classes

PHOTOS BY STACIE BOSTON/CHEROKEE PHOENIXCherokee Nation Immersion Charter School students appear on a screen during their June 17 Cherokee Nation Foundation summer STEM Zoom, an online video communications platform, class. The classes are taught by Vicky Bangle, immersion school teacher and CNF STEM coordinator.

Cherokee Nation Immersion Charter School teacher and Cherokee Nation Foundation Coordinator Vicky Bangle sits in front of other immersion teachers as she leads the June 17 CNF summer STEM Zoom, an online video communications platform, class.

Shown is a tower built of spaghetti noodles and marshmallows. During Cherokee Nation Foundation summer STEM Zoom classes, an online video plat-form, Cherokee Nation Immersion Charter School students also made drums and origami.

The Cherokee Nation Foundation’s five-year Native American Mentoring grant also allowed the foun-dation to buy robotics equipment for the Cherokee Nation Immersion Charter School for its summer Zoom classes.

STUDENT SPOTLIGHTS

Nicolas Sayegh plans to give back to his community by acquiring two college degrees in the business field.

I see it as anyone’s responsi-bility who has any amount of money or power to then give back to the less privileged people around you and of course where you came from and your background.”

Hannah TrostleCherokee Nation citizen Hannah Trostle plans to work with Indigenous communities in land-use development.

“I think that’s really, really important in rural areas, especially ones that are more depressed economically. I think it’s really important for everyone to have the opportu-nity to go on whatever career path and make a living wherever they choose to live.”

JULY 1, 2020 • CHEROKEE PHOENIX 9 ᎫᏰᏉᏂ 1, 2020 • ᏣᎳᎩ ᏧᎴᎯᏌᏅᎯ EDUCATION • ᏧᎾᏕᎶᏆᏍᏗ

BY WILL CHAVEZAssistant Editor

STILWELL – Stilwell High School’s 2020 seniors were among the 25 finalists in the National Public Radio Student Podcast Challenge.

The winner was named June 3 and though they did not win, being a finalist was no small feat because NPR received more than 2,000 podcasts from 46 states and the District of Columbia.

“SHS didn’t take the grand prize, but we still won big,” SHS English teacher and Cherokee Nation citizen Faith Phil-lips, said. “The school is receiving a set of recording equipment so they can contin-ue to tell their stories. The students are being offered internship opportunities at NPR. This is why we have to make sure our students have the same tools as other Oklahoma schools.”

Phillips said the students did not enter the challenge to win. They did it for their community. “They were motivated by a genuine desire to unify their community and bring positive change. I think it is clear that they accomplished what they set out to do.”

Phillips, who also teaches creative writing and world literature, guided her

students as they worked to refute a recent Washington Post article that described Stilwell as “the early death capital of the U.S.”

Senior English IV students worked on a months-long investigation that included interviews with elected officials, lifelong residents and researchers in Washington, D.C., to help them understand the data. The podcast offers a window into a town dealing with poverty, generational trau-ma and addiction, Phillips said, but one that also has pride and hope.

The Washington Post article was “a burr under the saddle” of Stilwell citi-zens, Phillips said.

“The seniors, likewise, were highly irritated by it,” she said. “They love their home, flawed though it may be. So I de-cided to take that article, identify the five or six problematic issues raised by the author, and let the students choose which issue they wanted to research.”

The students examined nutrition, air, water, health care access and poverty, Phillips said. “So they started emailing their elected officials as well as experts in the various fields. They also started inter-viewing a lot of people. They used my cell phone to record the interviews because we didn’t have any recording equipment.

I have over 12 hours of interviews they conducted. The students started realiz-ing that when they engage in a civil and informed manner, and especially as a coalition, they are very powerful.”

Seniors Jaron Kout, Jerri Daugherty and Bailey Vaught narrate the 12-min-ute story. Daugherty and Vaught are CN citizens. Twelve hours of audio was edited down to 12 minutes to submit to NPR. Rules also required Phillips to let the students direct the work. She said she did have one rule: every single detail they reported in the podcast had to be “100% verifiable hard fact.”

“I wanted it to be more of a journalistic endeavor, leaving out all the emotion,” she said. “But the students had other plans, and I let them roll with it. Now that they’re winning and receiving all this national recognition I understand that they were right.”

Kout said the seniors helped prove the point that Stilwell is not in fact the “Death Capital.”

“Along the way we discovered the solu-tions for the issues in our community,” said Kout. “One thing we heard over and over again in our research is that in or-der to change we have to want to change. The Stilwell High School seniors of 2020

want our research work to ignite a spark in Stilwell to come together not just as a community but as a family.”

To continue the momentum, Phillips’ students began journaling about their ex-perience during the COVID-19 pandemic, and from those journals they are publish-ing a book in July called “2020 Visions.” The book’s proceeds will be used to place Chromebooks (laptops) in Stilwell’s En-glish classes.

“It’s the legacy these students want to leave for the Stilwell students coming up after them,” Phillips said. “If there is a single message I want to come out of this story it is this: look what our young people can do when they have the same tools as students in larger, wealthier dis-tricts. Our people should not be expected to walk out into the world and compete for jobs without the same proficiency as others.”

Other students involved in creating the podcast were Josh Sam, Stephen Maher, Titus Duncan, Chris Fields, Wesley Gar-rett, Joshua Noisewater, Samuel Baird, Katie Holmes, Oscar Solis, Loreyna Velazquez, Abi Duran, Becca Cofer, Alex-is Sanders, Autumn Keener and Sunny Duncan. To listen to the podcast, visit npr-student-podcast-challenge.

Stilwell seniors make podcast challenge finals

COURTESYThis group of Stilwell High School seniors produced a 12-minute audio presentation for the National Public Radio Student Podcast Challenge. The seniors were among 25 finalists out of more than 2,000 entries from throughout the country.

LINDSEY BARK/CHEROKEE PHOENIXStilwell English teacher Faith Phillips interacts with her students. Phillips encouraged senior SHS students to enter the National Public Radio Podcast Challenge with a podcast addressing the town’s designation as “the early death capital of the U.S.”

BY STAFF REPORTS

TAHLEQUAH – On June 10, the Cherokee Nation announced new leaders in its Education Services and at Sequoyah Schools.

Position changes include executive director and deputy executive director of Education Services, Sequoyah superintendent, Sequoyah High School principal and SHS head football coach.

Corey Bunch is the new Education Services executive director, replacing Ron Etheridge who retired this year.

Bunch, a CN citizen, received a bachelor’s degree in education and a master’s degree in school administration from Northeastern State University. He has 12 years of experience as a teacher and educational administrator at public schools such as Maryetta Public School, SHS and, most recently, as the superintendent for Zion Public Schools.

In addition to his educational services, Bunch worked for the tribe and Cherokee Nation Businesses in other leadership capacities. From 2009-11 he also served the CN as the deputy director of Education Services, according to a CN press release.

“I am excited about serving as the new executive director of Education because I believe that Chief Hoskin and Deputy Chief Warner want to keep pushing Education Services to excel even more,” Bunch said. “In my conversations with them, they have a great vision for the future of education within the programs that we operate, the public schools that we partner with and for the other citizens who we impact.”

Serving as the new Sequoyah Schools superintendent is CN citizen Patrick Moore. Moore has more than 13 years of educational experience as a superintendent, principal, athletic director, teacher and coach, according to the press release.

He began his career in education at SHS, completing a teaching internship in 2006. He received a bachelor’s degree in secondary education from NSU and a master’s degree in educational administration from Southwestern Oklahoma State University.

“I’m very happy to be back at Sequoyah High School and excited about the

opportunities we have to continue to build on a tradition of excellence in education,” he said. “Sequoyah is a special place, and our student population allows us a unique ability to have an impact on so many people and communities.”

CN citizen Chad Hendricks was named SHS head football coach. He is the former head football and track coach at Checotah High School.

“I’m from Tahlequah so it’s exciting to be back home and work here at Sequoyah High School and get things rolling,” Hendricks said. “It’s going to be a bit of a challenge with everything that’s been going on. Everything has been shut down since spring break, but the coaches here know a lot about what’s been going on and we’re just excited to get started.”

Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. said it is “always exciting” to bring in talented leadership from among CN citizens.

“Education has always been, and will always be a top priority of this administration, and these new additions will no doubt further our efforts to be among the top education providers and supporters in northeast, Oklahoma,” Hoskin said.

Other positions filled in Education Services and Sequoyah include:

• Deputy Executive Director of Education Services Mark Vance, promoted from Johnson-O’Malley director;

• SHS Principal Natalie Cloud, a former director of Central Academy and assistant principal at Tahlequah High;

• Education Services JOM Director Carolyn Allen; and

• Senior Advisor of Education Aaron Emberton from Carl Albert State College.

New leaders in Education Services, Sequoyah Schools

Corey Bunch

Patrick Moore

Chad Hendricks

Mark Vance

Carolyn Allen

Corey Bunch now heads Education Services while Patrick Moore is Sequoyah’s new superintendent.

BY BYRON BEERSTahlequah Daily Press

TAHLEQUAH – Jay Herrin has resigned as Sequoyah High School boys basketball head coach to take the same role at Kansas High School.

Herrin led the Indians to eight straight state tournament berths and won 209 games in 10 seasons. Sequoyah went 22-7 in Herrin’s final season and advanced to the Class 3A State Tourna-ment.

“I felt like I needed to get back into a public school,” Herrin said on April 22. “I had 11 years before I went to Sequoyah, and for my public school re-tirement, I need to get in a public school and finish that out. That was a big part of it.”

Herrin also won 350 matches as Sequoyah’s volleyball head coach in 16 seasons. Herrin was assistant girls basketball coach for two seasons, which included two state titles in 2004-05 and 2005-06. He served as boys assistant for five seasons before taking over as head coach in 2010-11.

“I’ve been here for 16 years and I feel like I’m leaving on a good positive note and the program’s in good shape,” Her-rin said. “I’ve spoke to pretty much all the kids and explained to them my deci-sion and I thanked them all for their ef-fort they gave me. We reminisced about the success we’ve had and all the good times. The toughest part is saying bye to the kids. Some of them were upset about

it and I understand, but they’ll find a coach that’ll be a good fit for them.”

Herrin coached five Oklahoma Coach-es Association All-Staters in volleyball and one (Tydeus Daughtery) in basket-ball. He was an OCA All-State coach in volleyball in 2014 and OCA All-State coach in basketball in 2017-18. He led the volleyball program to two state tourna-ments.

“We’re very grateful for his service to Sequoyah High School,” Sequoyah Ath-letic Director Marcus Crittenden said. “He was a part of a history-making run of eight straight state tournaments. We wish him all the best at his next stop. He did a fantastic job for the volleyball program as well.”

Herrin will replace Cory Steele at Kansas. Steele stepped down to become superintendent at Kansas. The Comets went 10-16 last season.

Todd Phillips, Herrin’s brother-in-law, will be the assistant and was anoth-er big reason for Herrin’s departure.

“My brother-in-law coaches there and he’s going to be my assistant coach, so the chance to coach with him is some-thing I’d like to do, and there’s a lot of good young talent coming up,” he said.

Herrin will also coach boys cross-country and boys golf at Kansas.

Sequoyah now has three head coach vacancies. The other is in football.

“We’ve got to find the right fit for boys basketball, and I’m not gonna pass on the right person,” Crittenden said. – REPRINTED WITH PERMISSSION

“I had 11 years before I went to Sequoyah, and for my public school retirement, I need to get in a public school and finish that out. That was a big part of it.”

Jay Herrin, Kansas High School boys basketball head coach

Herrin leaves Sequoyah for head coaching job at KansasJay Herrin led the Indians to eight straight state tournament berths and won 209 games in 10 seasons.

10 CHEROKEE PHOENIX • JULY 1, 2020 ᏣᎳᎩ ᏧᎴᎯᏌᏅᎯ • ᎫᏰᏉᏂ 1, 2020SERVICES • ᎾᎾᏛᏁᎲ

BY STAFF REPORTS

TAHLEQUAH – The Cherokee Nation is providing firefighters in the tribe’s jurisdiction with care packages containing face masks, gloves and hand sanitizer to help keep them safe amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to a CN press release, for many first responders, securing protective masks has been diffi-cult due to low supplies and high demand during the COVID-19 pandemic. Because the CN health system is properly stocked with personal protective equipment, tribal leaders worked to secure more than 3,000 KN95 masks for area firefighters. This is the second time the CN has provided KN95 masks to first responders during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Fire departments face difficult challenges every day, so Deputy Chief Bryan Warner, the Council of the Cherokee Nation and I want to make sure our emergen-cy personnel are provided with the equipment they need to continue protecting our communities and keeping citizens safe,” said Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. “As Cherokees, we know the importance of lending a helping hand in times of uncertainty. Providing these depart-ments with protective equipment is a great way to help stop the spread of COVID-19 in our communities.”

The CN provided the supplies to 27 fire departments across the tribe’s 14 counties that expressed a need for

the equipment. Each department received between 100 and 200 masks, depending on needs, states the release.

“If we didn’t have Cherokee Nation, we wouldn’t have these masks,” said Shawn Christian, Fire Chief of Centralia Volunteer Fire Department in Craig County. “They are so hard to come by these days. It keeps our firefighters safe and gives them peace of mind. I can put a package of masks in each truck now. Before, we only had masks in one truck. Thank you, Cherokee Nation. You’ve really done a lot for us.”

According to the release, CN leaders also recently met with Cherokee County Dist. 3 Commissioner Clif Hall and Tahlequah Fire Department Capt. Mark Whittmore to present a donation of $12,000 in special project funds to help purchase a unit that will produce a disinfectant solution known as hypochlorous acid.

The release states that the disinfectant is known to kill germs in 60 seconds and is harmless to humans and non-toxic to the environment, making it a common tool used in the fight against COVID-19. The disinfectant will be used to clean surfaces at schools, community build-ings and other facilities in the CN.

“Our first responders are important to so many people and it is vital that they and their departments have all the safety equipment they need to perform essential emergency services without the risk of contracting or spreading COVID-19,” said Warner. “We can help make

sure our responders have the equipment they need in order to protect others. I appreciate what these depart-ments are doing for our communities each and every day.”

According to the release, the CN donated care packag-es to Butler Volunteer Fire Department, Camp Gruber Fire Department, Carselowey Community Fire Depart-ment, Centralia Volunteer Fire Department, City of Catoosa, Chimney Rock Volunteer Fire Department, Cowskin Rural Fire District Inc., Disney Fire and Police departments, Fairland Fire Department, Flat Rock Volunteer Fire Association, Town of Gore, Illinois River Area Association Fire Department, Keys Fire Department, Maple Rural Fire District Inc., Mid County Fire Department, Muldrow Fire Department, Oaks Fire Department, Peggs Volunteer Fire Department, Redland Fire Department Inc., Rural Fire Protection Dist. 1, Sperry Fire Department, Taylor Ferry Volunteer Fire Department, Tiajuana Fire Department, Vian Volunteer Fire Department, Woodall Fire Department, and White-horn Fire Department.

In April, the tribe provided more than 2,500 KN95 masks to fire departments, police departments and emergency management teams throughout its jurisdic-tion, and sent 5,000 masks to the Navajo Nation, whose citizens had been impacted by COVID-19 more than any other Native community in the country.

CN gives fire depts. protective gear, $12K for disinfectants

BY STACIE BOSTONMultimedia Reporter

TAHLEQUAH – Dating violence is not only restricted to adults and can be found in teen relationships. But thanks to organizations such as Cherokee Nation ONE FIRE, teens can learn to identify when they are in such relationships and have a safe haven to seek help.

ONE FIRE Admin Operations Manager Shawna Duch said teen dating violence can manifest itself as “actual or threatened acts of physical, sexual, psychological and verbal harm by a partner, boyfriend, girlfriend or some-one in or wanting to have a romantic relationship.”

“It also includes violence between two young people in a current or former relationship and can occur among heterosexual or same-gender couples,” she said. “It can also include using the internet, social networking sites, cell phones or text messaging to harass, pressure or victimize.”

In 2019, Duch said there were 18 reports of teen vio-lence in ages 13-20 reported to ONE FIRE.

“Our data is collected just as a whole by numbers of clients within the Cherokee Nation Jurisdictional boundaries,” she said.

While there was not a lot of reported cases, Duch said she believes there are more victims who aren’t report-ing. “They could be embarrassed and/or scared, think-ing no one will listen or believe them.”

Duch said more teenage girls than boys report dating violence incidents to ONE FIRE.

“According to reports by www.youth.gov, boys rarely reported physical harm and were more likely to laugh off aggressive acts by their partner,” she said. “While girls reported serious harm and physical injury and tended to suffer long-term negative consequences such as suicide attempts, depression and substance use.”

When violence is encountered at an early age, Duch

said it could trend into adulthood for victims and abus-ers.

“Breaking that cycle of violence is a huge goal of all domestic violence programs everywhere,” she said. “Teen dating violence is a serious problem that can have lasting harmful effects on victims, their family, friends and communities.”

If teens find themselves in situations of violence, Duch said the first thing they should do is “ensure safety and get help.”

“They should never isolate themselves from friends, neighbors or family,” she said. “They should try to con-sistently keep in touch and know that elders, counselors, teachers, coaches and friends are willing to help.”

Duch said if parents or guardians suspect their teens may be victims of abuse “they need to realize that they are the most important resource and advisor their teen has.”

“They should explain to their teen that he or she deserves a violence-free relationship and that abuse is never appropriate and never their fault,” she said.

If parents or guardians suspect their teens may be the abusers, Duch said it is important to let them know that “abuse and violence are not acceptable and that violence will not solve problems.”

Duch said teens typically confide in friends who could often be the first to learn of the abuse.

“To those friends who may know someone in an un-healthy relationship please know that next to listening is believing,” she said. “Believe in your friends’ stories and convince them that the abuse is not their fault.”

Duch said there are various avenues of help for teens in abusive relationships.

“Teens can always reach out to friends, family or the authorities for assistance,” she said. “Teens suffering in an abusive relationship can also explore other methods to empower themselves like joining a support group, taking the courage to call a crisis line or applying for a protection order.”

For help or information, call ONE FIRE at 918-772-4260 or 866-458-5399.

Help available for teenagers experiencing dating violence

CHEROKEE NATION ONE FIRE In 2019, there were 18 reports of teen dating violence in ages 13-20 reported to Cherokee Nation ONE FIRE. Thanks to organizations such as ONE FIRE, teens can learn to identify when they are in such relationships and have a safe haven to seek help.

Teen dating violence can manifest itself as “actual or threatened acts of physical, sexual, psychological and verbal harm.”

SIGNS THAT A TEEN MAY BE IN AN UNHEALTHY RELATIONSHIP• Spending less time with family and friends;• Excessive text messaging, phone calling, emailing or visiting with their boyfriend or girlfriend;• Giving up things that used to be important to them;• Declining grades or missing school;• Being pressured by a girlfriend/boyfriend about what to do, where to go or what to wear;• Worried about upsetting boyfriend/girlfriend;• Apologizing or making excuses for boyfriend’s/girlfriend’s behavior; and • They had an injury they try to cover up or cannot explain.

PLACES TEENS CAN CONTACT FOR HELPCherokee Nation ONE FIRE National Domestic Violence Hotline918-772-4260 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)1-866-458-5399 www.ndvh.org

Love is Respect Youth.Gov1-866-331-9474 1-877-231-7843www.loveisrespect.org www.youth.gov

BY LINDSEY BARKReporter

TAHLEQUAH – Cherokee Nation Public Health in July and August will offer virtual racing for those in the Wings Fitness Program.

As CN services and programs reopen after being lim-ited because of the COVID-19 pandemic, several alter-ations had to be made for those services and programs to continue helping CN citizens. Wings offers health education, nutrition and physical activity opportunities such as 5K runs and walks.

While most 5K races were scheduled to begin in March, Public Health officials had to reevaluate how participants were able to race because the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention prohibited large group gatherings and advocated social distancing.

“We canceled all of our community events up until June, so that meant any of our programs that we were having,” Public Health Supervisor Hillary Mead said. “When June came and we started opening back up a little bit, we came together as a team and started to work on a plan of what we can do, and how can we involve our community and try to offer some of the same programs that we had before.”

One idea was to have virtual races. Wings participants could run on their own, wherever they were located, and submit their times.

“Our first one will be July 4. Anybody can participate. It runs from July 4 and then it goes until the following Saturday, which is July 11,” Mead said. “So they’ll have a week to run that race. What they’ll do is run the race and then they’ll submit their time. Everything is online. They can submit their time through text message or on the website. Once they do that we will send them a T-shirt for participating in that race.”

Participants can submit race information to runsig-nup.com. “You can run anywhere. You don’t necessarily have to run the course. With each registration, we’ve posted their courses but you do not have to do that, you can run anywhere. But you just have to submit your time,” Mead said.

As of publication, four races were scheduled for July and August. Mead said they would reevaluate again if it is safe to schedule races as they did before the COVID-19 pandemic occurred. “We’ll go from there to figure out if we’re going to continue virtual races for the rest of our races or if they might be able to meet,” she said. “Again, we’re going to be following CDC guidelines and watching our social distance and making sure we’re not gathering in large groups when it’s not safe.”

Scheduled races include the Huckleberry Run for July 4-11, Happy Hills Run for July 18-25, Lake Vian Trail Run for Aug. 1-8, and Isaiah Sapp Memorial Run for Aug. 15-22. For information, visit cherokeepublichealth.org or call 918-453-5000, ext. 7691.

CN Wings Fitness offers virtual 5K runs BY LINDSEY BARKReporter

TAHLEQUAH – The Cherokee Nation’s tag offices reopened to the public June 1 under strict Centers of Disease Control and Prevention guidelines due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, on June 17, some offices started closing each Wednesday.

CN tag offices at Tahlequah in Cherokee County, Adair in Mayes County, Sallisaw in Sequoyah County and Jay in Delaware County will be closed to walk-in visitors on Wednesdays to allow staff to process a backlog of requests submitted online and by mail during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a CN Facebook post on June 16. Tag offices in Catoosa and Collinsville will remain open on Wednesdays.

According to the CN website, guidelines for visiting CN tag offices include:

• Customer will wait in vehicle until called,• Limit one person per transaction, • A mask is required to enter building, and • A health screening is required prior to admit-

tance.For information, call 918-453-5100 or visit tagoffice.

cherokee.org.

CN tag offices to close on Wednesdays

MONEY • ᎠᏕᎳ JULY 1, 2020 • CHEROKEE PHOENIX 11 ᎫᏰᏉᏂ 1, 2020 • ᏣᎳᎩ ᏧᎴᎯᏌᏅᎯ

BY D. SEAN ROWLEYSenior Reporter

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Cherokee Nation Businesses has filed a formal request that it receive an approved

permit from the Arkansas Racing Commission to operate a casino in Pope County.

CNB made its filing after it was determined on June 22 that the score for Gulfside Casino Partnership, submitted by ARC commissioner Butch Rice, should be discarded, leaving CNB as the higher scorer under the combined tally of the other commissioners.

The ARC made no decision on awarding a gaming permit after dismissing Rice’s score, but asked CNB and Gulfside to discuss resolution with the state attorney general. CNB and Gulfside have said they would likely file suits if their respective application is not chosen.

The CNB filing is essentially an appeal of the ARC decision to award the casino rights to Gulfside, asking that it be reversed in favor of CNB.

“We are grateful the commission reached the appropriate conclusion today, and we’ll diligently work with their counsel to determine next steps,” said attorney Dustin McDaniel, representing CNB. “However, their options are severely limited by the rules that are now in place.”

The license must be issued within 30 days from June 18. McDaniel said it would be impossible to approve a new rule, even under emergency protocols.

“It appears that their only real option is to remove the disqualified score from the panel’s award of points and let the appeals proceed,” he said.

He reminded the commissioners they were warned by Butch Reeves, deputy attorney general, that large disparities in the scores could be viewed as arbitrary, and suggest a commissioner had already decided the outcome.

McDaniel said Rice’s “widely divergent” scores in all criteria were clear evidence of bias, and that Rice had taken other steps to “ensure that Gulfside would not lose and could not lose this license.”

“The standard is whether or not there is a reasonable suspicion of unfairness,

the standard that the Supreme Court will implement in reviewing what you do today,” McDaniel said. “If you find (that), then Mr. Rice’s scores must be disqualified.”

McDaniel said he wanted the commissioners to exclude Rice’s scores because “this 71-point scoring differential stands out like a sore thumb.”

CNB was not chosen on June 18 to receive the casino license, with it instead going to Gulfside and its proposal for the River Valley Casino Resort.

The casino is supposed to be the fourth and final allowed under state law when Arkansans passed Amendment 100 to its state constitution in 2018. The amendment allowed the licensing and establishment of casinos in Jefferson and Pope counties, and the horse racing venues at Oaklawn and Southland.

In a statement after the June 18 meeting, McDaniel said he submitted a letter on June 16 to the Arkansas attorney general’s office expressing concern that

a biased commissioner could potentially overturn the ARC’s will because of the proposed scoring system.

“Despite the AG’s office expressly warning Commissioners not to engage in arbitrary, capricious or biased scoring, Commissioner Rice in fact single handedly overturned the score given by the rest of the Commission,” McDaniel said. “We anticipate both an administrative appeal and a request for injunctive relief from a court. This is a uniquely significant state decision, and such an egregious act of bad faith should not be allowed to control it.”

The scores given by ARC commissioners, respectively for Gulfside-CNB, were Denny East 94-88; Bo Hunter 94-79; Mark H. Lamberth 89-91; Steve Landers 90-100; Alex Lieblong 73-95; Michael Post 97-90; and Rice 100-29.

The criteria scored included experience with casino gaming, timeline for opening the venue, proof of financial stability and

access to financial resources, and the proposal summary.

At the June 18 meeting, Reeves warned commissioners not to give widely disparate scores, saying they could be “considered arbitrary and can get us in trouble.”

“We may be back here again if that happens,” Reeves said. “If you give Gulfside a 30 on something and you give the Cherokees a zero … in my mind, in the court’s mind, that makes your scoring arbitrary. You had your mind made up before you even got here is what it looks like. Either we can come back and do it again if that happens, or your scores are thrown out, so please don’t do that either. Both proposals have merit.”

Gulfside’s proposal calls for 80,000 square feet of gaming with 1,900 slot machines and 90 table games, along with 500 hotel rooms. Projections included initial revenue of $200 million the first year, growing to $267 million the fifth year, and total tax revenue of $393 million

over the first decade. Total payroll would start at $60.5 million annually and grow to $82 million by the fifth year. Hotel rooms would total 900 by the fifth year with a $100 million investment over the fourth and fifth years.

Green said “(CNB) is trying to protect their market in Oklahoma.”

“We are going to turn this into a destination resort,” he said. “We want people coming from all over the south part of the United States, and that’s what we are good at. That’s what we have done in Mississippi. ... We want to compete with all the Oklahoma casinos.”

The CNB proposal outlines a $225 million investment with a 50,000-square-foot gaming area of 1,200 slots and 32 tables. The venue would have included 200 hotel rooms and created 1,000 jobs.

CEO Chuck Garrett said the CNB also had a $38 million economic development agreement with Pope County – pending the granting of the license – and that CNB

had “never filed bankruptcy, permanently closed a gaming facility, faced a tax lien or laid off any gaming employees.”

“We strongly believe we do it better, we do it smart, we do it safer and do it for the good of the community,” Garrett said. “We are ready to be part of Arkansas tourism fabric and serve as an economic anchor for the River Valley.”

The ARC asked Green about him filing for bankruptcy in 1997, along with Gulfside co-owner Rick Carter. Casey Castleberry, attorney for Gulfside, said Green and Carter held minority ownership in Gulfside Casino Inc., but the two created Gulfside Casino Partnership the following year and have never filed for bankruptcy. Green also stated that Gulfside repaid its debts.

Rice asked Garrett whether CNB would use a Pope County casino to funnel customers into Oklahoma where the tax burden is less.

“We have a casino in Roland (Okla.), just outside of Fort Smith (Ark.), and our marketing strategy would include both going east, west, where the population centers are, and the difference in taxation rate does not enter into that marketing strategy at all,” Garrett said.

Ben Cross, who endorsed the CNB proposal as the county judge for Pope County, said he and other county officials had acted with sincerity to prepare residents for the “inevitable reality” of the casino legalized by Amendment 100.

“The lengthy process and time it took for our selection … was our attempt to show the Commission our selection did not come without thorough scrutiny and vetting,” Cross said. “As I have openly stated throughout this process, I will continue to honor the decisions of the litigation that will ultimately settle this issue, but at the same time, I remain disappointed at the lack of consideration for local choice that was effected by today’s decision.”

Initially, five interests filed proposals to be granted the license to establish a casino in Pope County, but all were initially rejected by the ARC on the grounds that none included requisite endorsements from county officials, and the ARC opened a second application window.

CNB requests approval to operate Ark. casino

“We are grateful the commission reached the appropriate conclusion today, and we’ll diligently work with their counsel to determine next steps.”

Dustin McDaniel Cherokee Nation Businesses attorney

RIVER VALLEY CASINOGulfside’s River Valley Casino’s proposal includes a 500-room hotel and 80,000 square feet of gaming space. The Arkansas Racing Commission on June 18 awarded a license to build the resort to Gulfside Casino Partnership.

COURTESYAn artist’s rendering of the Legends Resort and Casino that Cherokee Nation Businesses wants to build in Pope County, Arkansas. CNB officials have filed a request that it receive an approved permit to operate a casino in the county.

On June 22, the Arkansas Racing Commission threw out a commissioner’s score leaving CNB with a higher tally.

BY D. SEAN ROWLEYSenior Reporter

TULSA – After closing its casinos for more than two months in accordance with recommendations to prevent the spread of COVID-19, Cherokee Nation Businesses announced on June 4 its planned phased reopening of its 10 gaming venues in northeast Oklahoma.

“Over the last two months, we have worked diligently to implement industry-leading protocols that will help ensure the safety of our team members, our guests and our communities. We are confident in our approach and will continue to monitor conditions and recommenda-tions from federal, state and local health authorities,” said Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. “This is the worst public health crisis we’ve faced in generations, and it has presented challenges to Cherokee Nation and Cherokee Nation Businesses like none before. We have made great progress in our fight to slow the spread of COVID-19, but the work is far from done. As we begin to welcome back our guests, we must remain vigilant in our efforts to protect one another.”

Cherokee Casino Tahlequah and Cherokee Casino Fort Gibson were reopened on June 1. Cherokee Casino Sallisaw reopened on June 2.

CNB announced on May 18 its strategy to offer a safe environment for guests and employees at its entertain-ment properties, naming it “Responsible Hospitality.”

It addressed operations including casino gaming, food and beverage service, hotel, retail, golf and live entertainment. It outlined procedures for maintaining physical distance, enhanced cleaning and sanitization, and noninvasive temperature screenings for employees and guests.

Pending the successful application of the Responsible

Hospitality plan and approval from the Cherokee Nation Gaming Commission, Cherokee Casino Will Rogers Downs, Cherokee Casino Grove and Cherokee Casino Roland will open on June 10.

The remaining properties – the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa, Cherokee Casino West Siloam Springs, Cherokee Casino South Coffeyville and Cherokee Casino Ramona – are expected to open by mid-June. The Chero-kee Hills golf course at Hard Rock will be open.

Safety measures will remain in place. Those with a temperature in excess of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit will

not be permitted entry into venues, and face masks must be worn by everyone. Guests are asked to bring their own masks covering the nose and mouth but not the entire face.

The CNB announcement addresses only casino opera-tions and not hotel occupancy at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa.

The website hardrockcasinotulsa.com states that when it is decided that guests can return to the hotel, occupancy will initially be limited and adjusted to suit conditions needed for safety.

Additional safety protocols that follow recommended guidelines will be in place in Hard Rock’s dining areas.

“I couldn’t be more proud of the dedication, deter-mination and resilience demonstrated by our team members throughout this pandemic,” CNB CEO Chuck Garrett said. “Their passion for service is what built our reputation for excellence, and we share their excitement as we begin to welcome back our loyal guests. While the guest experience may be different than before, our guests will continue to receive the first-class hospitality they have come to know and love.”

When first announced, the “Responsible Hospitality” plan also suggested reduced hours of operation. Each casino floor will remain closed to the public from 2 a.m. to 10 a.m. daily to allow cleaning and sanitization.

Visit www.Anadisgoi.com for information about the “Responsible Hospitality” plan.

Patrons can call their respective Cherokee Casinos to inquire about the status of each venue’s reopening.

CNB announces reopening dates for casinos “We are confident in our approach and will continue to monitor conditions and recommendations from federal, state and local health authorities.”

Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr.

LINDSEY BARK/CHEROKEE PHOENIXThe Cherokee Casino Tahlequah sign flashes a message that the casino is again open. Cherokee Nation Entertain-ment closed its casinos earlier this spring because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Safety protocols, including mandatory wearing of masks, are in place.

12 CHEROKEE PHOENIX • JULY 1, 2020 ᏣᎳᎩ ᏧᎴᎯᏌᏅᎯ • ᎫᏰᏉᏂ 1, 2020PEOPLE • ᏴᏫ

BY LINDSEY BARK Reporter

VIAN – Being a storm chaser is more than running outside to check the sky for an approaching storm or chasing a torna-do in a vehicle. Cherokee Nation citizens Sequoyah Quinton and Jeff Robbins have years of experience in knowing weather conditions and its different aspects to safe-ly chase a storm and report on it.

Quinton, of Vian, has worked for KTUL Channel 8 in Tulsa for 15 years, although he’s been chasing since 1996. He was in public safety before officially becoming a storm chaser. After high school, he joined the U.S. Marine Corps, then was a police officer and worked security as a CN mar-shal.

He became interested in storm chasing after seeing an EF-4 (enhanced Fujita) tor-nado destroy an Arkansas trailer park.

“I was visiting my mother in Arkansas, Jan. 8, 1978. A tornado had come through and classified as an EF-4. I was like 10 years old. I watched it just destroy this trailer park behind our house. It was like an almost half a mile-wide tornado. And ever since then I had always been interest-ed in weather,” he said.

While in law enforcement he took storm spotter training courses.

“As a police officer, one of the things you do is storm spotting,” Quinton said. “I took those courses, and during the mean-time I had gathered everything I could even find, video or in libraries on weather. In turn, I began to understand it and began to love it because it’s such a miracle our weather, everyday around us.”

Robbins, of Oaks, also started out tak-ing spotter training courses called SKY-WARN, a volunteer program that trains severe weather spotters.

He eventually met Quinton, who helped him get a position at KTUL in 2011.

Robbins said when he goes out, he takes the day to prep and gets into position of areas where he thinks the storms will ap-proach.

“We usually get an advanced notice like some of us forecast. I forecast my own areas and we just prep the day of and go out to our what we call a target area to where we think storms will fire up,” he said.

He said one job of a storm chaser is to relay information to the news station.

“We provide ground truth reports be-cause the weather radar that they use can only identify the rotation of the storm,” he said in a previous Cherokee Phoenix

article. “It takes our voice from the ground to relay visual data. Like if you have a tornado on the ground or a wall cloud or it depends on how big the hail is, we send actual reports to them.”

Quinton said over time, the equipment they use has changed and they are able to give quicker and more advanced notices. In the past, he had to rely on maps and the National Weather Service radio updates. “Back then it was maps, no technology whatsoever. You kind of knew where storms were going to take off. You would get it down to an area smaller than a state and then know fundamentally how things go such as cold fronts and warm fronts. Then listening to the scanner you can hear a severe thunderstorm warning. Then we’d go and chase it.”

He also recalls initially getting a cell phone and hooking it up to a laptop to get dial-up internet. “I thought that I was so cool because after an hour I could look at a radar.”

Robbins said every storm he’s chased is different, but some stand out.

“Each storm has its own memories. May 22, 2011, was one of my favorite chases be-cause the conditions were just prime and just about every storm that popped up pro-duced a tornado that day,” he said.

Quinton said one his most memorable chases happened in 2019 in Beaver County.

“In the summertime, this dry line or dry air comes off the Rocky Mountains, and pushes to the east and we have the warm moist air over Oklahoma and Texas. It interacts with that dry line, and it gives it

a lift and everything was all together, and I saw 12 tornadoes that day,” Quinton said.

Quinton and Robbins said aside from the thrill of ever-changing weather, a main reason they do what they do is the public’s safety.

“Personally, it’s always been our Cher-okee heritage to help others. I feel like that’s the way I contribute. It can help keep people safe and give them advanced warning to take shelter,” Robbins said.

Quinton said, “I’ve been in public safety and serving the country and serving the state, the counties and cities I’ve worked for, serving the Cherokee Nation. In Okla-homa, we’re getting pretty good because here lately we’ve had almost the fewest deaths because people are more aware in Oklahoma about weather.”

Quinton, Robbins serve as storm chasersTwo Cherokees help provide public safety as storm chasers during severe weather.

COURTESY Cherokee Nation citizen Sequoyah Quinton sits in a storm chasing vehicle, displaying a radar he uses when out on a chase.

“Personally, it’s always been our Cherokee heritage to help others. I feel like that’s the way I contribute. It can help keep people safe and give them advanced warning to take shelter.”

Jeff Robbins, storm chaser

COURTESY A photo of a tornado taken by Cherokee Nation citizen and storm chaser Sequoyah Quinton in 2019 in Beaver County.

ARCHIVE In this 2011 photo, Cherokee Nation citizen Jeff Robbins, storm chaser for KTUL Channel 8 in Tulsa, sets up storm-chasing equipment in his vehicle. Robbins is still chasing storms for KTUL.

COURTESY In this 2011 photo provided by storm chaser Jeff Robbins, a funnel cloud hovers above the ground.

BY KERI THORNTON Tahlequah Daily Press

TAHELQUAH – Northeastern State University’s former police chief has been tapped as the coordinator for Oklahoma’s Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons task force.

Cherokee Nation citizen Patti Buhl, a 25-year law enforcement veteran, said she will use those experiences in her new role.

“I was a tribal police officer, and we worked with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and different federal agencies. When you’re in that role, you worked collaboratively with those organizations,” said Buhl. “In my role as an investigator for the state agency, we worked some cases collaboratively with federal agencies. So I have an understanding of how the federal system works, and I’ve made a lot of contacts throughout the years with the federal system.”

The U.S. Department of Justice launched the MMIP program to address missing and murdered Native Americans in 2019. The DOJ made an investment of $1.5 million to hire MMIP coordinators for 11 states. Other states receiving MMIP coordinators are Alaska, Arizona, Minnesota, Montana, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Washington and Utah.

“The joint MMIP coordinator will maximize the collaborative efforts of the three Oklahoma U.S. Attorney’s Offices as we work toward our common goal of ensuring appropriate

response to missing and murdered Indigenous people in Oklahoma,” said Brian Kuester, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Oklahoma.

Buhl’s first day in her new role was June 8, and she was eager to get a better understanding of the scope of the specific problem. “Anytime you look at statistics as it relates to missing and murdered Indigenous persons – depending on what resource you read – the statistics will be different,” said Buhl. “That tells us there’s a problem with the statistics. We don’t have a clear understanding of the scope of the problem and this is definitely one of my goals.”

Buhl will support investigations into missing and murdered persons, and coordinate with local, state, tribal and federal law enforcement in the development of investigative protocols and procedures for responding to MMIP cases. Trent Shores, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Oklahoma, described Buhl as a tenacious investigator and said that was one of the reasons they chose her.

“This will not be an easy job, and no one has never done this particular job before. It’s going to take a lot of hard work and dedication,” said Shores. “Patti is the kind of person who will keep pushing until she finds the truth, and I think that is the kind of personality we need to confront this issue and find solutions.”

Shores said there has been a large number of violent crimes against women and child for too

long, so this isn’t a new problem. The MMIP coordinators will provide extensive information of not only existing resources, but new ones, too.

“There is a specialized unit at finding missing persons and they historically focus on children. However, speaking with the FBI, they agreed they will make that unit available for MMIP investigations, if requested,” said Shores. “This is a new

resource that is available so that when people are reported missing, we can immediately jump in with extra resources to help find them.”

Buhl served with the Cherokee Nation Marshal Service, where she was involved with the 14-county jurisdictional boundaries of the tribe. She said her work with CN gave her a head start in developing the personal and professional

relationship with tribal leaders and citizens.

“I’m extremely excited about this opportunity. It is brand new, so to me, it is exciting. We can develop it the way it needs to be developed and I’m excited to get back to Indian Country,” said Buhl. “Indian Country has given a lot to me, so I’ve very excited to be giving back to Indian Country in this role.” – REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION

Buhl tapped to coordinate MMIP task force

KERI THORNTON/TAHLEQUAH DAILY PRESS Newly selected Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons coordinator Patti Buhl, left, discusses her new role with U.S. Attorney Trent Shores in his office. Buhl, a Cherokee Nation citizen, is a 25-year law enforce-ment veteran.

PEOPLE • ᏴᏫ JULY 1, 2020 • CHEROKEE PHOENIX 13 ᎫᏰᏉᏂ 1, 2020 • ᏣᎳᎩ ᏧᎴᎯᏌᏅᎯ

BY LINDSEY BARK Reporter

ELK POINT, S.D. – Cherokee Nation citizen Dr. Meghan O’Connell was named a 2020 Bush Fellow on June 9 through the Bush Foundation.

The foundation offers grants and opportunities to individuals who think big on “how to solve prob-lems and shape a better future for their communi-ties,” according to a Bush Foundation press release.

O’Connell was one of 24 selected fellows from Minnesota, North Dako-ta, South Dakota, and 23 Native nations that share the same geography, to receive an award up to $100,000 over a 12-24 month period to “pursue formal and informal learning ex-periences that help them develop the skills, attri-butes and relationships they need to become more effective, equitable leaders who can drive change in their communities and re-gions as whole,” according to the release.

Fellows can use funding for opportunities in their fields such as advanced education, networking and leadership resources, trainings and workshops.

“I am honored to have been chosen to be a Bush Fellow,” O’Connell said. “The application process takes a long time. I started working on it last fall. I am excited to have the oppor-tunity to start this journey in gaining skills to become a more effective leader.”

O’Connell was accepted from more than 740 appli-cants. She works as a fami-ly physician.

“I was called to be-come a doctor in order to provide medical care to Native and other under-served communities. I

have cared for people in all stages of life, both in the hospital and in the clinic,” she said.

According to the press release, O’Connell “has learned first-hand that systemic change is needed to address disparities in and barriers to quality health care. To generate innovative and strategic solutions, she needs to expand her knowledge of finance, health systems, government policy and health law, and to develop persuasive communica-tion skills. She also plans to seek counsel from other health care leaders who have led successful change in similar political and geographic environ-ments.”

“It is an amazing gift. I plan to use the skills I gain to improve health care and health outcomes for all South Dakotans,” she said.

In addition, she said she is proud to represent the Cherokee people.

“We need more Native leaders advocating for positive change in our communities. I hope that I can learn skills that will help me address health disparities and improve the health of all peoples,” O’Connell said.

For information visit, www.bushfoundation.org.

Meghan O’Connell

O’Connell named 2020 Bush Fellow

BY CHAD HUNTER Reporter

UNIONTOWN, Ark. – With practiced ease, Wade Fletcher removes a frame from his beehive and points to the queen, marked with a blue dot to stand out among a writhing throng of smaller workers and drones.

“Once you begin to learn about bees, they’re fascinating creatures,” he said.

A Cherokee Nation citizen from Arkansas, Fletcher, 31, has been “hooked” on beekeeping for the past nine years, amassing 20 hives that house an estimated 400,000 honey bees.

“My father-in-law had a few hives when my wife and I were dating, and I showed some interest in it,” he said. “So after we were married, he decided to give me my first colony, and I was hooked instantly. I’ve been doing it ever since.”

Fletcher and his wife, Lacey, live on her family’s Century Farm in Uniontown with children Lilly, 7, and Sawyer, 5. There, Fletcher spends between five and eight hours each week tending to hives, which are populated with swarms caught in the wild. During the years, he’s honed his honey bee hobby with “lots of reading,” YouTube tutorials and fellow beekeepers.

“What I enjoy the most is the reward it gets from the honey,” he said.

Fletcher grew up in Stilwell, Oklahoma. After high school graduation in 2007, he attended the Indian Capital Technology Center with an emphasis on building/grounds maintenance, masonry and auto mechanics. Now, “ironically enough,” he said, “my profession is commercial pest control.”

“I kill bugs in the daytime and take care of them at night,” he said.

One unavoidable aspect of beekeeping is getting stung, sometimes multiple times depending on the hive’s temperament, Fletcher said.

“I’ve been stung quite a few times,” he said. “The most at once was probably 15

times. I had a really aggressive hive. I just need a little Benadryl and go to bed and deal with it that way. Some people can take one sting and it would be life-threatening. Other people can handle multiple stings. I’ve never been in a situation where I felt in danger. But that could be completely different for you or the next guy.”

Fletcher recommends removing the stinger if left by the bee. “It’s going to continue to put venom in you until it runs dry. So you’re going to want to get it out as quick as you can.”

In general, Fletcher tries his best to keep “docile bees.”

“I’ve got a couple right now that would eat you up,” he said. “As soon as I get the opportunity to re-queen them, that’ll change the genetics of the hive and the temperament. I try to promote good genetics in my queen rearing.”

So far, Fletcher’s bee endeavor remains a hobby, but he does make a bit of cash selling honey to friends and neighbors. A good colony, he said, can produce 10 gallons a year in this region. “I intend to go commercial in a few years. I’m currently running 20 hives, and I’m just going to keep growing.”

He’s also made it a mission to turn his bee passion into “a family affair.”

“My wife, she’s basically my director of media,” Fletcher said. “She runs our Facebook page. She’s real successful with it. She helps with the honey harvest – the extracting and jarring, all that. The kids, they’re wanting to get into it, so they’re probably going to be more involved this coming fall in helping work the bees.”

CHAD HUNTER/CHEROKEE PHOENIXWade Fletcher, a Cherokee Nation citizen and beekeeper, inspects a hive frame on June 5 at his property in Uniontown, Arkansas.

Fletcher gets a buzz from beekeeping

CHAD HUNTER/CHEROKEE PHOENIXCherokee Nation citizen Wade Fletcher and his family are seen at their home in Union-town, Arkansas. Fletcher has raised bees for almost a decade.

Cherokee Nation citizen Wade Fletcher is a hobbyist with an estimated 400,000 honey bees.“Once you begin to learn about bees, they’re fascinating creatures.”

Wade Fletcher, Cherokee Nation citizen

BY STACIE BOSTON Multimedia Reporter

ORLANDO – Family can have different meanings, all depending on who is asked. Blood, deep-rooted relationships, a shared life-chang-ing experience can all be the basis for what one may consider as fam-ily.

Cherokee Nation citizen James-on Brown, 24, explored what he believes the meaning of family is through his great-grandmother’s,

Mary Jane Howard, sto-ries in his book “The Jewel in Oklahoma,” which released in April.

Originally from Tahle-quah, Brown moved to Or-

lando to attend film school. Brown said he had always been fond of sto-rytelling, and by attending Full Sail University he was able to take his script writing knowledge and lend it to his book’s creation.

“For the longest time I’ve always had this ability to tell stories,” he said.

In 2019, Brown began hearing sto-ries about Howard’s life he had nev-er heard and knew he had to collect her stories as family keepsakes.

“I have always had a very deep, personal connection to my great-grandmother,” he said. “I had talked to her a little bit and she told me bits and pieces of her life story, and I said to myself, ‘I’ve got to write this down.’ I had no inten-tion of turning it into a book. I was just going to write it down for the family.”

Some stories Brown heard were from her time in California, which prompted him to learn more about her life.

“She worked with Lucille Ball from ‘I Love Lucy.’ She was friends with Mamie Eisenhower, as in the first lady (former President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s wife). She was a model. She worked in the aeronau-tics industry. She use to work on planes,” he said. “She just had a very interesting life and I had no

idea.” While in his master’s program,

Brown learned about self-pub-lishing from an instructor. This gave him the idea to collect his great-grandmother’s stories for a book.

“It was Christmas of last year (2019) that I went back home and sat with her for days upon days and recorded her stories,” he said.

After collecting her stories, Brown knew the book’s theme was family. He spent the next three months crafting her stories, and by the end of March he had finished the book.

“When you read the book you can see that my great-grandmother cares very deeply about her family,

and that’s what I want the book to say is that family is very import-ant. Even those that are just your friends can be your family. It’s not just blood related,” he said.

In April, Brown’s book became available on Amazon. Due to distance, Brown’s mother and great-grandmother video chatted with him as soon as they got their copies.

“I got the chance to see her (How-ard) seeing it for the first time and she absolutely loved it,” he said.

To purchase “The Jewel in Okla-homa,” visit https://bit.ly/TheJew-elinOklahoma. To stay up-to-date with Brown, find him on Facebook by searching Jameson Brown.

Author’s book recounts great-grandmother’s life“The Jewel in Oklahoma” tells the story of family and shows it does not just mean those of blood relation.

Jameson Brown

COURTESY Cherokee citizen and author Jameson Brown is pictured with his great-grand-mother, Mary Jane Howard, near her home in Tahlequah. Howard’s stories of her life are recounted in Brown’s book, “The Jewel in Oklahoma.”

MISSING NATIVESALYSSA TEVEBAUGH: MISSING SINCE APRIL 18, 2020 AGE: 15/5’4”/130 LBS/BROWN EYES & HAIR/LAST SEEN IN FORT SMITH, ARKANSAS

IF SEEN, CALL FORT SMITH POLICE DEPARTMENT AT 470-709-5100 TO SPONSOR A MISSING NATIVES SPOT, CALL 918-207-3825 OR EMAIL samantha-cochran@cherokee.org

14 CHEROKEE PHOENIX • JULY 1, 2020 ᏣᎳᎩ ᏧᎴᎯᏌᏅᎯ • ᎫᏰᏉᏂ 1, 2020CULTURE • ᎢᏳᎾᏛᏁᎵᏓᏍᏗ

BY WILL CHAVEZAssistant Editor

TAHLEQUAH – As more Cherokee history is studied and uncovered, there is better understanding of people such as Ned Christie, who today is considered a patriot by many Cherokees.

In May 1887, he was called an outlaw after being falsely accused of murdering Deputy U.S. Marshal Daniel Maples in Tahlequah. This forced Christie to hide and fight attempts to capture him in order to take him to the federal jail in Fort Smith, Arkansas.

Cherokee Nation History and Preservation Officer Catherine Foreman Gray said Christie offered to turn himself in if federal Judge Isaac Parker would allow him to post bail. His request was denied, so Christie spent the next five years hiding in Wauhillau in what is now Adair County.

“During this time he was accused of murders, robbing places, just all different kinds of crimes here in Indian Territory. Anytime there was a crime, Ned was the one getting blamed for it,” Gray said. “At one point the marshals do come and they burn his house down, and so he rebuilds it, and what he rebuilds is a double-walled cabin. It’s got little portholes in it and had some sand (between the walls). It was a secure structure.”

For five years, he never left the Wauhillau area, but lawmen and bounty hunters came after him. In one incident, a bullet went through Christie’s left eye after it ricocheted off his nose, and a deputy was wounded and later died.

In May 1889, Jacob Yoes was appointed U.S. Marshal of the Western District of Arkansas with a priority to capture Christie.

Fort Smith National Historic Site Park Ranger Cody Faber said three other men were indicted for killing Maples, including Charlie Bobtail, John Parris and Bub Trainor. Bobtail and Parris were arrested. Trainor had witnesses who exonerated him and the charges were dropped. This left Christie, and Yoes wanted him arrested.

False stories about Christie committing crimes while he was a fugitive did not help his cause, Faber added.

“Much of that information they were getting through the newspapers was false,” he said.

Faber also said by the 1880s the CN had survived the forced removal, its own civil war and was recovering from the American Civil War that ravaged the tribe.

“You break them socially and economically and then surprise, surprise you have a wonderful mass ingredient for crime and disorder and social upheaval, so what the U.S. Marshal Service was dealing with and the court system and the tribal police was dealing with was an enormous amount of crime that followed all of that. This was a dangerous place to be,” he said. “Part of understanding what they (law enforcement) were going through and perhaps what played up that mythology, not years later but right then, was the fact you have all of the crime and it’s very well known, not just locally…but nationally.”

Initially, there was a $500 reward for Christie’s capture, but Parker wrote a letter to the attorney general to request $1,000 because it seems he was buying into the erroneous stories about Christie, Faber said. “It’s not Parker’s job. He’s not sending out deputy marshals. It’s the U.S. Marshal’s job to send out police.”

So, in the fall of 1892, Yoes gathered a posse to apprehend Christie.

“He thought this had went on long enough…so they send a posse out of at least two dozen men to finally try to apprehend him. It takes over a day. The shooting happens and then it stops,” Gray said. “They end up bringing in a

cannon from Kansas. After they ran out of ammunition with that, they also had dynamite and they used that and rolled it up on a carriage to Ned’s home, and then that’s when they were able to catch his cabin on fire. And so, he comes out. He had been out of ammunition for a little while, and that’s when they killed him.”

Deputies placed Christie’s body on a door, she said, and took it to Fort Smith to claim the reward.

“You’ll see pictures where he’s propped up on the courthouse and marshals come take photos with him. He was on display the entire day,” Gray added.

Betty Christie Frogg, Christie’s great-great niece, was raised in Wauhillau and said the thought of her uncle being displayed brings tears to her eyes.

She said the deputies had to let people know they captured the “infamous” Christie, which is why they took his body to Fort Smith to display. She said for years a photo of him on display at the courthouse hung in the Fort Smith National Historic Site Museum, and the family petitioned to have it taken down.

“It took a while, but they finally took that picture down. I have tears in my eyes when I think about it,” she said. “He was declared innocent years later, which everybody knew it was true.”

Gray said Christie’s death upset Cherokee people because he was “very well-liked in the Cherokee community.”

“He was a blacksmith, and people really admired him and what he stood for as far as Cherokee sovereignty,” she said. “He wanted the federal government out of Cherokee affairs, period. He was

against the white intruders coming into the CN and against the railroads. He was known for giving heated speeches on the Senate floor against all of that. And so he earned a lot of respect for that, and a lot of people will call him one of our last great warriors when it comes to trying to fend off the federal government.”

Frogg said as a tribal leader, Ned and his father Watt had the Nation’s welfare in mind and regularly traveled to Tahlequah to take part in tribal meetings.

Standing about 50 yards from where her uncle was killed, Frogg shared stories she heard about him while she grew up in Wauhillau. “Some of the stories we heard was stuff like how he built his house and him being a gunsmith. He could take a gun apart and put it back together blindfolded. From what I’ve heard, Ned was not a mean person.”

Frogg said her uncle was “in the wrong place at the wrong time” to be accused of Maples’ murder.

A grove of trees surrounded by pastureland gives no hint Christie’s cabin stood where it did 128 years ago. About 100 yards from where the cabin stood is a creek that Frogg said she used to swim in with her cousins when she was young.

A report states when the deputies arrived at Christie’s cabin on Nov. 2, 1892, Christie was living there with his wife Nancy and their daughter Charlotte. Also at the cabin were a young boy named Arch Christie and a man named Ned Adair. It was Arch who first saw the posse hiding near a creek. A deputy’s bullet grazed his neck while running to the cabin to warn the others.

“That attack, from what I’ve heard, was horrible,” Frogg said.

During the attack, Christie sent his family out the back door, a report states. The last to leave was Arch. After his departure, Christie ran out the front with his rifle and was killed on Nov. 3, 1892.

In 1918, a Cherokee Freedman named Dick Humphreys came forward, said Gray, saying he witnessed Bub Trainor killing Maples, not Christie. Christie had slept through the killing but was near.

Frogg said she wants people to know her uncle cared for the Cherokee people when he worked as a CN senator. “He fought for the Cherokee people when he was on the council. And I want them to know he was not an outlaw.”

CN cultural sites to reopenBY STAFF REPORTS

TAHLEQUAH – Cherokee Nation officials on June 19 announced a phased approach to reopen cultural tourism sites beginning July 15.

The organizations temporarily suspended operations following the state of emergency issued by Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. on March 16 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Our primary mission is to provide guests with opportunities to interact with authentic Cherokee culture, history and heritage,” Hoskin said. “While we are observing enhanced safety procedures, some of these experiences will take on a new form but will remain true to providing immersive educational experiences.”

The openings will take place in the following phases:· Phase 1, July 15: Cherokee National History

Museum, Tahlequah Gift Shop and Cherokee Heritage Center;

· Phase 2, July 22: Cherokee National Prison Museum, Cherokee National Supreme Court Museum and Cherokee Gift Shop inside Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa;

· Phase 3, July 29: John Ross Museum, Sequoyah’s Cabin Museum and welcome centers in Kansas and Catoosa.

In addition, the tribe plans to open the recently restored Saline Courthouse in Delaware County with a grand opening ceremony to be held later this year.

According to the announcement, safety procedures

include physical distancing, limited occupancy, enhanced cleaning and sanitization and required use of face masks by all. Hours of operation will vary by location and can be found by visiting VisitCherokeeNation.com.

Upon its July 15 reopening, the CHC will debut the 49th annual Trail of Tears Art Show and Sale, the longest-running Native American art show and competition in Oklahoma. It runs through Aug. 4 and features painting, sculpture, pottery, basketry, graphics, diverse art forms, jewelry, miniatures and photography/digital art. A virtual reception will be shared on the CHC’s Facebook page at 7 p.m. July 10 to announce winners of more than $15,000 in prize money.

‘One of our last great warriors’For five years, the U.S. government pursued Ned Christie for a crime he did not commit.

Family, historians share Ned Christie insights“He was not an outlaw.”

Betty Christie Frogg

Fort Smith National Historic Site Park Ranger Cody Faber stands on the steps of the porch where Ned Christie’s body was displayed after he was killed on Nov. 3, 1892.WILL CHAVEZ/CHEROKEE PHOENIX

The grave of Ned Christie is located near Wauhillau in Adair County.WILL CHAVEZ/CHEROKEE PHOENIX

CULTURE • ᎢᏳᎾᏛᏁᎵᏓᏍᏗ JULY 1, 2020 • CHEROKEE PHOENIX 15 ᎫᏰᏉᏂ 1, 2020 • ᏣᎳᎩ ᏧᎴᎯᏌᏅᎯ

BY WILL CHAVEZAssistant Editor

TAHLEQUAH – The history of Cherokee journalism is anchored from its beginning to now by the newspaper that started Native American journalism on Feb. 21, 1828, in New Echota, Georgia.

On that day, the first edition of the Cherokee Phoenix was printed at what was then the capital of the Cherokee Nation, under the leadership of its editor, Elias Boudinot. It was printed in English and Cherokee.

Boudinot learned about the mythological Egyptian phoenix bird, which consumes itself in fire every 500 years and is reborn from the ashes, while attending school in Cornwall, Connecticut.

In Ancient Greek folklore, a phoenix is an ancient bird that is associated with the sun. The bird obtains new life by arising from the ashes of its predecessor. Some legends say it dies in a show of flames and combustion while others say that it simply dies and decomposes before being born again.

Another account of how the Cherokee Phoenix got its name comes from Boudinot’s description of what he envisioned the newspaper would be. Written in October 1827, he revealed the newspaper would be called the Cherokee Phoenix from a reference he had used in his lectures on his trip to the

northeastern United States to raise funds for the newspaper.

In his description, he asked for the support of friends “who rejoiced” in seeing the Cherokee seek “to rise from their ashes like the fabled Phoenix.” Boudinot promised to direct “undeviating steps” toward the goal of benefitting the Cherokees.

The subjects to be covered by the newspaper would be: the laws and public documents of the Nation; account of the manners and customs of the Cherokees, and their progress in education, religion, and the arts of civilized life; with such notices of other Indian tribes as our limited means of information will allow; the “principal interesting news of the day;” and miscellaneous articles, “calculated to promote literature, civilization and religion among the Cherokees.”

The paper’s creation in 1825 by the Cherokee National Council was part of a thought-out process of assimilation. Cherokee leaders thought if they began

to live like their white neighbors – planting crops, building schools, opening businesses, government offices, building modern homes and having a newspaper – that perhaps Georgians would accept them and let them stay on their lands in northern Georgia. In some ways, the Cherokee people outdid their white neighbors, which caused the Georgians to resent them even more.

On May 31, 1834, the Cherokee Phoenix ceased printing because the Cherokee government ran out of funding for it and because of harassment from Georgians.

Four years later, in the spring of 1838, most of the approximately 14,000 Cherokees who remained on their lands in Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee and North Carolina were rounded up and forcibly sent to Indian Territory, in what is now Oklahoma.

In Indian Territory, Cherokee leaders reorganized the government after three major Cherokee factions reunited in the summer of 1839. Within five years, schools, government buildings and homes

were rebuilt, including a Supreme Court building in the capital of Tahlequah.

Principal Chief John Ross envisioned reviving a Cherokee newspaper. In October 1843, when the Cherokee National Council met for its regular session, Ross made the proposal for funding a newspaper.

Legislators approved an act that established the Cherokee Advocate on Oct. 25, 1843, “to inform and encourage the Cherokees in agriculture, education and religion and to enlighten the world with correct Indian news.”

On Sept. 26, 1844, the first issue of the Cherokee Advocate was printed, in Cherokee and English, in the CN Supreme Court building in Tahlequah. Historians speculate Ross chose to use parts of the title the Cherokee Phoenix began using in 1829: “Cherokee Phoenix and Indian Advocate.”

As the territory moved toward statehood in 1907, the Cherokee Advocate ceased printing and didn’t return until the Cherokee government was officially reorganized in 1975.

Stories about people and culture, activities of the tribal government and news of tribal programs were printed in the monthly paper.

The newspaper continued as the Cherokee Advocate until October 2000 when it began using the name Cherokee Phoenix and Indian Advocate.

Once again, the Cherokee Phoenix served the people and continues today as a print newspaper. It also has a website, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages and an email newsletter.

Source: Holland, Cullen Joe; “Cherokee Newspapers, 1828-1906, Tribal Voices of a People in Transition;” Cherokee Heritage Press; 2012

BY CHAD HUNTERReporter

TAHLEQUAH – A Cherokee Nation citizen who works for the tribe’s Human Services department is the latest Cherokee Phoenix quarterly giveaway winner.

Sue Lofton, of Tahlequah, won a framed canvas print of a Kenny Henson painting during the April drawing, which contained 153 entries.

“I was shocked,” Lofton said. “I’m like ‘awesome,’ especially since he’s won an award for it. I have a place for it, for sure.”

The first-quarter prize was a print of Henson’s award-winning, 2018 painting titled “Lords of the Plains.” The piece won Best of Show at the Indian Summer Festival in Bartlesville, an Honorable Choice Award at the Cherokee Homecoming Art Show & Sale and a third place award at the Arts Under the Oaks competition in Muskogee. It features three buffalo bulls resting on a grassy knoll overlooking the valley where they once roamed.

“My husband’s name is Yanasa, and that’s Cherokee for buffalo,” Lofton said. “That’s his Cherokee name, so this even makes it sweeter.”

Henson, a design engineer for the CN’s Aerospace & Defense division, draws inspiration for his paintings

from Cherokee lore, nature and fantasy.“Culture and tradition is all I knew growing up,” he

said in a February interview. “My grandpa and great

uncle, they used to tell a lot of stories. A lot of them were like myths or legends or just something you could learn from. Uncle Ike used to tell me stories about Little People. So I’d put those into my paintings.”

The Cherokee Phoenix plans to hold its next 2020 quarterly drawing on July 1 when it gives away a woven wall hanging piece by 15-year-old Cherokee Nation citizen Emma Sherron.

Entries for the drawing can be obtained by donating to the Cherokee Phoenix’s Elder/Veterans Subscription Fund or buying a Cherokee Phoenix subscription or merchandise.

One entry is given to participants for every $10 spent or donated.

For more information, call Samantha Cochran at 918-207-3825 or email samantha-cochran@cherokee.org.

Past Cherokee Phoenix quarterly giveaway winners include Lila Beaver, of Vinita; Darlene Littledeer, of Tahlequah; Theta Reed, of Collinsville; Julia Dahl, of Chico, California; Bryce Adair, of Alva; Naomi Birdtail, of Tahlequah; Dusty Helbling, of Ozark, Arkansas; James McNew, of El Dorado, Kansas; Geneva Collins, of Park Hill; Steven Rice, of Bartlesville; Patrick Swartz, of Bellevue, Nebraska; Charlotte Foster, of Chelsea; Dana Parks from Brownsboro, Texas; Nan Butler, of Wellston, Wauneta Wine of Columbia, Maryland; and Dale Easky of St. Clair, Missouri.

Lofton wins artwork in Cherokee Phoenix giveaway

CHAD HUNTER/CHEROKEE PHOENIXSue Lofton, of Tahlequah, left, accepts a framed canvas print of a Kenny Henson painting from Cherokee Phoenix advertising representative Terris Howard on June 8. Lofton was the newspaper’s latest quarterly giveaway winner.

Second-quarter drawing set for July 1.

Elias Boudinot learned about the bird of Egyptian mythology while attending school in Connecticut.

Boudinot learned of Phoenix legend as student

BY WILL CHAVEZAssistant Editor

TAHLEQUAH – Following two weeks of voting, the Cherokee Phoenix’s Facebook audience chose Sequoyah as the most influential Cherokee in history.

The list of Cherokees in the elimination-style poll consisted of those who made impacts on the tribe’s language, culture, art, government and other areas. On May 18, Cherokee Phoenix readers began voting between two notable Cherokee people at a time, among 16 finalists. The final poll was held on June 1.

In the round of eight, Sequoyah, former Principal Chief Wilma Mankiller, “Beloved Woman” Nancy Ward and former Principal Chief John Ross moved on to the final four. In that round, Sequoyah received 332 votes and Mankiller 295, while Ward received 143 votes and Ross 198. In the final vote, Sequoyah received 264 votes and Ross 80 votes.

“We were so pleased with the engagement and participation in the ‘YOU DECIDE: Most Influential Cherokee in History’ polling event,” Executive Editor Tyler Thomas said. “The series of polls offered us the opportunity to highlight several Cherokee people who made a truly significant impact in our history. We hope our audience enjoyed this educational event, and we look forward to doing similar polling events in the future.”

Sequoyah spent 12 years developing a syllabary or written language for Cherokee. He wished for his people to be able to write their thoughts and messages on pieces of paper like their white neighbors. In 1821, the Cherokee Nation adopted the syllabary, and within months thousands of Cherokees became literate by learning to read and write their language. Sequoyah’s syllabary was also incorporated in the tribe’s newspaper, the Cherokee Phoenix, in 1828 making the newspaper a bilingual newspaper. A variation of the

syllabary is still used today by the CN. Sequoyah County in eastern Oklahoma, where

Sequoyah lived and operated a salt works, is named after the Cherokee genius. His home site is now a CN-operated museum. The exact date of Sequoyah’s birth is unknown. It’s thought he was born between 1760 and 1780 in his hometown of Taskigi in eastern Tennessee. It is believed he died in northern Mexico in 1843 while searching for Cherokees who left the CN to escape tribal infighting and the threat of further land loss.

Poll participants were entered into a drawing for a Cherokee Phoenix swag bag each time they voted. Justin Pettit, of Sallisaw, won the drawing on June 2.

The 16 Cherokees from the tribe’s history in the polling event were Elias Boudinot, Jesse Bushyhead, Rachel Caroline Eaton, Durbin Feeling, William Wirt Hastings, William Wayne Keeler, Wilma Mankiller, Anna Mitchell, John Ridge, Will Rogers, John Ross, Mary Golda Ross, Sequoyah, Redbirth Smith, Nancy Ward and Stand Watie.

MARK DREADFULWATER/CHEROKEE PHOENIXSequoyah defeated John Ross in the final round of the Cherokee Phoenix’s ‘YOU DECIDE: Most Influential Cherokee in History’ Facebook poll. The Cherokee syllabary inventor beat the long-time principal chief 264 votes to 80 votes.

List of Cherokees in poll include those who impacted tribe’s language, art, culture, government and other areas.

Sequoyah named ‘most influential’

COURTESY PHOTOSA book of legendary creatures by FJ Bertuch includes a depiction of the mythical phoenix.Right: The initial phoenix artwork used by the Cherokee Phoenix newspaper in 1828.

16 CHEROKEE PHOENIX • JULY 1, 2020 ᏣᎳᎩ ᏧᎴᎯᏌᏅᎯ • ᎫᏰᏉᏂ 1, 2020