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"The Cherokee Nation approved a total of $2.7 million in disaster relief funding for Cherokee citizens who suffered major losses during the recent winter ice storm. Over 5,000 applications were processed during the application period." TAHLEQUAH, OK - The Cherokee Nation Tribal Council voted unanimously to accept Principal Chief Chad Smith’s request to provide a total of $2.7 million in emergency disaster relief funds for Cherokee Nation citizens who applied. When the application period ended at close of business on February 2, more than 5,000 families had applied for assistance. “We did this because we care,” said Smith. “Friends, families and communities helped each other as much as possible. Our rural areas were hit hard and were the last to get their electricity restored – some are still without electricity and water. Cherokee Nation employees went out into our communities assisting with emergency shelters, delivering water, manning chainsaw crews and loaning emergency generators as needed. We saw many acts of kindness and genuine concern for each other.” During the wake of the recent winter ice storm, the Cherokee Nation delivered thousands of gallons of water to residents, cleared miles of roads in rural areas, and coordinated efforts with local and county emergency management teams. The storm left thousands throughout northeastern Oklahoma without electricity, telephone access and water. “Many of our citizens lost freezers full of food and had their homes damaged by the storm,” Smith said. “We have been overwhelmed by the number of citizens asking for assistance. We were expecting a few hundred applicants and instead received over 5,000 applications, which were all submitted within the week.” The funding approved was for the disaster relief assistance effort, and was in addition to the efforts put forth by the tribe in the days during the storm. The Cherokee Nation was the first emergency management team on the scene throughout the tribe’s 14-county jurisdictional area, and coordinated efforts with county and local emergency management teams. Cherokee Nation Emergency Management crews worked day and night in the relief efforts and set up a hotline for citizens needing assistance. In some cases, water was delivered door-to-door by tribal workers in areas where roads were impassable due to broken trees and debris in roadways.

Related Cherokee Nation contact information:

Mike Miller, Cherokee Nation Director of Communications Phone: 918-456-0671 (ext.2210) Fax: 918-458-5580 E-mail: Communications@cherokee.org Larry Daugherty, Advertising Manager Cherokee Nation - Public Affairs Phone 918-456-0671 (Ex.2324) E-mail: ldaugherty@cherokee.org

Steven Swogger, Agriculture Liaison Natural Resources Department Phone: 918-456-0671 (ext.2546) FAX: 918-458-7673 E-mail: sswogger@cherokee.org Bradley D. Peak, Cherokee Nation Natural Resources Specialist Phone: 918-456-0671 (ex.2843) E-mail: bpeak@cherokee.org