Copyright © 2007 NLThomas
All Rights Reserved

In "The people speak" (Muskogee Phoenix): More Cherokee funds, but less nation services” on June 5, Luke Rattler attacks Cherokee Principlal Chief Chad Smith, claiming that “housing, medicine, and education services” have been either drastically cut or done away with. Nothing could be further from the truth. These accusations are simply over-zealous political rhetoric. Rattler doesn’t state where he got his erroneous ideas, but one only has to look to the Cherokee Nation annual reports to see his information is incorrect. (These reports are sent out each year in the Cherokee Phoenix and are available online.) According to the 2006 Financial Report, the total budget for the CN last year was over $380 million. The Housing Authority received 12 percent, health care 32 percent, and education services received 8 percent. Do the math. That translates into more services available to the Cherokee people than ever before. There is a new state-of-the-art health facility scheduled to open in Muskogee soon, and another one in Nowata. All this has been made possible because of the increase in CN business income. The number of jobs since Chad Smith took office has increased by thousands. We now have an Immersion School, whose students won numerous awards. These are the things that keep our communities and culture strong. While I agree with Rattler that the CN council’s job is to supply the needed checks and balances, I also believe we need councilors with some knowledge of how to work as a team. Suing each other and/or the chief is a waste of good time and money. We need people who will work together in the right spirit for the Cherokee people. Everyone knows when you dig wild onions, you have to leave some to reseed the patch. The nation cannot afford to turn the reins of leadership over to an inexperienced person, someone who would take the nation’s seed money, use it up, and cause our business income to dry up. Let’s keep the Cherokee Nation headed in the right direction with Chad Smith and Joe Grayson. Sara Hoklotubbe is a Cherokee citizen residing in Wailuku, Hawaii.

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