Conflicts between Cherokee Nation and state officers are inclined to take advantage of news, particularly throughout election years.
However, the bigger actuality is that our tribe has a constructive relationship with a big majority of state and native leaders in Oklahoma. We know {that a} sturdy Cherokee Nation and a powerful Oklahoma go hand in hand.
As the brand new state legislative session will get underway, our authorities relations workforce at Cherokee Nation is monitoring what occurs at the legislature and advocating for payments that transfer us ahead. We are discovering win-win solutions for Cherokee folks and the entire state.
One space of focus this 12 months is ensuring tribal views and experience are heard by state officers. Many state companies depend on advisory councils to herald outdoors views. Advisory councils are a discussion board for dialogue and studying on easy methods to greatest fulfill company missions. At least two payments this session would strengthen the tribal voice on some necessary councils.
SB 267 by Sen. Ally Seifried, a Cherokee Nation citizen, would increase the State Health Department’s Advancement of Wellness Advisory Council. One of the most important priorities of my administration has been public well being, via constructing behavioral well being and wellness facilities and climbing trails, encouraging greatest practices to cease the unfold of sickness, and supporting proactive wellness efforts which can be the perfect protection towards public well being challenges like weight problems and diabetes.
Oklahoma ranks forty first for weight problems and forty second for charges of diabetes, with estimated prices within the billions. Historically, Native Americans have skilled a few of the worst public well being outcomes, however tribes and concrete Indian clinics have developed an excessive amount of experience taking up this problem.
SB 267 brings that experience into the room. The invoice provides three members to the Advancement of Wellness Advisory Council: a consultant of a tribal well being system, a consultant of Urban Indian Health Care, and an skilled on cardiovascular ailments, like weight problems and diabetes. It will give the State Health Department entry to a few of the smartest minds in Oklahoma on these points.
Another invoice we’re supporting this session is SB 299, which renews and reforms the Oklahoma Advisory Council on Indian Education. SB 299 is authored by Sen. Roger Thompson and Sen. Dewayne Pemberton, additionally a Cherokee Nation citizen.
The OACIE is a crucial advisory physique that makes suggestions to the State Department of Education on easy methods to greatest help Native American college students. The council is meant to be composed of 18 members, together with representatives from tribal governments, tribal training departments, statewide training organizations, the State Department of Education, Higher Education and Career Tech. Unfortunately, the OACIE has quite a few vacancies, which have been left open for greater than two years as a result of the governor has uncared for to behave on nominations from tribal nations.
Leaving these positions vacant interferes with the council’s capability to satisfy its necessary mission of supporting Native American college students and enhancing collaboration throughout training. SB 299 renews the OACIE, which sunsets in July of this 12 months, and creates a course of for legislative leaders to fill positions which were left vacant by the Governor.
Cherokee Nation may also help laws to guard the rights of Native college students to put on tribal regalia at highschool graduations, in addition to a invoice to supply Native historical past and tradition help to public college academics. Throughout all of those discussions, Cherokee Nation will proceed to construct on good relationships with our mates within the Oklahoma State Legislature. I’m assured we are able to discover methods to advance our shared targets.
In the long term, I hope that each state chief in Oklahoma will come to know that tribes are sovereign, right here to remain, and invaluable allies once we are handled with respect. Cherokee Nation and different tribes are offering well being care, constructing roads, increasing rural broadband, rising the financial system, and telling the tales about Oklahoma and Indian Country that present the world what a particular place that is. Tribal nations create nice advantages for all of Oklahoma, and we are able to do much more via improved cooperation with the state. Recognized or not, we proceed to be the perfect buddy that the state of Oklahoma has ever had.
Chuck Hoskin Jr. is the principal chief of the Cherokee Nation.
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