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The Wright Perspective℠
Social Commentary from the C-Suite to Main Street℠
A Blog by Gary Wright II
Larry EchoHawk: "The Cherokee Nation no longer exists"
Friday, June 26th, 2009
My opinion may upset a lot of people, but I completely agree with Larry EchoHawk - The Cherokee Nation no longer exists!
Cherokee Phoenix reports: EchoHawk also wrote that the historical Cherokee Nation, as it existed in 1934, no longer exists as a distinct political entity because Congress closed the tribe?s rolls in 1907.
"After 103 years, few, if any, or its members are still alive," the letter states. "Even though the historical Cherokee Nation no longer exists, its sovereignty continues in the descendents of its members who have reorganized as the United Keetoowah Band and the CNO (Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma)."
The "Indians" learned all of the wrong lessons from the immigrants. The greed and elitism of the leaders of The Cherokee Nation is both disgusting and embarrassing! Even under the current Principal Chief Chad Smith, I have watched the nation lose it's way.
I don't have a problem with any of the people of the tribe, I just have a big problem with the fact that the leaders have destroyed their own damn nation and still haven't learned a single lesson from it.
Money makes the world go round? No, Money makes the world go WRONG! Even in this horrible economy, the Cherokee Nation business entities posted over a $100,000,000 in PROFIT for the past three years. How can they have a huge PROFIT when most of their citizens live in complete poverty. They lack adequate housing, food, and decent health care. I'm not sure I even want to know where all of the money is going!
The point at which I first realized the Cherokee Nation was dead, was when I asked all nations to embrace a simple proposal. I called it my "One Blood, One Nation" proposal: Since the census rolls were no where near accurate, my suggestion was to allow modern DNA tests to be submitted as proof of ancestry. My proposal was to not use DNA to EXCLUDE any citizen of the nation, but to allow those join who are true citizens, but unable to prove it by any other means. This proposal seemed to me like the perfect (and only fair) solution, but the tribes literally ran from the idea.
I was very disappointed when the "nation" not only wanted no new members, but they actually starting excluding people who were already members of their nation. To me, that was the exact moment that the "Cherokee Nation" in Oklahoma died. It is so very sad that I have to say that!
One of the traits of the Cherokee people that I am most proud of was their tradition of acceptance. They recognized the true value of diversity hundreds of years before any one else. The missionaries that came to "convert them" were accepted as family. Women have always held important leadership positions within the tribe, they even once had a female Principal Chief (Mankiller) long before any other nation.
I have to agree with EchoHawk - Cherokee Nation: You may not consider yourself 'dead', but until you change your ways - you are dead to me!
-- Gary Wright II