Beginning Feb. 1, the Cherokee Nation will offer its Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program to help eligible families prepare to file their 2022 state and federal income tax forms for free.

Cherokee Nation is infusing the Boys & Girls Club programs with a historic $5 million investment over the next two years. The donation will help with capital projects, food security programs and grants to offer more services throughout the year, including holidays and the summer months.

The Cherokee Nation is taking more innovative steps to address the opioid epidemic across the Cherokee Nation Reservation, opening the new Cherokee Nation Harm Reduction Program in Tahlequah.

Cherokee Nation leaders met with 100 representatives of local Boys & Girls Clubs on Monday as Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. and Deputy Chief Bryan Warner unveiled plans to invest an additional $5 million into Boys & Girls Club programs over the next two years.

As a sovereign government, the Cherokee Nation is aggressively building new homes, constructing new community centers, making broadband more accessible, and creating safer roads, bridges and water systems. We try to prioritize projects that will improve living standards and pay off with long-term economic growth, as well as create high-quality construction jobs.

The Cherokee Nation honored three veterans with the Medal of Patriotism during the January meeting of the Council of the Cherokee Nation.

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. was presented the Key to the City of Muskogee during the 2023 Martin Luther King Jr. Day Parade & Celebration on Monday, Jan. 16.

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. and Deputy Chief Bryan Warner are proposing new legislation that would commit over $100 million for addiction treatment facilities, new treatment programs, a scholarship endowment, and other initiatives using settlement funds from the tribe’s opioid and e-cigarette settlements.

I am extremely proud that one of the first bills that President Joe Biden signed into law in 2023 was the Durbin Feeling Native American Languages Act. 

Native students preparing for the national ACT exam can now register for a free virtual workshop hosted by Cherokee Nation Foundation.

The Cherokee Nation is partnering with the Cherokee Phoenix newspaper to automatically extend the “Free Phoenix for All Program” to Cherokee households with at least one citizen age 65 or older.

Cherokee Nation W.W. Hastings Hospital is now Primary Stroke Center Certified, a designation meaning the tribe has the health staff and resources dedicated to the prevention and treatment of strokes.

Cherokee Nation leaders met with members of the Illinois River Area Community Organization on Thursday, Jan. 5, and celebrated the early stages of construction for a multipurpose community building near the Illinois River.

We recently opened a new Cherokee Nation-led domestic violence center in Adair County which will immediately help families and children who are suffering at the hands of abusers. Our hope is that this shelter can break cycles of violence for our citizens and enable them to rebuild their lives.

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. has named his former Chief of Staff, Todd Enlow, as Executive Director of Housing Programs. Enlow, of Tahlequah, will oversee the Housing Authority of the Cherokee Nation in his new role and will also serve as the Hoskin administration’s senior advisor.

The Cherokee Nation celebrated the opening of a new domestic violence shelter in Stilwell on Tuesday, Dec. 20, to help families and children who suffer at the hands of violence.

Cherokee Nation and its businesses recently presented a $50,000 check to the Tulsa Area United Way to help wrap up the agency’s 2022 fall fundraising campaign. Through annual contributions and employee volunteers, the tribe has supported the nonprofit organization’s mission to improve lives and build stronger communities since 2013.

The Cherokee Nation will celebrate the opening of a new domestic violence shelter in Stilwell to help families and children who suffer from abuse.

We have housing a major priority across the Cherokee Nation Reservation, with multiple initiatives to ensure Cherokee families have an affordable place to live and thrive.

Cherokee Nation leaders met with Roland officials on Friday, Dec. 9, to sign a Memorandum of Understanding for a $500,000 project that aims to provide better water storage and capacity in the city. 

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has named Cherokee Nation Secretary of State Tina Glory-Jordan as a member of the first-ever Tribal Intergovernmental Advisory Committee.

The Cherokee Nation is contributing $500,000 to the Town of Gans to help significantly bolster the town’s water infrastructure needs and make a positive impact in the community for generations.

Cherokee Nation officials gathered Dec. 8 to break ground on a new walking trail at the tribe’s Three Rivers Health Center in Muskogee as part of the Cherokee Nation Public Health and Wellness Fund Act signed by Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. last year.

The Cherokee Nation is partnering with Jay Public Schools to acquire 10 acres of school property to build affordable homes for tribal citizens.

The Cherokee Nation this week officially dedicated its J.W. Sam-Gadusi building in Catoosa. The facility will house satellite offices for Cherokee Nation Career Services and Cherokee Nation Human Services and will be used by the local Cherokee community group as well.

From individual Cherokee families to the whole Cherokee Nation, keeping children safe is our most essential responsibility. That’s why Cherokee Nation is launching a number of major initiatives to help our families and child care providers. 

Cherokee Nation leaders joined Tulsa County officials to cut the ribbon on a $2.1 million bridge replacement project on Tuesday, Dec. 6, in Collinsville. 

The Cherokee Nation turned dirt Friday to begin construction on $4 million new duplexes for low-income Cherokee families that will replace ones built in 1969.

The Cherokee Nation celebrated the opening of its eighth food distribution center on Friday in Vinita. The 6,000-square-foot facility, built with the tribe’s Respond, Recover, Rebuild funds during COVID-19, will house several offices, a teaching kitchen and a grocery store component that will provide Native American families with healthy foods each month.

Two years ago, I called on the U.S. to finally fulfill a commitment made in that treaty by seating a Cherokee Nation delegate in Congress, and I nominated Kim Teehee for the role. Last month, the U.S. House of Representatives finally held a historic hearing on this matter.

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr., Deputy Chief Bryan Warner, and members of the Cherokee Nation Early Childhood Task Force met recently to discuss a number of major early childcare initiatives in response to the task force analyzing childcare needs within the reservation. 

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. will speak as a panelist Wednesday morning at the White House Tribal Nations Summit at the U.S. Department of the Interior in Washington, D.C.

The Cherokee Nation honored three veterans with the Medal of Patriotism during the November meeting of the Council of the Cherokee Nation.

Cherokee Nation Health Services was recently honored as the recipient of two national Indian Health Service awards, including the Pandemic Heroism Award for its COVID-19 Task Force and the Director’s Customer Service Award for the tribe’s efforts through the Pandemic Vaccine Task Force.

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. announced Thursday the tribe is earmarking $3 million to better protect Cherokee elders from fraud and elder abuse.

Cherokee Nation Foundation has further expanded its test prep offerings in an effort to best support Native students. CNF currently offers virtual workshops for the ACT, preliminary SAT, SAT and GRE.

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. is calling for the U.S. House of Representatives to live up to the United States’ commitment in the 1835 Treaty of New Echota and seat the Cherokee Nation’s delegate.

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. has issued a statement regarding today's congressional hearing on the efforts to seat Cherokee Nation Delegate to Congress Kim Teehee in the U.S House of Representatives.

The Council of the Cherokee Nation approved a proposal by Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. and Deputy Chief Bryan Warner Monday to create three new ‘patient experience’ positions to help citizens better navigate the tribe’s expansive health system.

At Cherokee Nation and across America, we recognize November as Diabetes Awareness Month. An estimated one in 10 Americans has diabetes. In Indian Country, the numbers are even higher, with more than one in six of the adult population affected. 

The Cherokee Nation’s seventh annual Cherokee Warrior Flight departs Thursday for Washington, D.C., with 14 veterans who served during World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War or Operation Enduring Freedom.

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. issues a statement regarding next week's congressional hearing on the efforts to seat Cherokee Nation Delegate to Congress Kim Teehee in the U.S House of Representatives

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr., Deputy Attorney General Chrissi Nimmo, Secretary of State Tina Glory Jordan and Delegate to Congress Kim Teehee listened to oral arguments in Brackeen v Haaland before the U.S. Supreme Court Wednesday.

The Cherokee Nation honored hundreds of Native-owned businesses during the tribe’s annual TERO Certified Indian Owned Business Awards Banquet Tuesday, Nov. 2 at the Chota Conference Center.

Cherokee Nation officials gathered with Adair County leaders to cut the ribbon Monday afternoon and celebrate the grand opening of the tribe’s new $2.5 million, 4,000-square-foot Stilwell Cherokee Nation Tag Office.

In close collaboration with Deputy Chief Bryan Warner, the Council of the Cherokee Nation and our Secretary of Natural Resources Chad Harsha, I have worked to be a responsible steward of Cherokee land, balancing acquisition, development and conservation.

The Cherokee Nation Foundation is accepting scholarship applications for the 2023-24 academic year. The deadline to apply is Jan. 31, 2023.

The Cherokee Nation is now accepting applications for its annual Elder Angel Project, which provides Christmas gifts to Cherokee elders.

Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. and Deputy Chief Bryan Warner this week unveiled architectural renderings for the Cherokee Nation’s planned Head Start facilities as part of Head Start Awareness Month in October.

For the Cherokee people and for people everywhere, true freedom is impossible without control over our own food supply. Tribal nations have long suffered the ill effects of being pushed out of our lands, denied our well-developed traditional strategies for food production, and forced to rely on outside sources for the food we consume.

Cherokee Nation officials gathered today to celebrate the groundbreaking of the new Cherokee Nation Park near Sallisaw, located on the Robert S. Kerr Reservoir.

Deputy Chief Bryan Warner and I have been working diligently on a long-term goal to ensure that all of our citizens, including those in our most rural communities in northeast Oklahoma, can still get the latest and greatest technology. 

Cherokee Nation Foundation is hosting an informative webinar for Cherokee students interested in pursuing a career in the medical field.

The Cherokee Nation is providing an eco-friendly boost to the Hulbert Cherokee Community Association through the installation of rooftop solar panels on the community organization’s building.

I encourage all Cherokees to vote, either by going to the polls on November 8 or by voting early or absentee. This election is one of the most important elections that we have faced as Native Americans in the state of Oklahoma. 

The Cherokee Nation has been awarded a $34 million federal grant through the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program, part of the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that has so far provided a total of more than $1.3 billion to tribal entities.

Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. officially signed into law the Cherokee Artist Recovery Act of 2022 Wednesday morning, setting aside $3 million through 2024 to address the adverse economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Cherokee artists.

Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. will sign the Artist Recovery Act of 2022 on Wednesday, October 12 at 11 a.m. under the Peace Pavilion in Tahlequah. 

Leaders of the five largest tribes in Oklahoma announced today they officially endorse State Superintendent of Public Instruction Joy Hofmeister as Oklahoma’s next Governor, citing her respect for tribal sovereignty and her commitment to work with the state’s nearly 40 federally recognized tribes for the betterment of all Oklahomans.

The Council approved a resolution calling on the Oklahoma Legislature to repeal House Bill 1775, which had the stated intent of prohibiting educational curriculum or activities that imply any individual should feel discomfort on account of his or her race or sex, among other provisions.

The Cherokee Nation will receive a $1.9M Tribal Opioid Response Grant to help address the opioid overdose epidemic and support Cherokees in recovery. The White House recently announced that $1.5 billion was awarded to support states, tribes, and territories’ efforts to address the opioid crisis and support individuals in recovery.

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. and Deputy Chief Bryan Warner gathered with members of the Council of the Cherokee Nation and tribal employees to officially sign into law the Cherokee Nation Family Protection and Violence Against Women Act Friday morning in Tahlequah.

The Cherokee Nation will kick off the 20th Anniversary Sovereignty Run hosted by the National Congress of American Indians and Bright Path Strong, beginning at the Cherokee Nation Reservation on Oct. 3, and eventually ending in Sacramento, California on Oct. 31. 

Cherokee Nation will host several events in the month of October, including an art market, two meetings for at-large citizens in California, and the grand opening of the Anna Mitchell Cultural & Welcome Center in Vinita.

Informed citizens are crucial for Cherokee democracy. The Cherokee Nation best serves the Cherokee people when we have open and transparent communication and when citizens can access truthful information about what their government is doing. Besides, Cherokees have an inherent right to monitor their tribal government.

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. joined dozens of national leaders today for the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health. The event hosted by President Joe Biden was the first of its kind in more than 50 years to bring government leaders, including tribal leaders, academics and activists together to achieve ending hunger and reducing diet-related diseases in the United States by 2030. 

The Cherokee Nation is once again partnering with the Cherokee Phoenix newspaper to provide a free, one-year subscription to Cherokee Nation citizens who opt into the program through the tribe’s online Gadugi Portal system.

The Cherokee Nation is now accepting applications for tutor positions at several Cherokee Nation Early Head Start and Head Start programs throughout the 14-county reservation. This program is in partnership and funded through AmeriCorps, the federal agency for national service and volunteerism. 

Native students preparing for national entrance exams just got a hand up with expanded college prep workshops offered by Cherokee Nation Foundation. The foundation is reaching even more students by offering its first Preliminary SAT workshop on Oct. 11.

This week, drawing some inspiration from the New Deal era Federal Art Project, Deputy Chief Warner and I proposed to the Council the Cherokee Artist Recovery Act (ARA). After three years that saw art galleries close, art classes postponed, art markets go virtual and the buying power of art patrons shrink, Cherokee artists deserve a boost.

Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. and Deputy Chief Bryan Warner are proposing the Cherokee Artist Recovery Act of 2022 to address the adverse economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Cherokee artists by purchasing their art and providing more opportunities for artists to teach others over the next two years.

Cherokee Nation and its business arm today announced plans to increase starting wages for most hourly employees working within the tribe and its businesses.

The Career Readiness Act legislation will infuse $10 million to start building a new Career Readiness Campus on Highway 62 in Tahlequah and help train thousands of Cherokees in career trade programs while expanding overall funding for the program.

The Cherokee Nation honored three veterans with the Medal of Patriotism during the September meeting of the Council of the Cherokee Nation. 

The Cherokee Family Protection and Violence Against Women Act will help protect families and the most vulnerable citizens – women, children and men – across the Cherokee Nation Reservation. It expands our criminal codes and provides more ways to help victims of domestic violence within the Cherokee Nation Reservation. It deepens our commitment to supporting victims of violence and protecting the mental, physical and spiritual well-being of our citizens.

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. and Deputy Chief Bryan Warner are proposing the Cherokee Nation Family Protection and Violence Against Women Act as part of their administration’s historic and ongoing efforts to protect Cherokee families by safeguarding their mental, physical and spiritual well-being.

The Cherokee Nation on Monday passed a $3.5 billion budget, the largest operating budget in the tribe’s history. The Council of the Cherokee Nation approved the Fiscal Year 2023 General Operating Budget of more than $2.98 billion and a capital investment budget of more than $569 million during Monday night’s Council meeting.

The largest, most comprehensive budget in the history of the Cherokee Nation will improve lives both for Cherokees and non-Cherokees across our 7,000-square-mile reservation in northeast Oklahoma. In the coming fiscal year, we will distribute more than $3.5 billion into more and better services for Cherokee citizens. This landmark budget includes significant increases to the programs that help Cherokee families become happier, healthier and stronger.

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. spoke to thousands of Cherokee citizens and guests from the heart of the tribe’s capital city Saturday morning for his fourth State of the Nation address, emphasizing the strength of the tribe and its more than 430,000 citizens who live on the Cherokee Nation Reservation and around the world.

Cherokee Nation leaders honored six tribal citizens and three Cherokee community organizations during the Cherokee National Holiday Awards Banquet Thursday night, part of the 70th annual Cherokee National Holiday.

In collaboration with Deputy Chief Bryan Warner and the Council of the Cherokee Nation, we recently launched a new family leave policy that provides paid time off to all full-time employees with Cherokee Nation and CNB for the birth of a child or an adoption through the tribe’s Indian Child Welfare Department.

The Cherokee Nation is partnering with Indian Health Service to bring more than $11.8 million in safe water infrastructure and sewage upgrades to 1,400 homes across the Cherokee Nation Reservation.

The honor marks the first time the Cherokee Nation tribal government has been recognized by Forbes as among Oklahoma’s most successful employers and best places to work in the state. The prestigious award was announced this week by Forbes and Statista Inc., and Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. celebrated the recognition Thursday with employees.

Cherokee Nation cut the ribbon Wednesday afternoon and celebrated the grand opening of a new Catoosa Tag Office. The tribe broke ground on the new facility located at 400 N. 161st E. Avenue in 2020. The new space is approximately 5,100 square feet, has a larger lobby than the previous facility, along with more parking and a total of 12 service windows, two of which are accessible for those with disabilities.

The Cherokee Nation honored three veterans with the Medal of Patriotism during the August meeting of the Council of the Cherokee Nation.

The Cherokee Nation is using a new and innovative method to replace a bridge near the W.W. Keeler Tribal Complex on Bald Hill Road that was damaged during catastrophic flooding in May.

The Cherokee Nation signed a $2 million loan agreement with the USDA on Tuesday as part of the USDA Heirs’ Property Relending Program. The USDA made the $2 million loan available to Cherokee Nation to relend to Cherokee citizens who are heirs to farmland and need help resolving ownership and succession issues.

Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. and Deputy Chief Bryan Warner today announced the creation of a new family leave policy providing all qualifying parents who work fulltime for Cherokee Nation with paid time off for the birth of a child or adoption through the tribe’s Indian Child Welfare department. 

Our tribal government is dedicated to supporting these grassroots efforts. Recently, at the CCO annual conference, Deputy Chief Bryan Warner and I announced a plan to expand our highly successful Community Impact grants. The $1.675 million infusion into the Community Impact grant program will further the important work these groups do day in and day out.

The Cherokee Nation Wildlife Conservation department is hosting its second annual controlled hunts this fall on preserve land in Sequoyah County. The controlled hunts are not subject to any residency requirement and applications are open to all Cherokee Nation citizens.

Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. and Speaker of the Council Mike Shambaugh encouraged Cherokee citizens to be engaged and to vote in the 2022 elections during the monthly Council of the Cherokee Nation meeting held Monday night.

The Cherokee Nation has provided more than 265 displaced workers with stable employment during the COVID-19 pandemic thanks to millions from a U.S. Department of Labor grant and new programs the tribe started to create more jobs.

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr., First Lady January Hoskin, Deputy Chief Bryan Warner, At-large Council of the Cherokee Nation members Julia Coates and Johnny Kidwell, and other special guests will hold a community gathering for Cherokee Nation citizens living in the metro Oklahoma City area on August 13.

The Cherokee Nation is temporarily reopening its Clothes for Kids assistance program to help thousands of Cherokee youth who missed the initial deadline or whose citizenship application was processed after the initial deadline.

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. and Deputy Chief Bryan Warner are proposing the construction of a new “Career Readiness” campus in Tahlequah, part of an expansion of the historic Career Readiness Act signed in 2019.

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. and Deputy Chief Bryan Warner this week announced a new $1.675 million Community Impact Grant program for the tribe’s nearly 70 affiliated non-profit organizations across the reservation and across the United States.

Native students preparing for the national ACT exam can now register for a free virtual workshop hosted by Cherokee Nation Foundation. The Aug. 27 workshop is hosted in partnership with Testing With Success for Native students in grades 9-12, with preference given to Cherokee Nation citizens.

The Speaker Services program is under Cherokee Nation’s Language Department and now has dedicated staff-- four crews with workers that also speak Cherokee--that go out daily helping with everyday basic needs from installing wheel-chair ramps, new roofs to accessing hearing aids and medical devices.

The purchase of a new mobile MRI unit for Cherokee Nation W.W. Hastings Hospital is part of an overall investment in diagnostic imaging totaling more than $6 million across the tribe’s Health Services system.

The million-dollar “Relief for Cherokee Ranchers” program will serve up to 2,000 ranchers.

 The new office is located at 109 N. Casaver in downtown Wagoner near the county courthouse.

Applications accepted thru 5 p.m. Friday, Aug. 12.

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. and Deputy Chief Bryan Warner announced a $1 million relief program to help Cherokee ranchers.The “Relief for Cherokee Ranchers” program will support Cherokee Ranchers in the Cherokee Nation Reservation with the hay shortage during the current irregular drought.

Bunch, of the Peavine community in Adair County, has worked more than 40 years in education, formerly serving as Watts Public School and Zion Public School Superintendent, among other roles.

Cherokee Nation will host several events in the month of August, including traditional games demonstrations, a stickball tournament, and three meetings for at-large citizens.

To help make sure Cherokee families can stay in their homes, the Housing Authority of the Cherokee Nation is expanding the tribe’s Homeowner Assistance Fund (HAF) program.

Action calls for full review of employee privacy laws, flags “a right to know” when personal information is requested.

The Cherokee Nation currently has about 11,800 citizens of Freedmen descent enrolled in the tribe. A 2017 federal court ruling in Cherokee Nation V. Nash, determined Freedmen citizens have full rights as Cherokee citizens based on the Treaty of 1866.

The Homeowner Assistance Fund will be available to eligible mortgage holders while funds last, which is estimated to be through 2026.

The Cherokee Nation is hosting a series of seven construction recruitment events between July and September to help connect Native and non-Native businesses and contractors to an unprecedented number of tribal building projects ongoing across the 14-county reservation.

Oklahoma is quickly emerging as one of the most desirable states for filmmaking. We are proud to stand at the forefront of this emerging industry through the efforts of the Cherokee Nation Film Office.

Cherokee Nation celebrated Charles L. Head Day on Thursday with its annual honoring ceremony in Tahlequah. The event honors the life and legacy of Charles L. Head, the late Cherokee Nation Secretary of State and founder of the tribe’s innovative ONE FIRE Victim Services Department. 

The Cherokee Nation honored three veterans, including two brothers, with the Medal of Patriotism during the July meeting of the Council of the Cherokee Nation. 

On Friday, Cherokee Nation began distributing its first batch of what will total more than $14 million to utility companies on behalf of 9,600 low-income Cherokee households through a one-time emergency assistance program.

Dwight Birdwell is an American hero and Cherokee Nation patriot. I deeply respect the man for his service to our tribal nation and to our country. 

The Cherokee Nation has named Debra Proctor as Senior Director of the tribe’s innovative ONE FIRE Victim Services department, which has helped support and protect approximately 2,000 victims of domestic violence since its inception.

The Council of the Cherokee Nation confirmed Derrick Vann as the new registrar of the Cherokee Nation during its monthly council meeting on Monday.

The Council of the Cherokee Nation approved Monday paying off a $170 million note that helped build the Cherokee Nation Outpatient Health Center a year ahead of its due date.

The Cherokee Nation announced it has now expanded its $150 clothing assistance program to include young college and career tech students to help assist with economic barriers.

My hope is that as we go about our daily lives as Cherokee Nation citizens, mindful that we disagree from time to time, we reflect on the wisdom of our ancestors.

The Cherokee Nation is providing $150 in clothing assistance for every qualifying Cherokee child regardless of age, residency or income, with applications accepted now through 5 pm. on July 29. This marks the first time the program has been available to children under the age of 5 and not enrolled in school.

Cherokee Nation citizen Dwight Birdwell, 74, is the first Native American to receive the Medal of Honor for his heroic service during the Vietnam War after President Joe Biden awarded him the military’s highest recognition Tuesday at the White House.

The United States Supreme Court’s disconcerting decision in Oklahoma v. Castro-Huerta will go down in history as a ruling against legal precedent and the basic principles of federal Indian law.

With today’s decision, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against legal precedent and the basic principles of congressional authority and Indian law. 

The Cherokee Nation celebrated the completion of a $30 million expansion to the Wilma P. Mankiller Health Center in Stilwell Monday.

The Cherokee Nation will dedicate an expansion project that will add 80,000 square feet of new space to the Wilma P. Mankiller Health Center in Stilwell on Monday, June 20, 2022. Cherokee Nation poured approximately $30 million into the project.

The great Cherokee Nation Chief Wilma Mankiller is remembered for being a defender, mentor, mother and leader. She demonstrated grit and determination, fought for justice for Native Americans, and inspired us to do more to help ourselves as a people. She made the world better, fairer and more just. 

Cherokee Nation is contributing $1 million to help the city of Nowata provide its community with cleaner, safer drinking water by helping fund a new Water System Improvements Plan.

The agreement enables Cherokee Nation to plan and oversee our own road construction and transit projects.

The Cherokee Nation is hosting a series of in-person sign-up events across the tribe’s reservation this month to help eligible Cherokee citizens apply for the expanded low-income Emergency Utility Assistance Program. The deadline to apply for the program is June 30, 2022.

The Cherokee Nation welcomed its first visit from U.S. Deputy Secretary of Transportation Polly Trottenberg, the nation’s second highest ranking transportation official, on Tuesday.

The Cherokee Nation is expanding its low-income Emergency Utility Assistance Program, and extending the deadline to apply to June 30, 2022.

The Cherokee people demand transparency. The days of corrupt dark money in Cherokee politics are over.

Our sovereignty is in the crosshairs, but Cherokee voters can take a stand in the upcoming Oklahoma primary elections.

Offering free, virtual ACT workshops, CNF has expanded its reach nationwide and is having a direct and proven impact on Native students’ scores.

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. officially signed Monday a law to reform the tribe’s election code which included strong provisions to prevent dark money from coming into tribal elections.

The tribe’s annual contribution helps support volunteer fire departments, which otherwise rely on fundraisers, membership dues and the help of their communities’ residents to maintain their vital operations.

“Man Enough to be a Girl Scout.” That is the call to action, which I proudly support, for the Girl Scouts of Eastern Oklahoma’s annual campaign encouraging men of our community to uplift young women in all areas that make Girl Scouts great, including STEM, life skills, outdoors experiences and entrepreneurship.

Cherokee Nation at-large Councilor Johnny Jack Kidwell was inducted into the U.S. Coast Guard Officer Candidate School’s Wall of Gallantry in May. Kidwell served for two decades in the U.S. Coast Guard and was honored with a place on the wall for his courage and sacrifices.

Foster care as we know it has been around since the early 1900s, but Cherokee people have provided a version of “foster care” for much longer. Historically, Cherokee children were raised in a community setting, with every person in a child’s life taking on a specific role to ensure that they grew into a well-rounded Cherokee.

Cherokee Nation is also providing a one-time COVID-19 impact payment of $1,000 to the tribe’s more than 80 current foster families.

It is disheartening to see a candidate who seeks to represent Oklahoma echoing shameful anti-tribal rhetoric that is altogether based on fearmongering and half-truths. 

The Cherokee Nation is opening applications for emergency utility assistance starting Friday, May 6.

At Cherokee Nation we are committed to creating a safe, caring and supportive workplace. As the employer of choice in the region, we know that safeguarding the mental, physical and spiritual well-being of our staff is important for the entire community.

Sequoyah High School has named Conlie Smith and Chenoa Turtle as co-valedictorians and Kelsey Morgan as salutatorian for the graduating class of 2022.

The Cherokee Nation has hired a criminal investigator who solely works Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons cases.

The Cherokee people’s connection to the land and nature has always been central to our way of life. Both to honor our past and to carry on our Cherokee identity long into the future, we must ensure the newest generations have access to traditional plants and know how to use them.

The Cherokee Nation held its first at-large community gatherings since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, meeting with hundreds of Cherokee citizens in Northern California during visits to Bakersfield, Fresno and Napa April 22-24.

Today’s Supreme Court arguments reaffirmed what tribes have said all along: the state of Oklahoma has neither the facts nor the law on its side. 

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr., spoke before the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues Monday, advocating for the preservation of Indigenous languages including Cherokee and other languages across the globe.

Cherokee Nation celebrated the installation of more than a dozen new native bee and butterfly houses during visits to the Cherokee Immersion School and the Bonnie Kirk Cherokee speakers village in Tahlequah Tuesday evening.

For almost two years, our tribal government made the hard choice to suspend official in-person gatherings with Cherokee communities. Now that vaccines are widely available and infections have dropped dramatically, the time is right to bring these back. 

The Cherokee Nation is contributing funds to the Griffin Promise Autism Clinic and recently announced a partnership with the Pervasive Parenting Center in an effort to launch the Cherokee Nation Autism Initiative.

The Cherokee Nation announced Wednesday the tribe is dedicating nearly 1,000 acres of land inside the reservation to protect culturally significant plants, and also signed a separate agreement with the National Park Service to allow Cherokee citizens to gather plants within the Buffalo National River Park in Arkansas for traditional use.

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. and Deputy Principal Chief Bryan Warner will sign Wednesday a first of its kind agreement with the National Park Service to allow Cherokee citizens to gather culturally significant plants within the Buffalo National River Park in Arkansas for traditional use. 

Cherokee Nation Public Health is offering a return to in-person racing for members of the Wings Fitness Program after altering its 2020 and 2021 race schedules to be completed virtually because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

We support local school districts because Cherokee Nation’s long-term success depends on the next generation of Cherokee children and all children living on our reservation.

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. and Deputy Chief Bryan Warner officially enacted a revised “Public Health and Wellness Fund Act” during a signing ceremony Thursday at the Cherokee Nation Outpatient Health Center in Tahlequah.

Six cyclists from Cherokee Nation will participate in the 2022 Remember the Removal Bike Ride this June, retracing an estimated 950 miles along the northern route of the Trail of Tears by bicycle. This marks the first year for the team to be comprised entirely of Cherokee women.

The Cherokee Nation has distributed more than $628 million in the form of $2,000 individual COVID assistance payments since last summer to help Cherokee citizens recover from the pandemic. 

Today in Cherokee Nation we provide everything from early childhood education to college and university scholarships. Deputy Principal Chief Bryan Warner and I are proud that we are able to help more Cherokees than ever on their educational journey.

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. and Deputy Chief Bryan Warner announced Thursday a proposed plan to use the tribe’s initial opioid settlement funds to start constructing drug treatment centers for tribal citizens, as well as increase overall funding for wellness programs.

Native students preparing for the national ACT exam can now register for a free virtual workshop hosted by Cherokee Nation Foundation.

The Cherokee Nation is contributing $7.5 million to 107 school districts as part of the tribe’s annual Public School Appreciation Day initiative. This year’s disbursement is the largest since the tribe began its annual contributions in 2002.

Today, the Cherokee Nation – alongside the Chickasaw Nation, Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, Muscogee Nation and Seminole Nation of Oklahoma – filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court ahead of oral arguments in Oklahoma v. Castro-Huerta.

Cherokee Nation is investing a total of more than $12 million to add new patient services or expand existing services and space at four tribal health centers located across the tribe’s 14-county reservation area.

Cherokee Nation is accepting applications for the Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer for Children program, which helps families buy meals during the summer.

Too many Cherokees suffer with health conditions that could be exponentially improved with easier access to exercise, healthy food and support for their mental well-being. Within our tribal health system at Cherokee Nation, we know it is much healthier and less expensive to address these issues before they become a medical emergency.

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. officially signed legislation Thursday afternoon investing a historic $120 million into funding for expansion of affordable housing options, low-income home repairs and other related housing needs for hundreds of Cherokee families across the tribe’s reservation.

Cherokee Nation Foundation announced today it is awarding more than $400,000 in scholarships to Cherokee students for the 2022-23 academic year.

Cherokee Nation is partnering with MidAmerica Industrial Park after donating land for the tribe to build and operate a $16 Million childcare center in Mayes County.

Cherokee Nation leaders joined members of the Kenwood community Friday afternoon to break ground at the site of the future Cherokee Nation Woody Hair Community Center.

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. announced this week he has named Jennifer Kirby as the Executive Director of Human Services.

Under the Housing, Jobs and Sustainable Communities Act, we invested $30 million in revenue from the tribe’s business arm, primarily to help elders and Cherokees with disabilities with home repairs or, in some cases, brand-new replacement homes.

The Cherokee Nation has administered more than 270,000 COVID-19 tests and implemented several public health safety measures in the past two years as this week marks the two-year anniversary of the tribe’s first positive COVID-19 case within its tribal health care system. 

An issue that I passionately believe in is that every Cherokee woman should feel safe in her community and in her home. That’s why I was so proud this week to attend the formal announcement of the reauthorized and expanded Violence Against Women Act.

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. and Deputy Chief Bryan Warner are proposing a historic $120 million in funding to expand affordable housing options and offer low-income home repairs and other related housing needs for Cherokee citizens across the reservation.

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. issued the following statement Wednesday before attending a White House ceremony to witness President Joe Biden sign legislation that reauthorizes and expands the landmark Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).

The Council of the Cherokee Nation on Monday approved a proposal by Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. to expand Cherokee Nation Health Services’ hearing aid program to Cherokee Nation citizens who live anywhere in the United States.

 A year ago today, a ruling from the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals (OCCA) recognized that the U.S. Supreme Court’s McGirt decision applied to the Cherokee Nation, thereby affirming that the Cherokee Reservation was never disestablished.

March is Social Worker Appreciation Month, and I want to thank our Cherokee Nation staff who fulfill this crucial social work mission.

Working in tandem with the Council of the Cherokee Nation, Deputy Chief Bryan Warner and I are prioritizing the water quality needs of Cherokees across the reservation. 

Cherokee Nation celebrates the 150th anniversary of the opening and legacy of Sequoyah Schools this week.

The Cherokee Nation is asking citizens who live within the tribe’s 14-county reservation to participate in a water quality study as part of the Wilma P. Mankiller and Charlie Soap Water Act signed by Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. in 2021.

Cherokee Nation employees can now contribute to college scholarships through the Cherokee Nation Foundation by choosing to withhold specified amounts from their paycheck.

Cherokee Nation has been reviewing all of the bills filed for this session and preparing to advance good ideas for our tribe and for Oklahoma.

For the 20th straight year, Cherokee Nation has been awarded the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting by the Government Finance Officers Association.

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. issued the following response to Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt's 2022 State of the State address.

Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. today officially signed new legislation investing more than $54 million into the Cherokee Nation’s Emergency Medical Services to help lower response times, reduce staff strains and improve training for community partners throughout the tribal reservation.

Charges were filed in Cherokee Nation District Court against Nikolas John Bird, 19, and Ethan Lee Hardin, 18, both of Tahlequah.

For the second time in less than two years, the Supreme Court spoke clearly: The United States must keep its treaty promise to Cherokee Nation. Now, let us move forward.

The Cherokee Nation celebrates the Supreme Court’s rejection of a blatantly political request to overturn its McGirt decision.

Cherokee families deserve emergency responders who can always bring rapid care in a crisis. That’s why Deputy Chief Bryan Warner and I have proposed more than $54 million in funding to enhance Cherokee Nation’s Emergency Medical Services and upgrade our fleet of ambulances.

Leaders of the Inter-Tribal Council of the Five Tribes met for their quarterly meeting Jan. 14 via videoconference.

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. signed an executive order today to re-establish the tribe’s task force on domestic violence, following up on similar action he took last year.

The Cherokee Nation’s Catoosa Tag Office is temporarily relocating to the former JW Sam Elementary School building, 701 W. Rollins St., and will reopen to tribal citizens at that new location starting Wednesday, January 19.

The Cherokee Nation held a dedication ceremony Wednesday to celebrate the newly refurbished Attucks School Building in Vinita, and give the historical property new life as the future home of the Boys and Girls Club.

Bunch, of Adair County, has served as acting Chief of Staff since November and has been instrumental in the tribe’s efforts to combat the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic while safely ensuring critical services are available for Cherokee citizens.

The Cherokee Nation Veterans Color Guard has reorganized as a non-profit organization to continue honoring veterans and presenting the national colors during tribal events and ceremonies. The Cherokee Nation Veterans Color Guard has operated on a separate, non-governmental not-for-profit basis at the tribe since 1996. It relies on volunteer military veterans to present colors at official Cherokee Nation events and serve at veteran funerals across the Cherokee Nation Reservation.

The Housing Authority of the Cherokee Nation is accepting applications for the College Housing Assistance Program until Jan. 14.

Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. and Deputy Chief Bryan Warner are proposing over $54 million in funds to support the Cherokee Nation’s Emergency Medical Services. 

Cherokee Nation leaders joined Craig County officials to cut the ribbon on the completed reconstruction of NS4340 Road in White Oak on Jan. 5.

Native students preparing for the national ACT exam can now register for a free virtual workshop hosted by Cherokee Nation Foundation.

Cherokee Nation citizens will soon have better access to world-class health care. I recently signed legislation that will invest $440 million into major health care capital improvements. This commitment will ensure our people get the kind of quality health care they deserve for many years ahead.

aidThe Cherokee Nation will offer GED classes to anyone wishing to continue their education by participating in the tribe's Adult Education program at Bell School in the Bell community of Adair County. 

Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. was recently elected Chair of the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Tribal Advisory Council.

Cherokee Nation will rely on its existing law to regulate hunting and fishing activities among Cherokee citizens within the tribe’s reservation area in Northeast Oklahoma

Cherokee Nation was not the only tribal government with a compact like this. A similar deal with the Choctaw Nation generated another $6 million. Those funds supported the responsible management of fish and wildlife for all Oklahomans to enjoy. That was until Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt abruptly decided to abandon the agreements. 

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. signed legislation today that will invest a total of $440 million into health care capital improvement projects.

Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt has said he will not renew standing hunting and fishing compacts with tribal governments after they expire this year.

The Cherokee Nation honored eight standout Native-owned businesses with special recognition for their outstanding performances with the tribe’s annual TERO Certified Indian Owned Business Awards on Monday, December 6, at the Cherokee Nation W.W. Keeler Tribal Complex.

Cherokee Nation officials joined leaders from the town of Fort Gibson and Muskogee County Commissioner for district 1 to cut the ribbon on the East Benge road improvement project on Monday, December 6.

The Cherokee Nation is partnering with the Cherokee Phoenix newspaper to provide a free, one-year subscription to Cherokee citizens to help connect them with important public health information and details about the tribe’s ongoing COVID-19 response and recovery efforts.

In continued efforts to keep Cherokee families and students safe, the Cherokee Nation held a COVID-19 and flu vaccination clinic at Sequoyah High School on Friday, December 3. 

First Lady of the United States Dr. Jill Biden and U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland visited the Cherokee Nation’s Cherokee Immersion School in Tahlequah on Friday to experience first-hand how the tribe is successfully making historic investments in preserving and perpetuating the Cherokee language.

The Cherokee Nation recently donated a total of nearly $47,000 to two area Court Appointed Special Advocates organizations.

 To minimize the risk and spread of COVID-19 during the holiday season, Cherokee Nation Public Health is recommending Cherokee citizens follow health and safety guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Cherokee Nation is welcoming a new principal and assistant principal to Sequoyah High School. Ramona Ketcher has been named Sequoyah High School principal and Justin Brown has been named assistant principal.

The Cherokee Nation Foundation is accepting scholarship applications for the 2022-23 academic year. The deadline to apply is Jan. 31, 2022.

A workforce that is fairly compensated and treated with respect is a workforce that can deliver for the Cherokee people. 

The Cherokee Nation has now signed agreements with 13 city municipalities to donate traffic citation fines the tribe receives back to support those cities in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court McGirt decision.

Cherokee Nation Marshal Shannon Buhl was sworn in to begin his third term as the tribe’s head law enforcement officer Tuesday afternoon following a vote of confirmation by the Council of the Cherokee Nation Monday evening.

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. on Monday participated in the White House Tribal Nations Summit, encouraging the United States government to support new educational opportunities for Native students and to make key investments that help tribes save and perpetuate their sacred languages.

Cherokee Nation will launch a comprehensive study of its government workforce pay and target a gradual minimum wage increase to $15 per hour by 2025, Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin, Jr. and Deputy Chief Bryan Warner announced today.

Cherokee Nation received high honors for its innovative ONE FIRE Victim Services office that helps support and protect victims of domestic violence.

We recognize those who have fought battles, those who have served, and those who sacrificed for our collective freedoms.

Native students preparing for the national ACT exam in December can now register for a free virtual workshop hosted by Cherokee Nation Foundation.

The Cherokee Nation Wildlife Conservation Program hosted its first controlled deer hunts beginning in October on the tribe’s preserve land in Sequoyah County. 

The Cherokee Nation is now offering the Pfizer Pediatric COVID-19 vaccine to children ages 5-11 at all its tribal health center locations. 

 The Cherokee Nation on Oct. 29 finalized its acquisition of the Greasy School campus in southern Adair County. Cherokee Nation will repurpose the site into the tribe’s second Cherokee language immersion school starting with the 2022-2023 school year.

Today, the Cherokee Nation filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court on the state of Oklahoma’s efforts to reverse last year’s McGirt v. Oklahoma decision. 

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and it is an excellent time to reinforce our tribe’s commitment to combatting domestic violence and helping survivors in ways that are sensitive, timely and, most of all, effective.

Cherokee Nation Chief of Staff Todd Enlow will leave his cabinet position for an opportunity in the private sector, but will remain as a part-time special advisor to Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin, Jr., the tribe announced on Thursday.

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. implemented a new policy this week that strengthens the tribe’s response and support of domestic violence, including launching a new task force.

Dr. Douglas Nolan has been named Associate Dean of Tribal Health Affairs for the Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine at Cherokee Nation medical school campus in Tahlequah.

Members of the 2021-22 Cherokee Nation Tribal Youth Council were sworn into office during a virtual inauguration ceremony on Monday, October 25.

The Cherokee Nation Angel Project is now accepting applications online and in-person at scheduled drive-thru locations throughout the reservation until Nov. 5. 

My administration is committed to helping all Cherokees reach their full potential, including my making the largest investment in career training programs in Cherokee history.

The Cherokee Nation is investing an additional $29 million in the next three years to help Cherokee citizens negatively impacted by the COVID-19 receive vocational training in skilled trades such as health care, construction, child care, information technology and more.

The Cherokee Nation on Tuesday unveiled plans to invest more than $10 million in an Adair County health and wellness facility near the Wilma P. Mankiller Health Center in Stilwell, marking the first major project to begin construction under the tribe’s Public Health and Wellness Fund Act signed by Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. earlier this year.

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. on Tuesday signed into law the Verna D. Thompson Early Childhood Education Act during a visit to the tribe’s Head Start facility in Jay. 

Members of the Inter-Tribal Council of the Five Civilized Tribes unanimously passed a resolution commending “the diligent work of our law enforcement and criminal justice professionals.”

Cherokee Nation is now offering several flu vaccinations to prepare for the upcoming flu season and is open to all citizens of federally recognized tribes, as well as the public.

Our mission as tribal government leaders is always to protect our sovereignty and advance issues critical to our people.

The Cherokee Nation is providing an eco-friendly boost to the Washington County Cherokee Association through the installation of rooftop solar panels on the community organization’s building, which is expected to lower their yearly utility bill costs by nearly half. 

The honor was presented at a recognition dinner, Monday, October 4, during the IEDC Annual Conference, which was held October 3-6, in Nashville.

With the case against the distributors resolved, we can begin the healing process for our tribe and our citizens. This settlement will enable Cherokee Nation to increase investments in substance use disorder, mental health treatment and other programs to help our people recover.

The Cherokee Nation on Tuesday enrolled its 400,000th tribal citizen and continues to process a historic record number of citizenship applications.

The Cherokee Nation announced today a settlement of its ongoing opioid diversion claims case against McKesson, AmerisourceBergen Drug Corporation, and Cardinal Health.

The Cherokee Nation Registration Office is extending its closure of in-person services through October and will reopen to the public on November 1 to allow staff to continue to focus on clearing a backlog of thousands of pending citizenship applications.

The cornerstone of our democracy is the right to vote. However, for most of our country’s history, Native Americans were denied that right.

The Housing Authority of the Cherokee Nation continues to offer the Emergency Rental Assistance Program in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, with eligibility extending for the first time to Cherokee citizens living in certain areas outside Oklahoma, including in parts of Arkansas and Kansas.

The Cherokee Nation is providing an eco-friendly boost to the Spavinaw Youth & Neighborhood Center through the installation of rooftop solar panels on the neighborhood center’s building, which are expected to lower utility costs by as much as 80 percent.

The Housing Authority of the Cherokee Nation is ramping up a $22.5 million total investment to repair or build replacement homes that will improve the lives of Cherokee elders and support a wave of job growth throughout the Cherokee Nation Reservation.

Our collective future is being written today by the investments we make in our youngest children. That’s why I am excited about Cherokee Nation’s aggressive new plan to help our youngest learners and their caregivers.

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. announced the “Verna D. Thompson Early Childhood Education Act”

The Cherokee Nation on Monday passed a nearly $3 billion budget—the largest operating budget in the tribe’s history.

To grow the economy across the Cherokee Nation Reservation, we must be forward thinking, collaborative and willing to work across borders.

Cherokee Nation officials joined leaders from the city of Tahlequah to cut the ribbon on the Bliss Avenue road improvement project on Friday, August 30.

Cherokee Nation Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Executive Director Michael Lynn has been reappointed to the Oklahoma Department of Transportation Tribal Advisory Board by Oklahoma House of Representatives Speaker Charles A. McCall.

Chief Hoskin gave his annual State of the Nation Address Saturday as part of the 69th Cherokee National Holiday.

The Cherokee Nation recently installed rooftop solar panels on the Rogers County Cherokee Association community building to save on its utility costs by 90 percent.

One of the most important principles of federal Indian law is the trust responsibility that the U.S. government has toward tribal nations. 

Cherokee Nation observed Tuesday as International Overdose Awareness Day and continues to focus on medication assisted treatment and overdose prevention.

The Council of the Cherokee Nation recently elected its new officers including Councilor Mike Shambaugh of District 9 as the new Council Speaker.

The Cherokee Nation’s Registration Office is extending its closed in-person services another month and will reopen to the public on October 4.

Deputy Chief Warner will be recognized during NSU’s 2021 homecoming celebrations this fall along with Dr. James Williams, a 1977 NSU graduate who was selected by the board as this year’s Distinguished Alumnus.

Aerospace and aviation continue to help propel the Oklahoma economy, and Cherokee Nation plays a key role in this business sector.

Taylor will transition into her new role as Treasurer with the new 2022 fiscal year.

In recognition of National Aviation Day on Aug. 19, Cherokee Nation and Spartan College hosted an official signing of the agreement in Tahlequah. 

The Cherokee Nation is supporting public school districts in the tribe’s Reservation by donating thousands of Cherokee-made masks to districts that implement schoolwide mask mandates to help reduce the spread of the deadly COVID-19 Delta variant.

The Cherokee Nation is following recommendations from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to administer an additional dose of the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines to fully vaccinated patients who are moderately to severely immunocompromised.

As Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation, I am strongly encouraging all school systems on our reservation and across the state to follow the best practices to protect students, teachers, staff, visitors and members of their households.

Nine Cherokee Nation Tribal Councilors were sworn into office Saturday as they pledged to preserve, protect and defend the Cherokee Nation Constitution during their four-year terms.

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. named former Council Speaker Joe Byrd as the tribe’s first Special Envoy for International Affairs and Language Preservation at a ceremony in Tahlequah.

Cherokee Nation Deputy Chief Bryan Warner has been elected Chair of the Centers for Disease Control Tribal Advisory Committee, a national advisory committee giving tribes input on health issues to the CDC as well as the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.

The Cherokee Nation Tribal Youth Council was established in 1989 as a youth leadership development program that focuses on educating our young leaders about the Cherokee Nation government structure, history, language and culture. 

I'm excited about a joint project between the Cherokee Nation and the U.S. Department of Defense to build 21 new single-family homes specifically for veterans in our capital city of Tahlequah.

Cherokee Nation cancelations include the Holiday weekend’s annual inter-tribal powwow, softball tournament, golf tournament, stickball exhibition, traditional games, car show, and downtown artisan markets.

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. spoke Wednesday during a White House virtual meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden, governors, mayors, and other state leaders for a discussion on the importance of the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. 

The inaugural controlled deer hunts will be designed for a limited number of Cherokee Nation elders, veterans, youth, and at-large Cherokee citizens who reside outside the state of Oklahoma.

Chief Hoskin announced the appointment of Taylor to the Council of the Cherokee Nation in his state of the Nation address on Monday evening.

The Cherokee Nation’s Registration Office is closing its in-person assistance as of Monday, August 9, through the month of August and will reopen on September 1.

Across the world and in our own backyard, we are witnessing a dramatic surge in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.

The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs on Wednesday passed the Durbin Feeling Native American Language Act of 2021, a bipartisan bill named in honor of the late Cherokee linguist Durbin Feeling.

Cherokee Nation Health Services is seeing a surge in COVID-19 hospitalizations, with 90 percent of new COVID cases occurring among unvaccinated patients. 

Native students preparing for the ACT and SAT national exams can now register for a free virtual workshop offered by Cherokee Nation Foundation.

Cherokee Nation Treasurer Tralynna Scott will leave her cabinet position to become Cherokee Nation Businesses’ chief economist, the tribe announced on Tuesday.

The second class of 53 student doctors to be accepted into the Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine at Cherokee Nation received their white coats during a small ceremony in Tahlequah on July 30.

Cherokee Nation, state, federal and military leaders gathered this week to tour the construction site where 21 new homes are being built for Cherokee veterans through the U.S. Department of Defense Innovative Readiness Training Program.

One of my first actions as Principal Chief was to sign the Career Readiness Act, doubling our investment in workforce development and training.

Cherokee Nation leaders joined city administrators from Fort Gibson and Muskogee County to cut the ribbon on the nearly $40,000 Wiley Street renovation project on July 28.

Cherokee Nation recently provided $250,000 to the Vian Community Foundation in Sequoyah County to help the organization install electricity, an HVAC system and plumbing to the community building.

Four newcomers were elected to the Council of the Cherokee Nation during a run-off election Saturday, according to unofficial totals from the Cherokee Nation Election Commission. 

In August the Cherokee Nation bids farewell to five members of our legislative branch and welcomes new elected members. 

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. and Deputy Chief Bryan Warner welcomed Secretary Becerra, CMS Administrator Brooks-LaSure and IHS Director Fowler at the tribe’s new Outpatient Health Center in Tahlequah.

The Cherokee Nation is providing $150 in clothing assistance for every qualifying Cherokee student regardless of residency or income, with applications accepted beginning Tuesday, July 20.

The Cherokee Nation is providing an eco-friendly boost to the Neighborhood Association of Chewey in Adair County through the installation of rooftop solar panels on the community building, which are expected to lower utility costs by as much as 90 percent.

Cherokee Nation Health Services began administering the vaccine in December 2020 and has given more than 65,200 vaccines through the Cherokee Nation health care system.

Deputy Chief Bryan Warner and I joined these federal leaders, as well as other tribal, health care and nonprofit leaders, for an engaging discussion of Oklahoma’s recent expansion of Medicaid and our shared efforts to improve the health of Cherokees and all Oklahomans.

The Council of the Cherokee Nation approved a resolution Monday adopting the Kansas Intersection Safety Improvement Project for work at the intersection of U.S. Highway 412A, Highway 59 and State Highway 10 in the town of Kansas, Delaware County. 

On the one-year anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in McGirt v. Oklahoma, the Cherokee Nation celebrates this historic victory and is announcing its path forward to protect sovereignty and enforce its justice system in the wake of the decision.

We are extremely proud that she is to be forever honored by the American Women Quarters Program, alongside dignitaries like poet Maya Angelou, astronaut Sally Ride, suffrage leader Adelina Otero-Warren and actress Anna May Wong. 

We are extremely proud that she is to be forever honored by the American Women Quarters Program, alongside dignitaries like poet Maya Angelou, astronaut Sally Ride, suffrage leader Adelina Otero-Warren and actress Anna May Wong. 

Under the agreement, Vian will be able to retain fees and fines associated with Cherokee Nation traffic and misdemeanor offenses in the form of a donation, in recognition and exchange for the policing and administrative functions provided by the municipality.

The Cherokee Nation is the first tribe in the country to participate in the U.S. Department of Transportation Self Governance Program, meaning the tribe has autonomy to plan and finance road improvement and transit projects within the reservation.

Cherokee Nation announced today the acquisition of Dwight Mission in Sequoyah County.

The three federally recognized Cherokee tribes passed resolutions Friday to celebrate the 200-year anniversary of the Cherokee Syllabary, oppose non-Indian groups posing as Cherokee tribes, and address the crisis of Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women.

The new law helps to protect those who have become victims of credible threats of violence regardless of whether they have been involved in a relationship with or had a family connection to the person responsible for making the threats.

The Housing Authority of the Cherokee Nation has created the Emergency Rental Assistance Program in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and renter households in need of assistance may submit their application online.

The Cherokee Nation Attorney General’s office added five new charges of false personation against a Tahlequah woman initially charged last month in tribal court with one count of election fraud and one count of false personation.

The Cherokee Nation will host a series of community drive-through events focused on helping Cherokee elders register on the Gadugi Portal and apply for the tribe’s $2,000 COVID-19 assistance payment.

Cherokee Nation Attorney General Sara Hill announced today that the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians dismissed its appeal in a case it filed, UKB v Barteaux, putting the legal challenge to rest.

The Cherokee Nation has filed its 1000th case in Cherokee Nation District Court since the Supreme Court McGirt ruling and subsequent Hogner decision found that its reservation had never been disestablished, and that the state of Oklahoma had been improperly prosecuting cases outside of its jurisdiction for over a century.

Four Tribal Council incumbents were re-elected, with one newcomer elected, while four other Tribal Council district races are heading to run offs next month, according to unofficial results from Saturday’s Cherokee Nation General Election.

This past week marked 100 years since the Tulsa Race Massacre. On May 31, 1921, an armed mob attacked the Greenwood District of Tulsa, which was known as “Black Wall Street” because it was a renowned center of black entrepreneurs and business professionals.

The act allocates funding directly to Indian Country. Cherokee Nation has so far received more than $1.8 billion in recovery funding.

Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. signed legislation Thursday that will provide a $2,000 lump sum COVID relief individual assistance payment to all 392,832 Cherokee Nation citizens.

The Cherokee Nation’s Motor Vehicle tags year-to-date sales has increased by 14 percent compared to March 2020, according to the tax commission administrator.

The Cherokee Nation held a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the tribe’s Vinita Health Center recently to celebrate the renovation and reallocation of 2,400 square feet of space that is providing additional exam rooms for the health center’s growth.

Chief Hoskin also announced future plans to build walking trails at tribal facilities for employees and citizens to improve their physical and mental health.

The Cherokee Nation is receiving $1.8 billion in COVID-19 recovery funds as part of an historic investment in Indian Country through President Biden’s American Rescue Plan Act.

The Cherokee Nation is now offering the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to children ages 12-15 at all health center locations.

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. hopes to increase the number of vaccinated tribal government employees by rewarding those vaccinated with a $300 incentive.

The Council of the Cherokee Nation unanimously approved Monday a resolution authorizing the tribe to sign agreements with city municipalities within the Cherokee Nation Reservation to donate revenue from traffic and misdemeanor citations of ticketed Natives back to those municipalities.

As Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation, I feel strongly the duty to our Cherokee ancestors who sacrificed so much for the rights we have today.

Sequoyah High School’s commencement ceremony for the class of 2021 seniors will take place at Gable Field at Northeastern State University on May 14, at 6:30 p.m., using social-distancing recommendations and guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The tribe’s annual contribution helps support volunteer fire departments, which otherwise rely on fundraisers, membership dues and the help of their community’s residents to maintain their vital operations.

The donations were made to the Adair County Sheriff’s Office, the Stilwell Police Department, the Watts Police Department, and the Westville Police Department.

Making sure young Cherokees grow up safe, healthy and connected to their family, history and culture is a job for our whole tribe. 

Cherokee Nation Foundation announced today it is moving its highly sought-after Cherokee College Prep Institute to a virtual format for 2021.

We are committing the resources to make the repairs and improvements necessary to have water systems serving our people for generations to come.

Members of the 2020-2021 Cherokee Nation Tribal Youth Council were sworn into office by Cherokee Nation Chief Justice Lee W. Paden during a virtual inauguration ceremony earlier this month.

Cherokee Nation leaders joined county commissioners from Muskogee and Cherokee Counties to cut the ribbon on a $6.3 million road and bridge project near Fort Gibson on Friday, April 23.

Cherokee Nation officials celebrated Earth Week with a visit to the Mid County Community Organization in Adair County on April 22, where new rooftop solar panels were installed as part of Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr.’s $30 million Housing, Jobs and Sustainable Communities Act passed by the Council of the Cherokee Nation in 2019.

The Cherokee Nation received two native bee houses from The Bee Conservancy organization this week through the organization’s Sponsor-A-Hive program. 

The Cherokee Nation is offering a follow-up COVID-19 vaccine drive-through distribution Saturday, April 24 at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa from noon to 4 p.m. 

The Cherokee Nation Foundation announced today scholarship recipients for the 2020-21 academic school year. The nonprofit organization is awarding nearly $228,000 to 20 high school graduates and 69 current university students.

The Cherokee Nation on Monday unveiled its first public, rural eco-friendly electric buses to transport employees and tribal citizens to work and tribal health centers, and its first electric school bus, which is the first of its kind in the state of Oklahoma.

Members of the Council of the Cherokee Nation were presented with the first Cherokee-made personal protective equipment from a test run at the Stilwell PPE manufacturing facility during the Council’s monthly meeting Monday, April 12.

This week we commemorate Earth Day. Cherokee Nation has always led by example in protecting the land, water and air that define our natural environment.

Cherokee Nation leaders gathered with community members in Bell on Wednesday to celebrate the official signing of the Wilma P. Mankiller and Charlie Soap Water Act, new legislation proposed by Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. and unanimously approved by the Council of the Cherokee Nation.

Cherokee Nation is hosting a drive-through COVID-19 vaccination event open to the public at the Cherokee Casino & Hotel Roland starting at 10 a.m. on Saturday, April 17.

Cherokee Nation Foundation is offering a free virtual ACT Boot Camp on Saturday, May 22, for Native American students preparing for the national exam. 

Cherokee Nation has now administered more than 50,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines as the tribe continues to find new ways to reach the public, including with mass vaccination events.

The Cherokee Nation has received a clean audit opinion from an independent Certified Public Accounting firm for the tribe’s fiscal year 2020 financial statements, including the annual comprehensive budget and Cherokee Nation’s Respond, Recover and Rebuild COVID-19 relief initiatives through Sept. 30, 2020, which marked the end of FY2020.

 The Cherokee Nation presented more than $6.3 million to 107 school districts during the tribe’s annual Public School Appreciation Day held in a virtual format Wednesday. This year’s disbursement is the largest since the tribe began its annual contributions in 2002.

The Cherokee Nation and Oklahoma Air National Guard broke ground Monday at the future site of 21 new homes for eligible Cherokee veterans and their families.

Protecting women and children has always been a core value for the Cherokee people. With the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), we will be able to do even more to ensure families are safe.

Cherokee Nation will host a public drive-through COVID-19 vaccine event at the Cherokee Casino & Hotel West Siloam Springs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 10.

Cherokee Nation leaders joined Sequoyah County Water Association representatives on March 26 to celebrate the completion of the Sequoyah County Water Treatment Plant, which will provide fresh, cleaner and safer drinking water to about 5,300 residents and businesses.

ven before COVID-19, far too many Cherokees and others in our communities struggled with addiction. The increased stress and anxiety of the past year tragically has made that struggle harder for many. 

Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. is proposing new legislation that would inject at least $2 million in additional funding each year into the Cherokee Nation’s efforts at eliminating barriers to clean water access in the reservation for Cherokee citizens.

Cherokee Nation is hosting a public drive-through COVID-19 vaccine event at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday, March 27. 

The Cherokee Nation held a candlelight memorial at the tribe's W.W. Keeler Tribal Complex in Tahlequah on Thursday, March 18, in memory of Cherokee citizens lost to COVID-19. 

Cherokee Connect, the tribe’s universal connectivity initiative, is focused on serving as a broadband resource and deploying connectivity that fills the gap for Cherokee households currently lacking internet access.

March 18, 2020, was the day COVID-19 forever changed the Cherokee Nation and Oklahoma. It was the day we lost the first Oklahoman – a Cherokee Nation citizen, Merle Dry – to this deadly pandemic. 

 The Cherokee Nation is making it even easier for the public to access the COVID-19 vaccine at tribal health centers throughout the 14-county reservation by improving the registration process, reducing paperwork requirements and broadening vaccine distribution to all those in and outside the reservation.

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. signed into law significant new legislation today that will earmark an estimated $9 million to $12 million per year to provide Cherokee citizens with access to substance abuse treatment centers and wellness centers.

Councilors on Monday appointed Nathan Barnard as a District Judge of the Cherokee Nation.

The Rogers State University Language Concurrent Scholarship is designed to give high school juniors and seniors an opportunity to learn the Cherokee language online while obtaining college credit with no out-of-pocket costs.

Cherokee Nation’s most iconic and historic documents and artifacts are moving to a new, temporary home. The Cherokee National Research Center is scheduled to open later this summer at the Cherokee Springs Plaza in Tahlequah.

The Cherokee Nation continues working to ensure criminal justice is served following today’s Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals (OCCA) ruling, which dismissed criminal charges in the Hogner case and will likely lead to the dismissal of hundreds of other state criminal cases in the Cherokee Nation Reservation. 

The Cherokee Nation is now accepting applications for its Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer for Children program, which is designed to ensure students have access to nutritious meals during the summer months.

The Cherokee Nation has gone through its three-phase vaccine distribution plan and is now helping the surrounding community by opening the distribution of vaccines to the public living within the Cherokee Nation reservation.

Upgrades to water and sewer infrastructure in Cherokee communities are a critical part of keeping our most vulnerable citizens healthy in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis. 

Cherokee Nation officials joined Rural Communities Initiative Foundation leaders to cut the ribbon on the new Sallie Byrd Sevenstar Community Building in Sequoyah County on Wednesday, Feb. 24.

Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. signed into law the “Cherokee Nation Park, Wildlands, Fishing and Hunting Preserve Act of 2021” on Monday, March 1, during a visit to the tribe’s beautiful new 4,000-plus-acre preserve in Sequoyah County.

The Cherokee Nation is now including all household members of Cherokee Nation citizens and households of any federally recognized tribal citizen into their COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan.

The Cherokee Nation has now moved into phase three of their COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan.

Upgrades to water and sewer infrastructure in Cherokee communities are a critical part of keeping our most vulnerable citizens healthy in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis. 

The Cherokee Nation invested $1.3 million to make essential upgrades and repairs to water and sewer lines serving more than 18,000 people in 10 counties throughout the tribe’s reservation.

The Cherokee Nation is launching an online assessment program and investing $4 million to help Cherokee homeowners living in the reservation repair plumbing problems caused by the February 2021 winter storm event.

Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. and Deputy Chief Bryan Warner are proposing new legislation that would provide Cherokee citizens with access to substance abuse treatment centers, wellness centers and fitness centers by setting aside a portion of third-party revenues collected by Cherokee Nation Health Services each year.

The Cherokee Nation Supreme Court ruled today in a unanimous decision that the language “by blood” is void, and should be removed from Cherokee Nation’s tribal laws, including provisions within the Cherokee Nation Constitution, according to the opinion.

Cherokee Nation Health Services will be rescheduling all COVID-19 vaccinations and other health center appointments previously scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 17.

For Cherokee citizens of Freedmen descent, the fight continues beyond their legal victories in 2017.

Cherokee Nation Health Services will be rescheduling all COVID-19 vaccinations and other health center appointments previously scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 16.

Cherokee Nation Health Services will be rescheduling all COVID-19 vaccinations and other health center appointments previously scheduled for Monday, Feb. 15.

The Cherokee Nation is launching its “We Heart our Cherokee Health Heroes” Appreciation week after Valentine’s Day to applaud the brave efforts of the nearly 2,600 tribal health employees and their work this past year to combat COVID-19.

The dream of moving into a new home is now a reality for several Cherokee elders who recently received their keys to new efficiency homes newly constructed in Hulbert.

To recognize the tremendous service and dedication of our health care workers, Cherokee Nation and Cherokee Nation Businesses are collaborating for a “We Heart Our Cherokee Health Heroes” celebration from Feb. 15 to 19.

Phase 2B priority includes people in congregate settings, all teachers who are Cherokee Nation citizens, all first responders who are Cherokee Nation citizens, and patients with underlying health conditions, and who are eligible to receive care within Cherokee Nation Health Services. 

The Cherokee Nation had to move quickly to get these investments to our communities, but we also want to ensure maximum transparency and accountability to the Cherokee people. That’s why the Cherokee Nation Treasurer recently released the COVID-19 Respond, Recover, Rebuild Spending Report. 

The Gadugi Portal, a centralized database aimed to better connect Cherokee Nation citizens with tribal services, is now live for citizens to manage or update essential information, such as a name change or new mailing address.

Cherokee Nation Foundation is offering a free virtual ACT Boot Camp on Saturday, March 27, for Native American students preparing for the national exam.

The Cherokee Nation this week administered its 10,000th dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to Cherokee citizens falling within the tribe’s Phase 1 and Phase 2A priority distribution plan, including frontline health care workers, first-language Cherokee speakers, and Cherokee elders.

The Cherokee Nation Treasurer released the tribe’s COVID-19 Respond, Recover, Rebuild Spending Report on Thursday, showing the number of ways the tribe has served citizens through job and food security, economic relief, health care, housing and connectivity during the pandemic.

Cherokee Nation honors longtime champion of education Amon Baker, of Tahlequah, with the title of board member emeritus for his nearly 40 years of service to Sequoyah High School.

Cherokee Nation and the other Native Nations in Oklahoma have been crucial partners during these hard times, whether by adopting strong public health policies, distributing PPE and vaccines, or sharing emergency economic relief.

The Cherokee Nation reopens its COVID-19 Emergency Assistance program on Monday, January 25 to help qualified Cherokee citizens economically affected by COVID-19.

President Joe Biden nominates Congresswoman Deb Haaland to serve as Secretary of the Interior.

Tribal leaders discussed their response and recovery efforts amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and provided updates on other tribal activities. Leaders also passed a series of resolutions, including one supporting the confirmation of U.S. Rep. Deb Haaland (D-NM) as Secretary of the Interior.

The Cherokee Nation is now scheduling COVID-19 vaccinations for Cherokee Nation teachers and child care workers, food distribution program employees and other critical infrastructure staff, as well as tribal citizens 55 and older.

The historic partnership between Oklahoma State University and the Cherokee Nation celebrated another milestone with the official ribbon cutting ceremony at the OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine at the Cherokee Nation on Friday, Jan. 15.

The final steel beam of the Wilma P. Mankiller Health Center expansion project was hoisted into place Friday, Jan. 15, completing the facility’s two-story steel frame in Stilwell.

Love of the great outdoors is deeply engrained in Cherokee culture. As in many Cherokee families, I have lifelong memories of camping, hiking in the woods and enjoying time on the lake. These experiences help shape our ideals of preserving public lands.

The Cherokee Nation announced today the tribe’s first hunting and fishing reserve areas dedicated to Cherokee citizens for controlled hunts to open later this year.

Two hundred years ago, the brilliant statesman and inventor Sequoyah presented the Cherokee syllabary to the Cherokee Nation. This year we are honoring the bicentennial of Sequoyah’s historic achievement that brought widespread literacy to our tribe.

The Cherokee Nation is now scheduling COVID-19 vaccinations for elders ages 65 and older who are eligible to receive care within Cherokee Nation Health Services.

This week Cherokee Nation Health Services activated its COVID-19 surge plan for W.W. Hastings Hospital.

In Cherokee Nation and across the world, we have struggled with the deadly COVID-19 virus for most of 2020. We have made sacrifices and suffered terrible losses, but we see a ray of hope. New vaccines arriving in Cherokee Nation offer freedom from the threat of this terrible virus.

The Cherokee Nation is updating its criminal code and proposing to immediately repurpose $10 million from its general budget to make necessary upgrades in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court McGirt ruling.

Cherokee Nation citizens in Oklahoma will receive their 2021 hunting and fishing licenses after the tribe’s Hunting and Fishing Compact with the State of Oklahoma has been extended.

The Cherokee Nation is set to receive its first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine directly from the Indian Health Service (IHS) starting next week.

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. and Deputy Chief Bryan Warner today announced the tribe is securing a multi-use site in Rogers County, which will house both a virtual production soundstage and warehouse for food and PPE storage and distribution.

To streamline personal information management for Cherokee Nation citizens, we recently launched the new “Gadugi Portal,” where Cherokees can manage or update their essential information with the tribe, including things like a new mailing address, name change, date of birth or veteran status.

The Cherokee Warriors Database, a centralized portal to identify thousands of Cherokee veterans across the globe, is now live for tribal citizens who have served or are serving in the Armed Forces to register.

Cherokee citizen and Housing Authority of the Cherokee Nation Executive Director Gary Cooper is embracing a new role with the Office of Native American Programs at the U.S. Housing and Urban Development in Washington, D.C.

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we work, get an education, get health care, buy groceries, apply for assistance, search for jobs and more. 

Cherokee Nation recently launched a new connectivity survey and a $3 million program to provide connectivity to Cherokee households lacking Internet access to assist in overcoming some of the virtual challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

It is long overdue for the state of Oklahoma to enact a statewide mask mandate. The Centers for Disease Control recommends it, the White House Coronavirus Task Force recommends it, and the Oklahoma State Medical Association recommends it. 

Cherokee Nation Health Services has been awarded a $4.1 million Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics for Underserved Populations grant through the Native American Research Centers for Health and the National Institutes of Health to assist with COVID-19 testing and contact tracing efforts.

Cherokee Nation recently contributed funds to the Oologah Senior Citizens Center to cook and deliver a Thanksgiving meal for up to 80 senior citizens so they can stay in this holiday and protect against the spread of COVID-19.

I live on reservation land, where I am governed by the Cherokee Nation and federal laws. I also live in the state of Oklahoma, where I am proud of our tribe’s successful partnership with the state government over decades.

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. announced on Saturday a new plan that will explore the history of Cherokee Freedmen. 

The Cherokee Nation’s rapid testing efforts at Sequoyah High School are protecting students and staff from person-to-person exposure of COVID-19 by quickly pinpointing cases and limiting the spread of the virus as intended.

The Cherokee Nation is hosting events in the month November that are socially-distanced, including drive-through flu clinics and drive-through COVID-19 testing.

The Cherokee Nation Foundation is accepting scholarship applications for the 2021-22 academic year. The deadline to apply is Jan. 31, 2021.

Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. on Friday announced support for the Durbin Feeling Native American Language Act of 2020, a bipartisan bill proposed by Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) on the 30th anniversary of the Native American Language Act, which was signed by President George H.W. Bush on Oct. 30, 1990.

As part of the $9 million program, Cherokee Nation will provide a $300 stipend to tribal citizens with disabilities living on the Cherokee Nation reservation in northeast Oklahoma. 

Cherokee Nation received 6,000 rapid test kits from the Indian Health Service to enhance how the tribe tests for COVID-19 within its school system and among its most vulnerable citizens.

The Cherokee Nation recently announced a $9 million Disability Assistance Program to help disabled Cherokees with food, supplies or other expenses in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The deadline to apply is Friday, Nov. 6.

Cherokee Nation officials recently joined community leaders of Native American Fellowship Inc. in South Coffeyville and Tri-Community Association in Briggs to celebrate the installation of rooftop solar panels to their community buildings to help lower utility costs as well as provide an eco-friendly energy source.

The coronavirus pandemic has put many people — Native women especially — in peril from domestic violence, as more and more people are forced to stay home, escalating this unprecedented problem across the United States. 

Cherokee Nation Health Services has been selected as a host site for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Public Health Association Program to assist with the COVID-19 response. 

Registration is now open for Cherokee Nation Foundation’s fall ACT Prep Course. The 12-week course will be presented virtually to Native American students in their junior or senior year of high school, with preference given to Cherokee Nation citizens.

The Council of the Cherokee Nation approved this week renaming the current Belfonte-Nicut Community Center after Cherokee Nation citizen and fluent Cherokee speaker Sallie Byrd Sevenstar, who passed away on August 24.

Cherokee Nation recently announced plans for a new One Fire Victim Services office in Tahlequah and a new transitional housing center in Stilwell to better help victims of domestic violence with larger, new facility space and added resources to begin rebuilding their lives.

The coronavirus pandemic has put many people — Native women especially — in peril from domestic violence, as more and more people are forced to stay home, escalating this unprecedented problem across the United States. 

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. and Deputy Chief Bryan Warner announced Friday the tribe will build a meat processing facility in Tahlequah.

The Commission for the Protection of Cherokee Nation Sovereignty established by the Principal Chief after the U.S. Supreme Court McGirt ruling, has issued its first recommendations on expanding the tribe’s courts, attorneys and marshal service.

A fundamental principle of our Cherokee culture is that we should consider the impact of what we do today on the next seven generations of future Cherokees. We are answering this sacred responsibility by investing in strong communities and a clean and healthy environment.

Cherokee Nation is offering free flu vaccinations through the month of December to prepare for the upcoming flu season.

Cherokee Nation officials broke ground Wednesday, Sept. 30, on a new, larger tag office in Catoosa that will better accommodate Cherokee citizens purchasing license plates.

Passed unanimously by the Council of the Cherokee Nation, the Cherokee Heritage Center Act of 2020 transfers ownership of the site’s 44 acres, buildings, equipment, assets, collections and historical documents from the nonprofit Cherokee National Historical Society to the Cherokee Nation. It is an exciting new chapter for the tribe to assume ownership and stewardship.

Cherokee Nation will break ground Wednesday on a new tag office in Catoosa.

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr., Deputy Chief Bryan Warner and members of the Council of the Cherokee Nation met Sept. 24 to officially sign the Cherokee Heritage Center Act of 2020.

Cherokee Nation is committed to ensuring that all voting age Cherokees are registered to vote. 

Cherokee Nation and City of Stilwell officials dedicated a new three-lane access road in Stilwell on Monday during a ribbon cutting ceremony for Wingfield Crossing.

The Cherokee Nation’s reservation boundaries are now mapped on Google Maps.

Cherokee Nation Foundation is offering a free virtual ACT Boot Camp on Friday, Oct. 16, for Native American students preparing for the national exam in December.

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. and Deputy Chief Bryan Warner announced Thursday that Cherokee Nation government employees will receive up to a 3 percent increase to their base salary in October and will also receive a holiday bonus.

Cherokee Nation recently donated nearly $9,000 to mental health and substance abuse support programs as well as food pantry services in Rogers County.

The Cherokee Nation has distributed more than 13,000 ready-made meals to keep Cherokee elders fed after many senior nutrition sites temporarily closed to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

The COVID-19 pandemic threatens Cherokee Nation like it does the rest of the world, but we are responding in ways that make our Nation stronger.

Cherokee Nation leaders broke ground Tuesday on $25 million worth of Respond, Recover and Rebuild projects that range from PPE manufacturing and space for social distancing, to food outreach sites and a new employee health care facility.

The Cherokee Nation is constructing eight new, 4,000-square-feet buildings and conducting four remodels as part of the tribe’s COVID-19 Respond, Recover and Rebuild plan. Cherokee Nation leaders will break ground on nine of the sites Tuesday.

The Cherokee Nation was met with both “difficulties and triumphs” over the past year, with huge investments being made in language preservation, career readiness and elder housing, holding governments accountable for their promises, and emerging with a response plan to COVID-19 that is among the best in the country, Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. says in his upcoming State of the Nation Address.

Cherokee Nation citizen Shawna Baker, of Tulsa, was sworn into office as the Cherokee Nation’s newest Supreme Court Justice at the W.W. Keeler Tribal Complex in Tahlequah Thursday, Aug. 27.

Today, the Council of the Cherokee Nation approved a historic $1.52 billion budget for Fiscal Year 2021 and passed legislation designed to address the opportunities and challenges created by the United States Supreme Court’s recent decision in McGirt v. Oklahoma. 

We’re committing over $45 million to not only avoid budget cuts in Cherokee Nation’s elder programs, but to greatly expand what we can do for our elders for the rest of the calendar year to ensure our most vulnerable citizens’ needs are met.

The Cherokee Nation recently received a nearly $300,000 grant from the Federal Transit Administration for five new transit vehicles that will replace older vans and expand services in Tahlequah and Stilwell.

The Cherokee Nation is working to improve access to quality, affordable broadband for its citizens throughout the reservation boundaries with a new grant and with leadership advocating for Indian Country on a number of federal broadband advisory boards.

Our Nation is strong because, for generations, we have looked towards the horizon and prepared as one people to meet the challenges ahead.

August 14, 2020 marked one year of service for Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. and his administration. Under the leadership of Principal Chief Hoskin Jr. and Cherokee Nation Deputy Principal Chief Bryan Warner, the largest tribal nation in the United States continues to prevail and prosper even through unprecedented times.

Cherokee Nation recently contributed $195,000 to eight Boys & Girls Club programs throughout Northeast Oklahoma.

In its recent ruling in McGirt v. Oklahoma, the United States Supreme Court affirmed what Native Americans in Oklahoma have always known and maintained: Our land is, and always has been, ours.

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. has established a new commission to make funding and resource recommendations and examine other related areas in the wake of the historic United States Supreme Court McGirt decision.

Cherokee Nation and Cherokee Nation Health Services have created a voucher program to help more Cherokee citizens purchase new eyeglasses regardless of their age, income or health diagnosis.

Cherokee Nation Foundation is partnering with Duke University to offer a free college admissions workshop on Saturday, Aug. 15.

Recently the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma affirmed what Oklahoma tribal nations have known from the beginning – on January 1, 2020, our gaming compacts with the state of Oklahoma automatically renewed for another 15 years.

The Cherokee Nation has launched an online portal for qualifying Cherokee elders age 62 and older to apply for COVID-19 relief assistance.

The Cherokee Nation is encouraging Cherokee citizens and the community to use an abundance of caution and continue to take safety practices as the number of positive COVID-19 cases recorded in the tribe’s health care system has increased by more than 200 percent from June 27 to July 27.

The first class of 54 student doctors to be accepted into the new Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine at Cherokee Nation received their “white coats” on Friday during a small virtual ceremony in Tahlequah that was live streamed.

Students at Sequoyah High School will return to school this fall under a plan that will include an all-virtual option as well as limit in-person instruction to no more than 25 percent of students in the building at any one time to protect against the spread of COVID-19.

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. issued the following statement today on the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma ruling in favor of the Cherokee, Chickasaw and Choctaw Nations and intervening tribes, that the gaming compacts with the state renewed on Jan. 1 for another 15-year term.

The Housing Authority of the Cherokee Nation will accept College Housing Assistance Program applications for the fall 2020 semester July 27 through August 7.

At Cherokee Nation, we are putting the federal CARES Act dollars to work for our citizens and our communities. To that end, we have committed more than $7 million to our Career Services Department.

The leaders of the Cherokee, Chickasaw and Choctaw Nations have been, and continue to be, committed to discussing the parameters of the historic Supreme Court decision in the McGirt case. 

Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. announced today the Cherokee Nation is dedicating more than $7 million in funding to increase career training and employment opportunities for Cherokees seeking relief through COVID-19.

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. and Attorney General Sara Hill address the recent agreement in principle following the U.S. Supreme Court's McGirt decision.

Leaders of the Inter-Tribal Council of the Five Civilized Tribes met for their quarterly meeting July 10, for the first time via videoconference as a precaution due to COVID-19.

The Muscogee (Creek), Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw and Seminole Nations announced today an agreement-in-principle to formalize the positions they share with the State of Oklahoma regarding future legislation following the Supreme Court ruling in McGirt v. Oklahoma.

Without a doubt, the COVID-19 pandemic has put strains on Cherokee families, the economy in northeast Oklahoma and our local public schools. 

The Cherokee Nation is rolling out a $40 million education initiative, part of which will help Cherokee students with clothing and technology needs.

I agree with Justice Gorsuch’s opinion today that the United States government should be held to its treaty obligations, and its word. 

We are committed to providing the housing, health care, education and other essential services that our people expect from a responsible, caring government. 

Cherokee Nation officials joined leaders from the city of Tahlequah and Cherokee County to cut the ribbon on a road improvement project on Tuesday, June 30.

The global pandemic has heightened uncertainty and anxiety across the world. That is certainly the case here in northeast Oklahoma.

 The Cherokee Nation is contributing nearly half a million dollars total to 136 rural Oklahoma fire departments. The contributions help to support volunteer fire departments, which otherwise rely on fundraisers, membership dues and the help of good Samaritans to maintain their vital operations.

The Cherokee Nation is adding surface testing to its list of safety protocols across its tribal government office locations. This new testing capability can detect the presence of COVID-19 in both the air and on surfaces to better protect employees and visitors inside.

On June 30, the state will hold elections to decide many state and federal primaries, as well as voting on State Question 802 to make sure that Oklahomans are able to get health care.

The Cherokee Nation is providing firefighters throughout the tribe’s 14-county area with care packages containing face masks, gloves and hand sanitizer to help keep them safe amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Recently, I oversaw the removal of two monuments from the historic Cherokee Nation Capitol Square in Tahlequah. The monuments failed to reflect the Cherokee Nation’s values of freedom and inclusion, and they run contrary to the idea that Cherokees Nation should have control of telling its own story.

More than anything, the events of the last two weeks have reminded us that the United States still has much work to do on the issue of justice for minorities in this country.

The Cherokee Nation recently welcomed new leadership to its Education Services department and Sequoyah High School. 

At Cherokee Nation, we remain deeply invested in ensuring good education for Cherokees and all children living in our 14-county jurisdiction. 

The Cherokee Nation announced a $332 million spending plan Thursday to use the tribe’s first portion of an $8 billion set aside in CARES Act funding from the US Treasury earmarked to help tribal governments recover from the impact of COVID-19.

On June 30, voters will make a big decision about the future of health care in Oklahoma. State Question 802 would have a $27 million economic impact on Cherokee Nation Health Services.

Construction on the Cherokee Nation’s eight new efficiency homes in Hulbert was recently completed, and the Housing Authority of the Cherokee Nation continues to take applications for future tenants.

May is Foster Care Awareness Month, an opportunity to thank all Cherokee foster parents for the selfless time and love they give for our Cherokee children. 

Beginning June 1, Cherokee Nation will begin a phased reopening of government offices, as well as Cherokee Nation Businesses.

The Cherokee Nation will reopen its government offices in a phased plan that incorporates social distancing and has employees returning on staggered shifts starting June 1.

After much debate, media scrutiny and a national lawsuit, the U.S. Treasury Department is finally distributing CARES Act coronavirus relief funds to tribal governments, but it is far from payment in full, as promised.

The Council of the Cherokee Nation on Monday passed a resolution that allows Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. to expedite emergency contracts that will secure more protective equipment and supplies for tribal health care workers and food security for Cherokee elders in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

We are proud to be supplying personal protection equipment to emergency personnel, medical professionals and first responders across northeast Oklahoma.

The Cherokee Nation Foundation announced it is awarding nearly $245,000 to 33 high school graduates and 71 current university students.

The Cherokee Nation is receiving additional food supplies to help feed 5,000 more Cherokee elders thanks to a program provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The Cherokees Nation is providing first responders and emergency personnel in northeast Oklahoma with a supply of personal protection masks to keep them safe as they continue the fight against COVID-19 in their communities.