Cherokee Nation Attorney General Todd Hembree recently responded to statements made by United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians Chief George Wickliffe. Both tribes are based in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. Hembree addressed Wickliffe’s assertion that by filing an injunction to prevent the UKB from having land taken into federal trust, Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Bill John Baker broke promises made to UKB.
Hembree said as attorney general, he was the one who made the decision to oppose the UKB land being taken into trust. “The decision to defend our sovereignty and jurisdiction was made based upon the facts, the law and what is best for the Cherokee people,” Hembree said.
He noted when the UKB casino closed last year, putting dozens of UKB citizens out of work, “Chief Baker immediately offered jobs to any displaced Cherokee employee with no strings attached. Chief Baker also notified our departments to find ways to help Cherokee citizens in need of assistance because of these events.”
Hembree said the Cherokee Nation and the UKB have been involved in litigation for more than 30 years. ” It is my hope, as well as that of Chief Baker, that the Cherokee Nation and the UKB can come together to resolve all issues in a way that preserves the sovereignty and dignity of both nations. The Cherokee Nation continues to have a standing invitation to any UKB leader to sit together and negotiate a resolution that can best serve all Cherokees without costly litigation,” Hembree said.
In Shawnee, the Citizen Potawatomi Nation is a true rags-to-riches story. In the early 1970s the tribe had less than $600 in the bank and its trust land had significantly diminished. But Chairman John “Rocky” Barrett, who first was elected in 1971, had a vision for the CPN. He pursued advantages given to Indian tribes as sovereign nations. When Indian gaming first was allowed in 1987 following a Supreme Court ruling, Barrett led the CPN to develop Grand Casino Hotel Resort and FireLake Casino, both in Shawnee.
The tribe also owns the 84,000 square foot FireLake Discount Foods, the largest tribally owned grocery store in the United States, as well as First National Bank and Trust Company, entertainment venues, retail shops, convenience stores, golf courses, museums and hotels.
