TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – 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.

“I don’t think we can say it enough. No matter where they live, Cherokees will have an opportunity to vote in a state or federal election this year,” Chief Hoskin said. “Here in Oklahoma, we have runoff elections Aug. 23. These races are so important – they impact the Cherokee Nation, they impact our citizens, they impact our future. We have a number of candidates out there who support tribal sovereignty, but we have a number of candidates who are unfortunately still looking at tribal sovereignty as some kind of problem to be solved, looking at McGirt as some kind of a threat to be eliminated, or feeling that our reservation ought to be wiped away. They might get away with it if we don’t get out and vote.”

Cherokee citizens can visit www.cherokeevote.com to find detailed information on tribal, state and federal election information, including links for voter registration and more.

“There are some very important elections coming up on the 23rd of August, with runoff elections,” Speaker Shambaugh said. “Be sure and tell everybody to vote. There have been attacks against our sovereignty, and we need to support those who understand Indian law and support our sovereignty. There are several candidates who do that.”

In other business, the Council of the Cherokee Nation approved a resolution authorizing the tribe’s application to the Federal Highway Administration for Tribal Transportation Program bridge funding for two repair or replacement projects in Adair County and one project in Sequoyah County.

The next meeting of the Council of the Cherokee Nation is tentatively scheduled for Monday, Sept. 12 at 6 p.m. at the W.W. Keeler Tribal Complex in Tahlequah.