Copyright © 1999 NLThomas
All Rights Reserved

Cherokee Press Association
Copyright © 1999 CPA
All Rights Reserved

Chad Smith, a candidate for Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation, today introduced Hastings Shade, an award-wining Cherokee traditionalist, author, and educator with more than 28 years experience in serving the Cherokee people as his running mate for Principal Deputy Chief.

Shade 57, a Lost City community member, is widely recognized for his work in cultural preservation. Shade was designated a "Living Treasure" in 1991 by Principal Chief Wilma P. Mankiller and the Cherokee Nation for his knowledge and skill in Cherokee language and culture. During the past two years, Mr. Shade has worked with other volunteers to establish and run Youth-Elder camp in which elders spend a weekend camping with children and teaching Cherokee practices, skills, language, music and sports.

Hastings Shade is a full-blood, bilingual Cherokee who has authored several books of historic Cherokee stories and lore, taught Cherokee, and lectured on Cherokee culture to more than 36,000 youth. Shade, has years of experience in tribal community development and administration of housing programs during his past employment with the Cherokee Nation and the Cherokee Nation Housing Authority. He resigned his position as Cherokee language teacher at the Sequoyah High School on January 1, 1999 to run full time for Deputy Chief.

Smith said that he is very excited about the team because it has depth, dedication and a reputation for community service. "Hastings is a highly respected elder who is well known throughout Cherokee Nation for his thoughtful and kind efforts on behalf of others. He has the native diplomacy necessary to make the Council productive" said Smith. "Together, I am confident that we can create a culture of caring within the Cherokee Nation and among its peoples. "

"Hastings Shade will bring back traditional civility and restore common respect and courtesy for our Council." said Smith. His sense of fairness, professionalism and real-life learning experiences will serve the Cherokee people well as president of the Council.

"We are not professional politicians." Shade noted. " We will make no empty promises. We will be beholden to no one. Our team is about experience that money can't buy. It is about traditional values teamed with 21st century know how. It is about serving our fellow Cherokee and doing what is right for the greater good."

Loretta Shade, his wife of 36 years, is also a teacher and has worked to preserve tribal culture in a number of rural Oklahoma schools. She notes that Hastings has tremendous support from both full blood and mixed blood Cherokees.

Shade and Smith share a dedication to preservation of Cherokee culture. Smith has taught Indian law at Dartmouth and authored a complete legal history of the Cherokee Nation among many other culturally based work projects.

"My biggest concerns for the Cherokee Nation are better health care, care for our aging parents, quality education for our children, and solid self-sufficiency ." Smith said. "We will make tribal operations more efficient and include our communities in the tribal decisions. We all deserve a tribal government that functions first and foremost for our people. It must be a comfortable place in which tribal members and tribal employees may conduct their business. Shade's long-term goal is to teach our Cherokee youth how to become excellent teachers in their lifetimes for their children and their children's children. He feels he will have the opportunity to share his knowledge and experience with educators throughout the Cherokee Nation and Oklahoma on behalf of Indian students as the Principal Deputy Chief of the Cherokee Nation."

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For Further Information Contact:

Elect Chad Smith and Hastings Shade in 1999 http://www.chadsmith.com/election.html

**Chad Smith
Phone/FAX: 918-458-4307
Phone: 918-446-4601
(Pager: 918-621-2218)
Email: Chadsmit@ionet.net

**Hastings Shade
Phone: 918-772-2266
Pager: 918-453-6129
Email: Lshade@intellex.com

**Volunteer Office:
Phone: 918-431-1030

**Campaign Office Media
Phone: 918-458-9322
Email Naitca@fullnet.net

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