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TAHLEQUAH, OKLAHOMA - The Cherokee Nation recently received notification they had qualified for an award for their excellent accounting practices. The Government Financial Officers Association notified the Cherokee Nation that they met the criteria to earn the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting. This is the second year in a row that the Cherokee Nation has earned this award.

"I believe this is just more evidence of the hard work that the Tribal council and the Principal Chief have put into restoring financial integrity to the Cherokee Nation," said Callie Catcher, controller for the Cherokee Nation.

The Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting (CAFR Program) was established in 1945 by the Government Financial Officers Association to recognize and encourage excellence in financial reporting by state and local governments. Every year there are more than 3000 government annual reports submitted to the program’s review committee. They are then reviewed and checked to see if all the criteria have been met to qualify for this award. The criteria they are judged on are local significance and value, technical significance, transferability, documentation, the cost benefit analysis, efficiency, originality, and durability.

"Our finance and accounting staff put a lot of work into assuring that we would qualify for this award again," Catcher said. "I am very proud of their accomplishment."

The Oklahoma representative for the Government Financial Officers Association will present the award to the Cherokee Nation in approximately eight weeks.

Related contact information:

Mike Miller, Cherokee Nation Director of Communications Phone: 918-456-0671 (ext.2210) Fax: 918-458-5580 E-mail: Communications@cherokee.org Larry Daugherty, Advertising Manager Cherokee Nation - Public Affairs Phone 918-456-0671 (Ex.2324) E-mail: ldaugherty@cherokee.org

Steven Swogger, Agriculture Liaison Natural Resources Department Phone: 918-456-0671 (ext.2546) FAX: 918-458-7673 E-mail: sswogger@cherokee.org Bradley D. Peak, Cherokee Nation Natural Resources Specialist Phone: 918-456-0671 (ex.2843) E-mail: bpeak@cherokee.org