Copyright © 2006 NLThomas
All Rights Reserved
News from the Cherokee Nation, OK
Copyright © 2006 CNO
TAHLEQUAH, OKLAHOMA – Meredith Frailey has become the first Speaker of Cherokee Nation’s Tribal Council in over 100 years. Enacting the tribe’s new constitution, the Cherokee Nation Tribal Council elected Meredith Frailey, Council member representing Mayes County, as Speaker and Chuck Hoskin, Council member representing Craig and Nowata Counties, as Deputy Speaker.
Council Member Meredith Frailey was chosen as the Speaker of the Council during the June meeting. 
The new Speaker, selected from the current 15 Council members, will be responsible for chairing Council meetings and be third in line of succession to the head of the government, the Principal Chief. The elections made in the June Council meeting are temporary. The Council will elect a permanent Speaker and Deputy Speaker within 90 days. Frailey will now oversee council meetings. Under the old Constitution, the meetings were run by the President of the Council, which was the duty of Deputy Principal Chief Joe Grayson.
“I am very humbled by the confidence and trust of my Council people,” said Frailey. “There is an old saying ‘never pray for a task according to your powers, but pray for the power according to your task.’ And, I will certainly need prayers to fill Joe Grayson’s shoes. He has been a very good example of leadership. He’s served the Tribal Council with professionalism and grace and with the support of everybody I will strive to maintain that tradition.”
“This gavel was presented to me by the Eastern Band of Cherokee during our last Joint Council Meeting and I think it is appropriate to give it to our new Speaker and have it pass down from Speaker to Speaker,” said Deputy Chief Joe Grayson, former President of the Tribal Council. “Since I am the last President of the Council, it gives me great honor and pleasure to present this to Ms. Meredith Frailey.”
Grayson received a standing ovation in recognition of the work he has done. “It has been an honor and a pleasure being the President of the Council. I thank all of you for electing me the Deputy Chief; I think I have the best job in the world and I thank you for it.”
According to the new Constitution, the new speaker will “officiate over Council meetings. The Speaker may vote in all matters before the Council. The Speaker shall be third in line of succession to serve as Acting Principal Chief in case of removal, death, resignation or disability of both the Principal Chief and Deputy Principal Chief until the disability be removed or a successor shall be elected.”
The Tribal Council established the new office during its June meeting, just a week after the Cherokee Nation’s highest court, now the Supreme Court of the Cherokee Nation, made a decision that the new constitution was effective.
| Related Cherokee Nation contact information: |
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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 |
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 |