Copyright © 2006 NLThomas
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"Chad Smith, Principal Chief Cherokee Nation" A few weeks ago I was reminded of the importance of being grateful when a parent left me a voice message after her son played a game against Sequoyah. In summary, she said that, unlike other teams, the Sequoyah athletes were genuinely courteous and displayed good sportsmanship. She said that the parents, while enthusiastic for their kids, were also polite and friendly. Not many people take the time to call to say something good but this lady did. It was a great call to receive and it made me realize that we need to take the time to say good things and to be thankful, so this month's column to is dedicated to just a few of things for which we are grateful. We're grateful for the progress Cherokee Nation has made in strengthening its language and the glorious sounds of our choir's voices rising in song in our original language. We're grateful that there has been enough rain for a decent crop of wi-si (mushrooms) this fall. We are grateful for our men and women of the armed forces, protecting our ability to live free and live Cherokee. The Cherokee Nation was recognized this past year for supporting our employees who are members of the U.S. Armed Services; the Pro Patria Award is a rare honor, only two awards, including this one, have been given in the last two and a half years. We're grateful for not getting too hurt when playing a rough game of ah-ne-jo-di (stickball). We're grateful for traditional foods on our tables, and for Cherokee steak (bologna) too! We're grateful that we've been able to complete several major projects in the past year - our multipurpose center at Sequoyah Schools, our softball fields, a new tag office in Collinsville and our new casinos in Tahlequah and Sallisaw. We're grateful that our historic Saline Courthouse is under the devoted care of a Cherokee preservation group and will not be lost to time. We're grateful that our Cherokee language classes online are reaching so many people. Through the technical wonders of the Internet and our excellent language instructors, such as Ed Fields, people are talking Cherokee more and more. We're grateful that when disasters happen, such as a water outage recently at Kenwood or a destructive tornado earlier this year at Twin Oaks, we have good staff and community members who pitch in with helping hands and willing spirits. We're grateful that we were able to pass the largest budget in Cherokee Nation's history, enabling us to continue to improve the quality of life for Cherokee citizens. We're grateful we've started construction this year on a state-of-the-art health clinic in Muskogee and our new Cherokee Elder Care facility in Tahlequah. We're grateful that Team Oklahoma, a predominantly Cherokee golf team, made us proud by winning the Native American Cup tournament's association division, during the competition in Acme, Mich. We're grateful for the donation to the Cherokee Nation of the historic Cecil Dick painting - "The Curing of the Fever." The donation of the mural was made possible by the generosity of Drs. Bryce Bliss, Jim Brixey, Richard Deed, Coy Edwards, Shelly Lee, Herb Littleton, Danny Minor, Ed Pointer, Tom Ward and Steven Younger. We're grateful to the Friends of Libraries in Oklahoma for helping us to get Sequoyah's homestead, near Sallisaw, placed on the National Literary Landmark Register. Sequoyah's genius and his gift of literacy to the Cherokee people will now be honored at the national level. We're grateful that we've been able to expand Sequoyah beyond the high school level, and are now providing a quality education to 7th and 8th grade students. We're grateful that in 2006, we are still exercising our inherent sovereign right to govern ourselves without outside interference. We're grateful that our National Youth Choir was chosen to perform during "Oklahoma Day" at the Washington National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., where they represented the Cherokee Nation and all of Oklahoma during a special worship service. We're grateful that our car tag sales have continued to thrive, allowing us to donate more than $2.3 million to public schools this year. We are grateful for being able to celebrate all our champions at Sequoyah Schools - not only in academics but our excellent athletic teams. We are grateful to be able to say congratulations to 2006 Sequoyah graduate Laren Richards for earning first place in Oklahoma history at the Oklahoma State Tournament of Academic Champions, an honor that no other student from Sequoyah has won before. We're grateful that our Cherokee Nation continues, in full force and effect, and that the future of our Nation has never looked brighter. I am personally thankful to have the wonderful job of serving the Cherokee people. Cherokees are a people who face adversity, survive, adapt, prosper and excel. For all this, and much more, we are profoundly grateful.

Related Cherokee Nation 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