"the People's Paths!" Cherokee News Path - CN Names Walker to Election Commission

Brenda Walker, of Tahlequah, was confirmed as the fifth Election Commissioner for the Cherokee Nation during the December meeting of the Cherokee Nation Tribal Council.

TAHLEQUAH, OK - The Cherokee Nation Tribal Council unanimously confirmed Brenda Walker of Tahlequah as the fifth member of the Cherokee Nation Election Commission during their monthly meeting in Tahlequah. The Tribal Council selects two commissioners and the Principal Chief selects two commissioners. Those four commissioners then select a fifth commissioner to be approved by the Council.

“Brenda will be a great asset to our Election Commission,” said Chad Smith, Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation. “This position is so important because it is one that oversees our election process. I know Brenda is someone of high moral integrity and will help ensure the elections are conducted as outlined by Cherokee law.”

The Cherokee Nation Election Commission conducts all Cherokee Nation elections and is mandated to be of service to the Cherokee Tribal citizens and stay in compliance with Legislative Act 7-97.

During the Chief’s State of the Nation Address, Smith discussed his meetings with U.S. President-elect Barack Obama’s transition team relating to the economic stimulus package in regards to funds allotted for Indian Country. In addition, the Tribal Council was updated on the status of the State of Oklahoma’s lawsuit against several in the poultry industry in relation to the issue involving ownership of water rights.

In other business, the Tribal Council confirmed the nomination of Kimberlie Gilliland and the re-nomination of Benny Smith, Shelley Butler-Allen and Marilyn Watt as board members of the Cherokee Nation Education Corporation, and passed resolutions regarding the 2009 Indian Housing Plan to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The Council also voted unanimously to re-nominate Kyle Haskins as a Justice on the Cherokee Nation Supreme Court during their monthly meeting held this week in Tahlequah.

Under Cherokee Nation law, the Principal Chief is authorized to select the justices subject to a majority vote of the Tribal Council. Haskins currently serves as a Justice on the Supreme Court, and his term expires on December 31.

The Tribal Council also authorized matching funds for a Cherokee Nation Economic Development Trust Authority Grant to establish a Credit Builders Individual Development Account Program. In addition, the Council passed a modification to the tribe’s annual budget to reflect an increase of $3.4 million. The increased funds bring the tribe’s annual budget to $489 million for the year.

The next general meeting of the Cherokee Nation Tribal Council is scheduled for January 12, 2009, at 6 p.m. in the Council Chambers of the W.W. Keeler Tribal Complex, located south of Tahlequah on highway 62.