Chief Calls Special Meeting to Add Constitutional Amendment to June 23 Ballot

TAHLEQUAH, Okla.— Principal Chief Chad Smith has called a special Council meeting for June 6 to add a Constitutional amendment vote to the June 23 general election ballot. Smith proposes the Cherokee people vote again on an amendment that removed federal approval from the Constitutional amendment process, and that was the subject of BIA concerns earlier this week. Cherokee voters removed federal approval in 2003 and the amendment was declared effective by the Cherokee Nation Supreme Court last year.

“The Cherokee people have spoken clearly in the past that we want to remove federal approval over our constitutional process, and we will reaffirm our dedication to sovereignty and self-governance in the upcoming election," Smith said. "We must take a strong stance against the BIA or anyone else endangering the right of Indians to be able to decide, through the exercise of our cherished democratic freedoms, the content of our own Constitutions.”

The Cherokee Nation has abided by a Cherokee Nation Supreme Court ruling that said the tribe could revoke the federal government’s role in approving the tribe’s constitutional amendments. BIA officials have requested another vote on the amendment, and have indicated a willingness to approve the amendment under current election rules.

In its letter to the Cherokee Nation, the BIA was concerned that non-Indians whose citizenship status had been under review would not be allowed to vote in the election. However, based on a May 14 tribal court temporary order that was agreed to and approved by the Nation, these non-Indians have been temporarily reinstated to full citizenship and will now have the right to vote in the upcoming election. If passed by the Tribal Council, this amendment will be on that ballot, laying the groundwork for expected BIA approval.

The Cherokee Nation is a great Indian nation that embraces its mixed-race citizens. The tribe is proud of its thousands of citizens who share African-American, Latino, Asian, white and other ancestry, including 1,900 citizens who are Freedmen descendants.

“The Cherokee people can, should and do control their own government through their power at the polls,” Smith said. “The BIA has said it respects the principle of Indian self-governance, and has upheld that principle for decades. A second vote will make clear our determination to move forward with the will of the Cherokee people and the decisions of our tribal courts.”