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Cherokee Nation Principal Cheif Chuck Hoskin Jr. appeared  on COMMUNITY CONNECTION to talk about finacial distibutions to area schools, the SCOTUS McGirt decision and new electric vehicles for the tribe.

 

The Cherokee Nation presented more than $6.3 million to 107 school districts during the tribe’s annual Public School Appreciation Day held in a virtual format earlier n April.

 

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. said this year’s disbursement from the tribe was the largest since the tribe began its annual contributions in 2002. Each school district makes the decision on how to use the funding for their schools. In the past, schools have used the funds to cover teacher salaries, facilities, operations, technology improvements or school programs.

 

Osage County received $2,822, Nowata County received $104,422, and Washington County received $216,660. 11 other counties that make up the Cherokee Nation also received funding.  

 

Chief Hoskin welcomed the opportunity to talk about the McGirt Supreme Court decision which ruled that, as pertaining to the Major Crimes Act, much of the eastern portion of the state of Oklahoma remains as Native American lands of the prior Indian reservations of the Five Civilized Tribes, never disestablished by Congress as part of the Oklahoma Enabling Act of 1906. 

 

Hoskin said Cherokee Nation is equipped to handle its portion of the responsibilities pertaining to this case. The tribe has put $10 million into its criminal justice system hiring marshalls, prosecutors and hiring more judges. 

 

Chief Hoskin took a little issue with statements made by Washington County District Attorney Kevin Buchannon to BartlesvilleRadio.com who described the situation as "a catastrophe." 

 

According to Hoskin, about 580 cases have recently been transferred to Cherokee Nation for review. So far, just a little more that 50 have come from Washington County.

 

Hoskin was posed the a hypothetical situation in our interview which would have a Cherokee citizen ticketed in Bartlesville for speeding. Here is Hoskin's response.

 

The Cherokee Nation on Monday, April 19, unveiled its first public, rural eco-friendly electric buses to transport employees and tribal citizens to work and tribal health centers, and its first electric school bus, which is the first of its kind in the state of Oklahoma.

 

The two electric transit buses and new charging stations built to accommodate the vehicles were purchased through a $1.5 million U.S. Department of Transportation grant awarded to the tribe in 2018, along with other funding sources, as part of Cherokee Nation’s ongoing effort to reduce its carbon footprint.

 

Cherokee Nation’s transit services produce more than 500,000 vehicle miles for an average of 110,000 riders each year within the tribe’s 14-county reservation in Northeast Oklahoma. Routes increase the mobility of Cherokee Nation citizens and for many, represent a lifeline to vital services.

 

The $375,000 electric school bus is for student transportation at Sequoyah High School.

 

The tribe’s new electric buses will produce zero tailpipe emissions and are expected to reduce harmful carbon emissions within the tribe’s jurisdiction by more than 5 million pounds over the lifespan of the vehicles. The two new electric transit buses will be used to replace existing diesel-powered buses serving routes between Tahlequah and the Catoosa-area, and West Siloam Springs and Stilwell.

 

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