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COVID-19 keeps hanging around and Cherokee Nation continues to provide the means to protect its citizens from the virus.

 

Appearing on COMMUNITY CONNECTION on Tuesday, Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr said Cherokee Nation is following recommendations from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to administer an additional dose of the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines to fully vaccinated patients who are moderately to severely immunocompromised.

 

Cherokee Nation Health Services will use the same vaccine as the patient’s primary dose for the additional dose, and it will be given at least 28 days after the initial two doses of the vaccine.

 

The Cherokee Nation is also supporting public school districts in the tribe’s Reservation by donating thousands of Cherokee-made masks to districts that implement schoolwide mask mandates to help reduce the spread of the deadly COVID-19 Delta variant.

 

The 3-ply surgical masks are manufactured by Cherokee Nation at the tribe’s two new PPE facilities located in Stilwell and Hulbert, which were built in 2020. The facilities were created with a portion of the tribe’s Respond, Recover and Rebuild federal CARES Act funding.

 

“Thanks to the hard work of scientists, doctors and public health experts, we know that wearing masks is a proven method for slowing the spread of this dangerous virus,” said Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. “Children and young people are of special concern as the Delta variant has caused a surge in COVID cases and impacting more younger citizens, while our children are returning to school. It is mystifying to me that the state of Oklahoma has made it illegal for Oklahoma public schools to implement mask mandates, which have been proven to work and protect our families and communities. I continue to strongly encourage school districts within our reservation and across the state of Oklahoma to protect their students and staff from this virus by implementing mask requirements. For schools in the reservation that do take this life-saving step, the Cherokee Nation stands ready to provide a supply of Cherokee-made masks to help ease the burden that could be placed on students and districts. I applaud Hulbert Public Schools for being the first to take advantage of this offer, and we look forward to other districts following the lead of Hulbert and the Cherokee Nation.”

 

Officials from Cherokee Nation and the Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology announced last week a formal educational partnership between the two organizations. In recognition of National Aviation Day on Aug. 19, Cherokee Nation and Spartan College hosted an official signing of the agreement in Tahlequah. 

 

Education and career opportunities for tribal citizens remains a strategic priority for the Cherokee Nation. A focus on STEM, which empowers individuals with the skills to succeed and adapt to the increasingly complex and changing technological world is critical to the success of Cherokee citizens and helping sustain the economy. Through this partnership, the Cherokee Nation and Spartan College are committed to ensuring educational opportunities for students who aspire to be pilots or aviation technicians. 

 

“The COVID-19 crisis has magnified the need for robust collaboration, and with their main campus in Tulsa, we feel this partnership will be a great benefit to Cherokee citizens looking at a career in aviation,” Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. said. “Spartan College is a well-recognized educational institution in the field of aviation that continues to invest in their student experience and will help the Cherokee Nation provide yet another career-oriented training opportunity for our citizens in an exciting field.”

 

Chief Hoskin announced that the Cherokee Casinos are hiring. A full list of open positions can be found at www.cherokeecasino.com/careers. All applicants must be 18 years of age or older to apply.