Message from the Chief
Wëlikishku! Spring is here! I hope this issue of the DIN finds you well. As we close the second quarter of my fourth year in office I find it hard to believe time goes so fast. I want to get a few things out of the way before I tell you how we’ve been since the last issue. This time, four years ago, I had no thoughts of running for Chief. I heard talk of others running; I talked to two former Chiefs to hear they were not going to run. As I prayed to the Creator to help our Tribe I asked who was supposed to be our next Chief and was quite surprised when He told me—the next Chief was supposed to be me! “Oh no… I said, I’m not doing this alone,” and conceded that I would run if He would stay by my side. (And He has, throughout my administration.) I asked Janifer Brown if she would run with me. The campaign season wasn’t too rough on us. After the votes were counted, Dale Lewis came to me and said, “Congratulations! This is the highest your popularity will ever be.” I made the decision early on—I would not let the inevitable stress get to me. This mindset has worked well for moving forward, though some days don’t go as I hoped, we’ve come a long way!
I am happy to announce that I purchased the center spread of this issue of the DIN to announce my campaign for re-election. I have once again asked Janifer Brown and Jenifer Pechonick to serve with me. (Verna had already told me she planned to run.) I have had a good Council and we have made much progress. We don’t always agree and spend more time by far in workshops and meetings than any other modern-day Council. The complicated relationship of the Trust Board and Tribal Council, compounded with Chet Brooks serving on both the Tribal Council and as Trust Board Chair and Verna Crawford as secretary of both Tribal Council and the Trust Board, creates an atmosphere, at times, which is not conducive to maintaining attention on matters before the Tribal Council.
Just before the holidays, I had to make a hard decision not to continue a contract with two consultants, but I did not feel the contract was in the Tribe’s best interest to continue under the terms. A split vote left the Council somewhat fractionated for quite some time; this was compounded by the extended absence of Nathan Young due to knee surgery just after Christmas. We move forward, nonetheless. Inclement weather and the extended illnesses of several employees, as well as intermittent winter sinus/respiratory issues for each of our Councilwomen, has slowed progress of our second quarter goals of hiring additional support staff, the launch of a comprehensive community-wide survey of Tribal members everywhere, and plans of aggressive efforts to reunite with those tribal members on the missing list.
Nevertheless, spring is here! I look forward to the nicer weather bringing abundant health to officials and employees as well as tribal members and foster a productive spirit. Don’t get me wrong—we are still moving mountains!!
Here are some of the highlights since the last DIN. We have been working with the Department of Commerce in Kansas on development of the acreage near Lawrence and economic development. We went to the annual BIA budget meeting in Muskogee, OK to make sure the Tribe is included on future budgets. We have been working closely with the BIA and the Cherokee Nation to smoothly separate our monies. We have been meeting regularly with Cherokee Nation Secretary of State Chuck Hoskin, Jr. to discuss any concerns and resolve any issues.
One success of these meetings is that our Housing money was released in February for FY2014, and in the future our HUD money no longer pass through the Cherokee Nation.
We started language classes on Sunday afternoons and traditional clothing class Tuesday evenings at the Tribal Center. All are welcome. I attended a program to honor a tribal member, artist and professor Ruthe Blalock Jones, in Tulsa. We continue to work on a 638 program jurisdiction in Kansas. We are working with federal offices in Washington, DC for jurisdiction of other programs in Kansas. We visited with United States Senator Jerry Moran of Kansas when he visited Caney March 18. I spoke at the American Indian Chamber of Commerce in Tulsa to continue efforts for the Tribe to be better known. We continue to keep the web site updated and find ways to keep tribal members informed.
I hope to see you at the powwow Memorial Day weekend. In the very near future you will receive a comprehensive needs survey to assist us in putting together a Tribal strategic plan. When you receive it, please take some time to fill it out and return this survey. You will be able to return by mail or complete online.
Please keep letting us know how the Tribe can better serve you and your family. Together we can build a better future.
Wanishi,
Chief Pechonick
D5 Creation