Call to Action: Demand Your Tribal Councilor Vote No

The fight to stop the passage of the Election Law that will define "term" into "full term" and undermine our Constitution is not over. Now is the time to act. Please contact your council men/women and demand they vote no on the proposed term definition.

If you email them, keep a copy of the email. If you call them, write down the date and time of the call. If you get an answering machine, leave a message. If they don't return your call, make a notation of that, and then call them back the next day. Continue to try to reach them, making a notation of each attempt, until you do manage to get a response from them.

Each individual Cherokee holds power -- the power of their voice. Use your power and demand your voice be heard by the council person who serves YOU. They are supposed to carry your voice to the council table. Remind them that if they don't do that, they can be replaced with someone who will.

The Cherokee Nation belongs to the Cherokee people and our leaders serve us. If you are unhappy with this proposed law, then let your leaders know. Together we Cherokees can accomplish a lot through hard work and determination. Let's stop this definition of term. I can't promise it will be easy, but I can promise it will be worth it.

Click to Enlarge

Those are my thoughts for today.
Thanks for reading.

copyright 2016, Polly's Granddaughter - TCB

Tweet

A Voice Lost in Cherokee Nation Health Services

Laurie*, a full blood Indian and speaker of the Cherokee language, has been trying to navigate the Indian Health Care system for over 5 years. At 47, she's still a fairly young woman, but because she is sick, she can no longer work. Often, she can't talk because her illness steals her voice.

After making circles in the IHS holding pattern for three years, finally, in February 2013, Laurie was referred to an allergy specialist in Tahlequah. That doctor did tests, evaluated the results, and said Laurie needed allergy shots.  While the clinic said they could cover the cost of the shots, Laurie would be required to cover the cost of her weekly office call visits, totaling about $120 per month. The Cherokee Nation's IHS wouldn't cover that cost and Laurie couldn't afford it, so she's gone without treatment. 

Laurie has tried to go outside IHS to get help. She isn't eligible for Sooner Care because she has no children. She couldn't use the free clinic in Pryor, Oklahoma because they told her she was an Indian and had IHS. She can't afford "Obama Care" because Oklahoma didn't accept the Medicaid expansion. She's contacted her Cherokee Nation council person. She's contacted other council people. She's even contacted Connie Davis, executive director of Cherokee Nation Health Services. If it is an option, she's explored it, yet she's still had to go without treatment.

As time has passed and with treatment denied, Laurie's health has suffered in other ways. Due to her severe allergies, headaches were no stranger to her, but the one she had several months ago was different. It was a pounding, aching headache like she'd never before experienced. She was in so much pain, she had to lay down.  As Laurie rested her head on the pillow, for a moment, she thought she might die because the pain was unbearable. Then she felt a "pop" and the pressure and pounding in her head was gone. At that same moment, something ran down the side of her face. It was blood and was coming out of her ear. A subsequent trip to the doctor revealed that congestion from her allergies was so substantial, it caused her eardrum to burst from the pressure. 

Often, when problems like Laurie's are brought to light, the administration's excuse is that the person fell through the cracks. We've been told this enough that it's clear, we don't just have cracks, we have very deep and wide chasms full of people. 

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Enough!

I don't want to hear excuses. I want to hear solutions.

I don't want to hear "we can't." I want to hear "we will."

And I don't want to hear "she'll have to wait." She's waited long enough.

It's easy for our administration to ignore a problem as long as our people aren't aware of it. They can't ignore Laurie any more. Now we know about her. Now we care about her. And now we demand action. She's lost her voice, but we haven't lost ours. Each of us has a chance to become the voice of the voiceless; to speak for those who can no longer speak; and to stand with those who are standing alone. 

You have a choice. What will you do?

Those are my thoughts for today.
Thanks for reading. 






* The name has been changed to protect the privacy of the woman.

copyright 2015, Polly's Granddaughter - TCB

Tweet

Settle No More - Be the Change

According to an article in the Tahlequah Daily Press, 

"After checking complaints of service denial by Cherokee Elder Care, a Cherokee Nation citizen believes he is being stonewalled and legally harried to prevent revelations of poor practice at the Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly.

Terry Reed says a restraining order was taken out against him because he was investigating complaints about CEC/PACE procedure. The order was extended for 90 days after a Dec. 11 hearing at the Cherokee Tribal Courthouse."

I've been following this story behind the scenes for several weeks. In my humble opinion, something very bad is going on when a man submits several Freedom of Information Act requests, in an effort to protect his elderly mother and others from violations and abuse, and in turn, has an order of protection put against him so that he can no longer contact the department in question.

For Cherokees living inside the jurisdictional boundaries of the Cherokee Nation, this is not a surprise. They understand that they run the risk of such things if they speak out against injustice. They understand retaliation can and will happen. That's why many people are afraid to speak out or bring attention to things like this. In a recent discussion I had with a friend who lives inside the nation, she summed up the feeling people have, 

"We know how it is here. If they can't get you, they will get your family. If they can't get your family, they will get your friends. One way or another, someone, either you or someone you care about, will pay for your speaking out. It's why we keep our mouths shut."

This sad reality breaks my heart. People should not have to live in fear simply because they want rules, regulations and laws followed. People have a right to be treated fairly and with dignity. The Cherokee Nation is supposed to be a democracy, not a dictatorship.

Anna Wells, a Cherokee living in California, and healthcare professional, has been an advocate for better Cherokee healthcare for several years. Tonight on Facebook, she posted (shared with her permission)

"Progress is slow, but coming. The long reach of the little dixie mafia aka Cherokee Nation doesn't play fair. They will go to extreme lengths to harass patient advocates, even if that includes placing a restraining order on the sole caregiver of a Cherokee elder who is disabled, without any real justification, and then extend the order for 90 days without a fair hearing. This is real. We need people to write letters to their council representative and the media demanding an investigation into the business practices of this agency."

She continued:

"We're taking this fight outside of Cherokee Nation because it's impossible to get fair treatment in our court system or from the AGs office."

The Cherokee Nation belongs to the Cherokee people. Our elected officials work for us. Everyone who works for the Cherokee Nation works for the Cherokee people. If they don't do their job, they should be held accountable. If they abuse their power, they should be held accountable. Most of us don't have a lot of money, but we do have power. We have power in both our voices and our votes. It isn't time to vote, but it is time to speak. Concerned Cherokees are starting to stand together, in an effort to make a difference. 

If you have a story to tell and would like to get in contact with Terry Reed or Anna Wells, please email me through the Contact Me button at the right side of this blog and I will put you in contact with them. If you wish to remain anonymous, we will protect your identity.  The point is not to expose you, but to expose corruption. Terry, Anna and others want to help make Cherokee Nation healthcare better for everyone, whether it is within the regular healthcare system or within the PACE program.  Things can get better, but they can't get better without you, the Cherokee people. Change is hard and it won't happen overnight, but we can "be the change". 

I'm not saying this will be easy, but I promise it will be worth it. 

Those are my thoughts for today.
Thanks for reading.

copyright 2015, Polly's Granddaughter - TCB

Tweet

Our Moral Test

As long as the public doesn't see a problem, it is easy for the Cherokee Nation government to ignore that problem. 

The PR department gives us photos of the chief standing with a smiling family that just received a key to new "Indian" house. Those pictures make our nation and the administration look good. It's the image our "powers that be" want to present to the world. The problem is, those aren't the only pictures of the Cherokee Nation. The unpublished pictures reveal a hidden sadness that exists in our nation.

Here are the pictures the public relations department won't show you:

A "Cherokee Nation Roof Repair" -

Yes, that's right! Damaged roof? No problem! The Cherokee Nation will bring a tarp out and fix that sucker right up! 

And what happens when you go an extended time with roof damage in the winter? You can't keep heat in your house so your pipes burst! 

Aw, well, the Cherokee Nation has no band-aid for that so guess you're walking to the pump house for water now.

And what happens when you go an extended time with roof damage in the spring? Water runs into your home from rain and it gets the ceiling and floor wet.

Yay! As an added bonus to the damaged roof, you now not only have no running water due to burst pipes, but also black mold  and a rotten floor!

These are photos from the home of one of our Cherokee elders. This elder has health issues and can no longer work. He needs help. He's asked for help. He's been promised help. But he's still waiting for that help after SEVEN MONTHS!

Why? Why is this man still waiting for help?

I've worked in the financial industry. I understand we have one bucket for this money and one bucket for that money and another bucket for other money. I understand each bucket of money has it's own allocated purpose. I understand that, but I don't care about that and I don't want to hear about that. What I do care about is the Cherokee people and what I want to hear is that they will get help when they need it. 

I don't want to hear excuses. I want to hear solutions. 

I don't want to hear "we can't." I want to hear "we will." 

And I don't want to hear "he'll have to wait." He's waited long enough.

Seeing is believing and a picture speaks a thousand words. It's easy for the "powers that be" to ignore something as long as the public doesn't see it. Now we've seen it. Now we believe it. And now we demand action. This is our nation's moral test. How will we measure up?

Those are my thoughts for today.
Thanks for reading.














**Update - 1:00 pm, Sept. 18, 2014 ~~ Someone from the Cherokee Nation Housing Rehab program visited the man and told him they have two houses they are roofing and then he is next. We will continue to update this post until the Cherokee Nation follows through and this Cherokee elder's needs are met.

copyright 2014, Polly's Granddaughter - TCB

Tweet

Call to Action!

This painting is by Cecil Dick. It previously hung in a place of honor in the lobby of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma complex. Because some prudish individuals were offended by the women with bare breasts, it was moved to the administration conference room where the public cannot see it. Cecil's granddaughter is on a crusade to have it restored to its place of honor. Please contact your Cherokee Nation councilor or call (918)207-3500 or (918) 456-0671 and insist this painting be moved back to it's place of honor.

copyright 2014, Polly's Granddaughter - TCB

Tweet

Call to Action: Tulsa Library - Combining Genealogy Center & General Library

I received this email today and am passing it on, with permission from the person who sent it.

***

I found out today that the Tulsa Library powers-that-be are moving the Genealogy Center from its great home at 2901 S Harvard to be part of the general collection at the Hardesty library, intermingling the staff of the Genealogy Library with general library duties and allowing the materials to be out in the open without even a separate room.  This is not being done because they need the current building.  It is going to sit empty; they feel that the Hardesty library needs a “special collection”.   This will cause quite a disruption in genealogy research, especially for Native Americans who get a lot of benefit from the Tulsa collection and its staff.

 

Even if you are not a patron of the library, please send an email to the following persons and ask them to reconsider.  You may not use the genealogy library, but you can say that you have benefited from those that have and include your own reasons. This move is eminent but not fully implemented, so please send the email right away. 

 

Gary Shaffer       gshaffe@tulsalibrary.org

 

Laurie Sundborg lsundbo@tulsalibrary.org           

copyright 2013, Polly's Granddaughter - TCB

Tweet

Call to Action - Proposed Changes to the Indian Arts and Crafts Act

If you haven't heard, there is a "Drastic Amendment Proposed to Indian Arts and Crafts Act." If we want to protect the integrity of our authentic Indian made arts and crafts, it is urgent that everyone contact their Congress people and insist they stop these changes. This will affect Indian artists of every tribe so it is not strictly a Cherokee problem. Please get involved!

Wise words from my Cherokee friend, David Cornsilk:

The Cherokees in Oklahoma fought the Indian Art War in 1990 that culminated in the passage of the Indian Arts and Crafts Act. All other tribes remained silent. We endured being cursed, slandered and even physically assaulted from fake Indians claiming to be Cherokee and selling art as Indian made. But since the Acts passage Indians artists of all tribes have benefited from the protections afforded by the by the Act. 

Back in 1990 when wannabes, fake Indian artists, claimed to be Cherokee, everyone thought fakes were solely a Cherokee problem. That has not changed much today. But there are other fakes out there today representing the Blackfeet, Apache, Creek, Sioux and others. They are also claiming tribes mentioned in history books no one has heard from in 200 years. These fakes join together to form fake tribes and several states have granted recognition to them without one iota of authenticity. The fakes sell art as Indian made, teach a bastardized Indian culture in schools and to the public. They stand over the graves of our ancestors in our stolen homelands and perform disgusting pseudo ceremonies when the graves of our ancestors are uncovered. But most dangerous of all is the very real threat to tribal sovereignty. These groups have so watered down the definition of tribe that we may soon no longer recognize ourselves. When the U.S. looks at Indian country and sees fake tribes, they may no longer recognize us. 

This amendment to the IACA must be stopped. Your tribal councils must pass resolutions to condemn it. You must get your federal reps to quash it. And by all means use social media to spread the word. We cannot afford to be silent.

Working together, we can stop this proposed change! Please get involved.


Those are my thoughts for today.
Thanks for reading.

copyright 2013, Polly's Granddaughter - TCB

Tweet