Cherokee Nation district maps almost complete

Jul. 25—TAHLEQUAH — Cherokee Nation committee meetings are held throughout the day prior to the monthly Tribal Council meeting, and on July 15, Councilors heard reports on the new district boundary maps, health care, language and cultural tourism.

Election Commission Administrator Marcus Fears reported the new maps delineating the boundary changes for the districts are still in production.

There is a possibility new polling places will be established with the revised maps, but that won't be known until the new maps are completed, Fears said.

Tribal Councilor Sasha Blackfoot-Qualls said it is important for citizens who update voter registration information in the Gadugi Portal to know they must fill out new voter registration forms. Any information added in the portal does not change that information automatically.

"[That form] can be downloaded from the Election Commission's website and returned electronically, or mailed," Blackfox-Qualls said.

Deputy Director Brian Hail of Cherokee Nation Health Services, said six family medicine residents graduated and of those six, five are joining CN medical staff.

Construction on both the new W.W. Hastings Hospital and Salina's 106,000-square-foot, $35 million health center that will replace the existing 29,000-square-foot facility, is on track, Hail said. A topping-off ceremony at Hastings was held July 25.

Chief Executive Officer George Valliere of Claremore Indian Hospital, announced the hospital had been recertified as a baby-friendly facility, the first in Oklahoma to receive the certification.

Blackfoot-Qualls said this was quite an accomplishment, as she has gone through the process and knows what it takes to be certified.

Valliere said CIH partnered with Veteran Affairs on July 19 for enrollment through the PACT Act.

The full name of the Act is "The Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics — PACT — Act.

"This is the second time they have had it," Valliere said. "It was very successful last year, and [they] were able to get a couple of widows the benefits they had not been able to receive."

Senior Director Lisa Pivec of Public Health for CN Health Services announced a new wellness survey has launched. So far, 5,000 responses have been received through the Gadugi Portal.

"We will do that intensive type of survey every five years and in between smaller ones to continue to keep up with what we need to do with our community and tribal health assessments and tribal health improvement plans for our accreditation," Pivec said.

Molly Jarvis, Cherokee Nation Businesses vice president and chief operating officer of Cherokee Nation Cultural and Economic Development, said the team attended the state Redbud Award event. Two awards were received: Outstanding New Events award for the Ribbon Skirt Fashion Show and Outstanding Temporary Exhibit for Jane Osti at the Anna Mitchell Cultural & Welcome Center.

"Jane accompanied us to the event and got to accept the award," Jarvis said.

"Jane Osti: A Legacy of Her Own" runs through Oct. 29 at the Cherokee Nation Anna Mitchell Cultural & Welcome Center in Vinita. Osti specializes in Cherokee pottery and is a Living Treasure with the Nation.

Preparations are being made for the Homecoming Art Show. A reception is scheduled for Aug. 9, 6-8:30 p.m. at Cherry Springs Gala Plaza, Jarvis said.

"The Annual Cherokee Art Show [and] Sale is a four-day event honoring Native art and artists," states the Cherokee National Holiday website. "Many participating artists are Cherokees who specialize in Southeastern art forms, and the show is open to all federally recognized Native American artists at all skill levels: from those who are just starting out in their careers to nationally known and award-winning artists."

Executive Director Howard Paden of the Language Program, said two participants had graduated out of the Teacher Bridge Program at the advanced level, which is a high level for second language speakers.

"I want people to understand what a huge accomplishment that is and it is referring to the ACTFL scale, which is American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, which has five levels: distinguished, superior, advanced, intermediate, and novice," said Blackfoot-Qualls. "The majority of people who speak one language operate at the advanced level 90% of the time which is why our newspapers are written at the 8th grade level. The Cherokee Language Program has added decades to the life of our language with the creation of those two speakers and there are others who are operating at the superior level because they have carried on with the language since their graduation."

What's next

The committees will meet Aug. 12, tentatively beginning at 10 a.m., at the Tribal Complex.