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- By Native News Online Staff
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. — First Lady Melania Trump is planning a trip to the Cherokee Nation, the tribe announced Thursday.
“We invite First Lady Melania Trump to tour our state-of-the-art Outpatient Health Center and first medical school on tribal land in the nation, which is wrapping up construction in Tahlequah,” Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. said in a statement. “Anytime we can showcase that tribal nations are thriving and strong, doing good work on behalf of children and our communities, we welcome the opportunity with open arms.”
On Thursday morning, she was briefed on the President’s Task Force on Protecting Native American Children in the Indian Health Service System, according to the White House. The task force was reportedly organized to provide recommendations to deter, mitigate and respond to any allegations of future child sexual abuse in the IHS system.
“The Cherokee Nation will work with the White House to schedule the First Lady’s visit,” Hoskin said via Facebook, noting that no date has been set for Mrs. Trump’s visit.
Mrs. Trump expressed her appreciation to the Cherokee Nation during the briefing.
“I know that this administration inherited many of these problems, but I am very proud that you are still working to protect children to prevent such abuse from happening again, or if and when it does, to immediately mitigate it,” Mrs. Trump said in a statement from the White House. “I am sure that the men and women of the Indian Health Service share that goal, and I look forward to following up to ensure that they have the training and resources they need to provide the finest possible care to Native American communities.”
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