fbpx
 

While not able to get the Cherokee Nation delegate, Kim Teehee, seated by the end of the 117th Congress, the House Rules Committee Chairman Jim McGovern (D-MA) and Ranking Member Tom Cole (R-OK) committed to continuing their work next year to seat the delegate that the Cherokee Nation was promised in the 1835 Treaty of New Echota.

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin, Jr. expressed his gratitude for work of the committee thus far.

“We are grateful that Chairman McGovern and Ranking Member Cole reiterated their commitment today to work across the aisle to seat the Cherokee Nation’s delegate in the U.S. House. This is not a partisan issue. This is an issue about whether the United States will keep its word, and we look forward to working with the new Republican majority next month to ensure that it does so.” Hoskin said in a statement. 

Never miss Indian Country’s biggest stories and breaking news. Sign up to get our reporting sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. 

On Nov. 16, the House Rules Committee held a hearing on legal and procedural factors in seating a Cherokee Nation Delegate.

“We have made historic progress this year. Last month, the House Rules Committee held its first-ever hearing on seating the Cherokee Nation’s delegate. We are overwhelmed by the support we heard then from members of both parties, just as we are overwhelmed by the outpouring of support this effort has received from Cherokee citizens and supporters across this country. We are on the right track, and we remain confident that the House will soon seat our delegate-designee, Kim Teehee, as the Treaty of New Echota stipulates,” Hoskin continued.

RELATED:  Cherokee Nation’s Delegate to Congress is 187 Years Overdue

RELATED: Cherokee Nation Chief Chuck Hoskin, Jr. and Cherokee Delegate Kim Teehee Reflect on Congressional Hearing in Seating Cherokee Nation Delegate

During the hearing last month, McGovern expressed his commitment to fulfill the treaty obligations. He reiterated his commitment on Thursday in the following statement: 

“Though a complicated issue, I personally believe that we need to find a way to honor our treaty obligations with the Cherokee and seat a delegate in the House and I'm committed to working to make that happen in the next Congress. And I appreciate the members of this committee, especially my Ranking Member, for agreeing to look at this issue seriously and try to find a way forward.”

With the Republicans in majority in the upcoming Congress, which session begins on January 3, 2022, McGovern will no longer serve as chair of the committee. In all probability, Rep. Tom Cole, who is a tribal citizen of the Chickasaw Nation, will assume the position as chair of the committee. 

“I don't regard tribal issues as Democrat or Republican. They really are exceptionally bipartisan and they really get down to tribal sovereignty and the Federal…responsibility, the importance of maintaining our treaty obligations,” Cole said at the Nov. 16 hearing.

More Stories Like This

US Army to Return 5 Native Ancestors to Their Descendants This Fall
‘Road to Healing’ Will Visit Boarding School Survivors in Minnesota on June 3
Senator Warren Revives Indian Boarding School Legislation with Bipartisan Support
Sweeping Maine Tribal Sovereignty Effort Likely Won’t Happen Until 2024
A Quarter-Century Later, Cal State Fullerton Prepares to Repatriate Native Ancestors Again

Native News is free to read.

We hope you enjoyed the story you've just read. For the past dozen years, we’ve covered the most important news stories that are usually overlooked by other media. From the protests at Standing Rock and the rise of the American Indian Movement (AIM), to the ongoing epidemic of Murdered and Missing Indigenous People (MMIP) and the past-due reckoning related to assimilation, cultural genocide and Indian Boarding Schools.

Our news is free for everyone to read, but it is not free to produce. That’s why we’re asking you to make a donation to help support our efforts. Any contribution — big or small — helps.  Most readers donate between $10 and $25 to help us cover the costs of salaries, travel and maintaining our digital platforms. If you’re in a position to do so, we ask you to consider making a recurring donation of $12 per month to join the Founder's Circle. All donations help us remain a force for change in Indian Country and tell the stories that are so often ignored, erased or overlooked.

Donate to Native News Online today and support independent Indigenous journalism. Thank you. 

About The Author
Native News Online Staff
Author: Native News Online StaffEmail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Native News Online is one of the most-read publications covering Indian Country and the news that matters to American Indians, Alaska Natives and other Indigenous people. Reach out to us at [email protected].