The July 2007 Newsletter is available here. The August 2007 Newsletter is available here. The September 2007 Newsletter is available here. The October 2007 Newsletter is available here. The November/December 2007 Newsletter is available here. The January 2008 Newsletter is available here. The February 2008 Newsletter is available here. The April 2008 Newsletter is available here. The May 2008 Newsletter is available here. Did you know that California has the largest number of Cherokee citizens located outside of the 14 counties? Over 15,000 registered Cherokee citizens live in California, plus many more non-citizen Cherokees as well. There are significant issues facing the Cherokee Nation where expatriate citizens can make a difference. It is the right of all Cherokee Nation citizens to cast their vote in tribal elections.

In February 2007 a special election will be held to decide on a constitutional amendment that would require Cherokee citizens to have an Indian ancestor. At issue is tribal membership for more than 900 descendants of the so-called freedmen. Freedmen were freed slaves who joined the Cherokees in the 1800s and the Cherokee Nation high court has ruled the descendants are eligible for tribal membership. As tribal members the descendants are eligible for benefits including health care, education and housing.

For more information on this important issue, click here to read an article published in the November 2006 edition of the Cherokee Phoenix.

Also, there is a petition in front of the CN Election Commission right now that, if the signatures are verified, would call for a referendum that would effectively take the vote away from anyone living outside the boundaries. It would allow only those who lived within the fourteen counties of northeastern Oklahoma to vote absentee. All others would have to vote in person, making it impossibly difficult for anyone in California to participate in Cherokee Nation elections.
Keep in touch with the Cherokee Nation. Sign-up for Cherokee Voters League newsletter. Send your email address to: hunter@hal-pc.org

Not registered to vote or need to update your personal information? Download the voter registration form here.

Also visit the official site for the Cherokee Nation at www.cherokee.org

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