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Week of December
23, 2012
Tribal Photo IDs, Apportionment and Redistricting
Many folks have
been asking us about the new photo IDs being issued by the Tribe for
Cherokee Nation citizens.
The concept of photo
IDs was begun during the Smith Administration and is just now a reality
after much work with Homeland Security and other agencies.
You must travel
to Tahlequah to obtain a photo ID. There is no mail option for the photo
ID.
The photo ID is
not required. Your citizenship card commonly referred to as the 'Blue
Card' is still good. You do not have to go to the new photo ID.
If you choose the
new photo ID, you will be asked to release your personal information
and contact numbers to the Administration. We have asked questions,
but are still unsure how your private information will be utilized and
who has access to your private information.
Councilman Buel
Anglen, Lee Keener and I are trying to get the Administration to schedule
the Registrar in our District for photo IDs same as they are doing out
of State for At Large citizen meetings. To date, we have not been given
a date and time. We will continue to work to make this happen for all
of us, locally.
Regardless, all
Cherokee Nation citizens should check their
citizenship card to make sure the address is current. If you have an
old Rural Route address before 911 addressing or have moved since you
enrolled, you need to tell the Tribe what your new address is so we
can locate you.
If you have a High
School student who will soon be applying for scholarships and colleges,
make sure they have a legible, current blueTribal citizenship card and
white Certificate of Degree of Indian Blood (CDIB).
To download Registration
paperwork, go to www.cherokee.org under 'Our Government' is 'Citizenship.'
Remember, the Tribal
Registrar keeps the citizenship rolls which is separate from both the
Cherokee Phoenix and Tribal Election Commission voter data. You must
update each one, individually, to be current.
Councilmembers Anglen,
Keener, Jack Baker, Julia Coates and I continue to fight for the correct
population count (apportionment) and fair redistricting in Tribal Court.
If we do not win
our Tribal Court lawsuit, Rogers, Tulsa, Mayes,Delaware and Washington
Counties will lose adequate political representation and monies in the
Cherokee Nation Legislative Branch and most communities will be carved
up into bizarre new districts
(gerrymandering).
Cherokee Nation
Attorney General Todd Hembree asked for the December Hearing to be rescheduled.
Please join us in Tahlequah at Tribal District Court on Friday, January
4, 2013 at 11am to hear the case in person.
See you January
12th at the Will Rogers Memorial for our AnnualScholarship Workshop!
And, Merry Christmas!!
If you have questions,
issues or concerns about the Cherokee Nation government, please email
me at cara@caracowan.com or write me at P.O. Box 2922, Claremore, OK
74018. For daily news and event notices, ask to be added to my District
5 email listserv. You can, also, find me on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Buel Anglen is at buelanglen@sbcglobal.net and Lee Keener is at lee-keener@cherokee.org.
To contact the Tribe,
call (918) 453-5000. The operator will connect you with the appropriate
department. Tribal programs and services are administered by the Chief’s
staff at the Tribal Complex. Tribal hours are Monday through Friday
from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Save a trip to Tahlequah
by using the Tribes Internet tools at
www.cherokee.org. Almost all applications are available online to print
from home.
Cara Cowan Watts,
is an elected Tribal legislator of District 5 within the Cherokee Nation
for Rogers and Tulsa Counties.
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