Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. issued a press release Tuesday night, June 14, reassessing an govt order to take away the Oklahoma state flag from Cherokee Nation properties.
Hoskin signed the unique order June 3, setting a September deadline for removing of the Oklahoma state flag from CN properties and positioned limits on its use.
“Cherokee Nation is each a sovereign tribal authorities and a democracy. My accountability to the previous prompted the removing of Oklahoma flags from our properties final week, reserving it just for particular events,” Hoskin stated in his assertion. “My accountability to the latter leads me to revive the state flag this week.”
Hoskin stated reconsidered the order after listening to views of a number of CN residents and the Tribal Council.
“Throughout the previous week, I’ve heard from many Cherokee residents and from members of our Council whom I respect deeply. Whereas some have expressed approval, the overwhelming majority have been opposed,” stated Hoskin. “Opposition to my determination to take away the state flag included a priority that the transfer additional divided the state and the tribe at a time the place good relations between each governments are extra essential than ever.”
Hoskin stated he wished to open the subject for additional dialogue.
“I used to be significantly moved by considerations by some members of the Council that my govt order created pointless division at a time when I’ve referred to as for cooperation,” stated Hoskin. “If there’s a time and method to take away the state flag from our properties, maybe that point shouldn’t be now by govt motion. Maybe we must always rethink it at a while sooner or later after extra sturdy public dialogue. For the Cherokee folks, let this be the start of that dialogue, not the tip.”
Hoskin ended his assertion by restoring the flag to CN properties indefinitely. This restoration nonetheless falls beneath the phrases of the June 3 govt order, which states that, “The flag of the State of Oklahoma could also be displayed with approval from Administration.”
On June 11, the Tahlequah Each day Press moderated a Saturday discussion board on its Fb web page, asking for native residents’ ideas on the June 3 govt order.
Native Patti Gulager pointed to CN’s sovereignty in her reply.
“It’s their proper to decide on … a flag is symbolic of the nation who governs you, and I’d say they obtained it proper,” stated Gulager.
Jackie Parnell agreed, including her personal perspective.
“We, the Cherokee folks, wouldn’t even be in Oklahoma if it weren’t for the U.S. authorities forcing us out of our native lands of [North Carolina] and [Georgia]. So take down the flag… We have to fly our personal flag,” Parnell stated.
Others disagreed with the choice. Tahlequah resident Leslie Burchett stated that if CN desires to separate from the state, it must fully take away itself and “all advantages granted to [it] by the state of Oklahoma and the US.”
“My level is, you might be beginning one thing that may by no means be completed by separating your self from the remainder of us. We’re all Americans. What’s the level of this fixed have to separate? Allow us to all stay collectively in peace and concord and cease searching for methods to drive a wedge the place there doesn’t should be one,” stated Burchett.
What you stated
A current ballot on the TDP web site, tahlequahdailypress.com posed the query, “Provided that Cherokee Nation is sovereign and never topic to state authority, what do you consider the choice to cease flying the Oklahoma flag besides on particular events?” 23.8% responded, “Don’t care a method or one other”; 23.8% stated they “strongly approve”; 5.0% stated they “considerably approve”; 2.5% stated they “considerably disapprove”; and 45.0% “strongly disapprove.”