Group says it will raise Confederate Cherokee flag

FROM THE ARCHIVE

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 17, 2003

A member of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma said his organization will raise a Confederate flag at the state capitol to show "honor and respect to our true heritage."

Mike L. Graham, founder of United Native America, a group which is calling for the creation of a federal holiday for Native Americans, said the Cherokee Brave flag represents Cherokee ancestors who stood up for their civil rights. He said it is the first known flag of the Cherokee people.

The Cherokee Braves fought for the Confederacy during the civil war. State Rep. Wayne Pettigrew, a Republican from Edmond, has authored a bill to allow the flag to be flown at the statehouse.

Graham said his group will do just that on January 25. "If during the act of raising the Cherokee Braves flag we are stopped or arrested, we are prepared to take the case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court," he said in a press release.

Cherokee Nation Chief Chad Smith, who is running for re-election, said he doesn't support Pettigrew's proposal.

Get the Story:
Flag switch at Capitol called misunderstanding (The Daily Oklahoman 1/17)

Relevant Links:
United Native America - http://www.unitednativeamerica.com