{"id":33613,"date":"2023-11-13T00:01:17","date_gmt":"2023-11-13T05:01:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/?p=33613"},"modified":"2023-11-12T22:15:55","modified_gmt":"2023-11-13T03:15:55","slug":"chuck-hoskin-cherokee-nation-calls-for-change-at-national-congress-of-american-indians","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2023\/11\/13\/chuck-hoskin-cherokee-nation-calls-for-change-at-national-congress-of-american-indians\/","title":{"rendered":"Chuck Hoskin: Cherokee Nation calls for change at National Congress of American Indians"},"content":{"rendered":" <a href=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/?attachment_id=33617\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-33617\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-attachment-id=\"33617\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2023\/11\/13\/chuck-hoskin-cherokee-nation-calls-for-change-at-national-congress-of-american-indians\/chuckhoskin-32\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/13\/ChuckHoskin.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"2000,1333\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. signs a disables awareness month proclamation. Nov. 6, 2023.&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Chuck Hoskin Jr.\" data-image-description=\"&lt;p&gt;Chuck Hoskin Jr.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Chuck Hoskin Jr. serves as Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation. Photo: &lt;a href=https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/TheCherokeeNation\/posts\/pfbid02H2Qra8oEa9ZABGLC3ykHjDhn43rbJ55PfWnGePrdh3YnEedm7oVCfjD3jf6hrk8vl&gt;Cherokee Nation&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/13\/ChuckHoskin.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/13\/ChuckHoskin-1024x682.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/13\/ChuckHoskin.jpg\" alt=\"Chuck Hoskin Jr.\"   class=\"size-full wp-image-33617\" \/><\/a> <figcaption class=\"figure-caption\">Chuck Hoskin Jr. serves as Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation. Photo: <a href=https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/TheCherokeeNation\/posts\/pfbid02H2Qra8oEa9ZABGLC3ykHjDhn43rbJ55PfWnGePrdh3YnEedm7oVCfjD3jf6hrk8vl>Cherokee Nation<\/a><\/figcaption>\r\n<div class=\"h3-responsive font-weight-bold\">Advocating for needed change at NCAI<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"date\">Monday, November 13, 2023<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"byline\">By Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. <A href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ChuckHoskin_Jr\"><I aria-hidden=true class=\"fab fa-twitter\"><\/I><\/A><\/div>\r\n<div class=\"source\">Cherokee Nation<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"source-links\"><A \r\nhref=\"https:\/\/www.cherokee.org\/\">cherokee.org<\/A><\/div>\r\n<P><\/P>\r\nThe <a href=https:\/\/www.ncai.org\/>National Congress of American Indians<\/a> is the oldest and largest intertribal organization in the country and brings together tribes from across the land to discuss and advocate for issues important to American Indians and Alaska Natives. \r\n<P><\/P>\r\nNCAI has been an important national voice on Native issues since its founding in 1944. Unfortunately, the mission of NCAI has been harmed by the inclusion of groups who are not legitimate Indian tribes. Change is needed, and we have an opportunity to do so at the upcoming <a href=https:\/\/www.ncai.org\/event\/80th-annual-convention-and-marketplace>NCAI convention<\/a>.\r\n<P><\/P>\r\nUnder the current NCAI constitution, Cherokee Nation is placed on par with many groups who falsely claim a Cherokee history and culture \u2014 frauds from across the country like the United Cherokee AniYunWiYa Nation, the Georgia Tribe of Eastern Cherokees and the Echota Cherokee Tribe of Alabama. Rather than earn federal recognition through a rigorous examination of history, facts and the law, these phony organizations pose as tribes, seek and receive state recognition, and perpetuate a lie. Each year we are forced to spend vital resources fighting against state recognition efforts of groups who pretend to be Cherokee.\r\n<P><\/P>\r\n<div class=\" content_cards_card content_cards_domain_indianz-com\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"content_cards_image\">\n\t\t\t\t<a class=\"content_cards_image_link\" href=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2023\/04\/17\/tribal-leaders-urge-congress-to-protect-native-artists-from-fake-tribes\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/05\/fivecivilizedtribes-scaled-1.jpg\" alt=\"Tribal leaders urge Congress to protect Native artists from \u2018fake tribes\u2019\">\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t<div class=\"content_cards_title\">\n\t\t<a class=\"content_cards_title_link\" href=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2023\/04\/17\/tribal-leaders-urge-congress-to-protect-native-artists-from-fake-tribes\/\">\n\t\t\tTribal leaders urge Congress to protect Native artists from \u2018fake tribes\u2019\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<div class=\"content_cards_description\">\n\t\t<a class=\"content_cards_description_link\" href=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2023\/04\/17\/tribal-leaders-urge-congress-to-protect-native-artists-from-fake-tribes\/\">\n\t\t\t<p>Efforts to strengthen the Indian Arts and Crafts Act are drawing widespread attention as tribes seek a major \u2014 and controversial \u2014 change to a law designed to protect Native artists from frauds.<\/p>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<div class=\"content_cards_site_name\">\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.indianz.com\/favicon.ico\" alt=\"Indianz.Com\" class=\"content_cards_favicon\"\/>\t\tIndianz.Com\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\r\n<p><\/p>\r\nFederal recognition must mean something. It is the basis for our government-to-government relationship that establishes the unique rights and responsibilities of Indian tribes and tribal citizens. NCAI\u2019s embrace of state-recognized tribes lends false legitimacy to groups that undermine our rights, histories and cultures. We must push back against efforts to erode what it means to be a Native American.\r\n<P><\/P>\r\nA coalition led by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, the Shawnee Tribe and the Ute Indian Tribe has offered a proposal to limit NCAI\u2019s eligibility criteria. Under two separate amendments, voting membership in NCAI will be restricted to federally recognized tribes, and only citizens of federally recognized tribes will be eligible for an individual Indian membership. The additional amendment would ensure NCAI board members and regional vice presidents are citizens of federally recognized tribes.\r\n<P><\/P>\r\nCherokee Nation proudly supports the proposed constitutional amendment. A state-recognized tribe is not an Indian tribe. And a member of one of these groups is not an Indian.\r\n<P><\/P>\r\nIn my oath as Principal Chief, I swore to \u201cdo everything within my power to promote the culture, heritage, and traditions of the Cherokee Nation.\u201d The responsibility now compels me to defend our tribal constitution, our sovereignty and our history, and to speak out against any policy that undermines our government and our people. The current NCAI constitution is such a policy.\r\n<P><\/P><div class=\"mt-1 mb-1\"><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block; text-align:center;\" data-ad-layout=\"in-article\" data-ad-format=\"fluid\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-8411603009680747\" data-ad-slot=\"6394965691\"><\/ins><script>(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});<\/script><\/div><p><\/p>\r\nIn the coming days, we will tell NCAI that it\u2019s no longer acceptable to place state-recognized groups on equal ground with genuine Native American tribes. I call on tribal leaders from across the country to stand with us and enact this needed change.\r\n<P><\/P>\r\nIf NCAI persists in keeping groups posing as tribes on par with federally recognized tribes, we may be at a crossroads. Federally recognized tribes will need to consider whether NCAI can remain a viable organization able to protect, defend and advocate for the interests of actual tribes. \r\n<p><\/p>\r\nBut I remain hopeful that our proposed change in NCAI\u2019s constitution will position it to be stronger than ever.\r\n<P><\/P>\r\n<HR><div class=\"row\"><div class=\"col-md-3\">\r\n<img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/23\/chuckhoskinavatar.jpg\" alt=\"Chuck Hoskin Jr\" width=\"140\" height=\"140\" class=\"rounded-circle\" \/><\/div>\r\n<div class=\"col-md-9\"><EM><A href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ChuckHoskin_Jr\">Chuck Hoskin Jr.<\/A> \r\nis the 18th elected Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation, the largest Indian \r\ntribe in the United States. He is only the second elected Principal Chief of the \r\nCherokee Nation from Vinita, the first being Thomas Buffington, who served from \r\n1899-1903. Prior to being elected Principal Chief, Hoskin served as the tribe\u2019s \r\nSecretary of State. He also formerly served as a member of the Council of the \r\nCherokee Nation, representing District 11 for six years.<\/EM><\/div><\/div><HR>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A state-recognized tribe is not an Indian tribe. And a member of one of these groups is not an Indian.","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":33617,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_vp_format_video_url":"","_vp_image_focal_point":[],"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[12,20,9,14],"tags":[77,76,534,1375,138,7,127,2261,911,220,467],"class_list":["post-33613","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-federal-recognition","category-indian-trust","category-opinion","category-politics","tag-cherokee","tag-chuck-hoskin","tag-eastern-cherokee","tag-louisiana","tag-meetings","tag-ncai","tag-oklahoma","tag-pretendians","tag-shawnee","tag-sovereignty","tag-ute","no-wpautop"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/13\/ChuckHoskin.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pcoJ7g-8K9","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33613","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33613"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33613\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":33620,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33613\/revisions\/33620"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/33617"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33613"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=33613"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=33613"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}