Letter to the Muskogee Phoenix Editor: THE PEOPLE SPEAK: Chief doesn’t earn respect with tantrum

THE PEOPLE SPEAK:
Chief doesn’t earn respect with tantrum

Letter to the Muskogee Phoenix Editor, Published April 13, 2008

Cherokee Chief Chad Smith repeated his childish behavior in front of a Oklahoma House Committee just like he did outside the Cherokee Court House during the so-called Cherokee Constitution controversy. This time he was disrespectful and arrogant to the committee chairman during a meeting over a “bill’s goal of forcing immigrants to assimilate by speaking English.”

His silly behavior didn’t make me proud to be Cherokee. He didn’t listen to Rep. Randy Terrill, R-Moore, or Chairman Guy Liebmann, R-Oklahoma City, or read the bill, which “carves out exceptions for tribal languages and language programs and will not impact them.” He let his ego overrun any common sense.

Shockingly, one day later the House and Senate honored this man for throwing a tantrum. Led by House Speaker Chris Benge, R-Tulsa, who sympathizes with Chad and “understands where he’s coming from,” he and other elected lawmakers bowed down to apologize. The Oklahoma House and Senate members are teaching our young Cherokees the only way to get your way is to throw a tantrum.

My mother attended Chilocco Indian School as a young girl. She told me English was the only language any child could speak. Any tribal language was prohibited. That was in the 1940s.

Did Chad attend Chilocco during this time? I think not. Is my mother bitter at the U.S. government?

No, she was smart enough to know to get ahead in this world, you have to read, write and understand English.

If Chad would take time away from his “seed money” to visit Cherokee communities like Dry Creek, he would see and meet young Cherokees from full-blood to a quarter, children who speak Cherokee at home and English at school or at work.

Chad is speaking about himself and the Cherokee he is familiar with, the one carrying an “Indian card” with blood less than one-sixteenth, the ones who never spoke or heard Cherokee until he decided to “teach” his Cherokees and save them from being assimilated. The Cherokees who believe it is their right to get housing, medical and other services from the tribe in exchange for a vote for him.

Billy R. McCoy

Tahlequah