Push for Cherokee Nation delegate will shift to Republican-led House
, 2022-12-24 07:01:36,
Congress ended the year without naming a delegate from the Cherokee Nation, extending the tribe’s generation-long wait for representation in the United States House of Representatives.
And it could be a while before lawmakers return to the promise of the 1835 treaty. Republicans, who have raised concerns about the process to seat a delegate, will take control of the House in 2023.
“We’ve waited almost two centuries,” said Cherokee top chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. “We’re not going to let the clock ticking down to midnight at the end of the session slow us down a bit.”
Cherokee Chief:Our ancestors were promised a delegate in the House. Treaties matter.
US officials promised the Cherokee people a voice in Congress in exchange for giving up their southeastern land and moving west along the Trail of Tears. Today, the Cherokee Nation is headquartered in Oklahoma and has more than 440,000 citizens, a larger population base than Tulsa.
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Hoskin helped revive the push for a Cherokee House delegate in 2019. The campaign reached its peak in November when the House Rules committee held a hearing on the matter. If he sits, the tribal delegate could introduce bills and serve on committees, but not cast final votes on legislation.
Cherokee leaders hoped that after the Rules Committee hearing, House lawmakers would consider changing the house rules to add a Cherokee delegate. Though some top Democrats voiced support for one delegate, one vote for…
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