Helping Elders and Kids a Keetoowah Cherokee Priority

The United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians is a small tribe compared to many other tribes in Oklahoma, but it is a tribe that cares, provides and believes in its people. With today's economy at it's lowest since the 1930s, more and more people are becoming unemployed, worker's hours are being cut back, and the need has become greater for financial assistance. Winter is upon us, soaring heating costs, homes in need of winterization, and food cost on the rise, these are major priorities of many families. The question for most is, "Where can we go for assistance?"

Many changes have been made within the last five years, with the administration's move toward accountability, stability and subsidies. The tribe has shown its concerns for its people providing services for its tribal members, providing assistance with heating and electrical bills, bi-annual elderly tribal assistance, and education grants, school clothing vouchers to qualified students, and providing a daily nutritional meal through the Title VI program. The tribe has also applied for Self-Governance. "All these benefits and services are provided based on accountability brought back to the tribe. The integrity that the council feels with the way the tribe is going, that's making it where we can provide these services and continue to grow. A lot of it is based on our accountability and what our objectives are, helping the elders and our kids, this is where our priority is," stated Assistant Chief Charles Locust.

The administration also provided its employees with gas cards to help ease their cost of travel to and from work during the rise of fuel costs. During the holidays they provided bonus checks to the employees and Christmas cards for all Keetoowah Cherokee children from the ages of birth to 18 years of age.

With the reinstatement of the HUD funding, the Keetoowah Cherokee tribe is preparing to aide elder tribal members with home repairs and winterizing homes. With the recent opening of the Keetoowah Health Services, the tribe is seeking ways to provide better health care services for its members, which will include clinics in the 14- County areas. The inclusion of the newly formed United Keetoowah Cherokee Veteran's Office, the tribe will be able to assist Keetoowah veterans by providing information and updating veterans on health care and health issues. Assisted living facilities are also in the planning stages.

"One of the requirements the Department of Interior has placed on the United Keetoowah Band in the last twenty years is the tribe has to recognize its tribal members as exclusive only. This is required so there is no duplication of services in this area. Other tribes are not required to be exclusive, duplication of services can continue among those tribes, but not here," added Assistant Chief Locust.