What are the promises for the future by Principal Chief Chad Smith?

The answer is simple. We promise to continue moving the Cherokee Nation in the right direction, ensuring there is a permanent path to progress on these same points. We stand on a strong foundation of leadership, fulfilling past promises and making a better future possible.  We have done what we said we would do with a steady commitment and focus on our COUNTRY, COMMUNITY, CULTURE, COMPETENCE and finally proving our CAPACITY to do more, particularly in both the hard times and good times of the economies with which we must be competitive.

Respectfully, I ask for your vote and we need your help to continue progressing the Nation’s business for the future. Our promises kept are very measurable, and you can be confident we will fulfill the above promises for the future because we have historical action to back up our word.

Food and Clothing

• We will expand our Donated Food Distribution sites so needy families don’t have to worry about where their next meal is coming from
• We will assist local food pantries to fill in the gap of social services and make sure no family goes hungry

Heating and Cooling

• We will provide more assistance for elders and the handicapped Cherokees for their heating and cooling bills, so they can be comfortable – and provide assistance for emergency weather issues

Housing

• We will help Cherokee families to build or buy more than 300 homes this year and more the next three years, so they have a home to call their own and learn to invest their money.  We will provide rental assistance to more that 1,000 families each year who have a hard time making ends meet.
• We will bring safety and security with a Cherokee law enforcement agency that respects and protects Cherokee homes and communities

Education

• We will increase college scholarship opportunities for our children so they can achieve the careers they desire
• We will provide increased vocational opportunities for students and adults who  want to work in a trade
• We will provide assistance to public schools so the quality of education for our Cherokee children will improve
• We will build Sequoyah High School into an outstanding leadership academy
• We will increase the head start and day care opportunities for our babies and children, providing assistance to their parents
• We will build more Cherokee language schools so more or our children can speak and write Cherokee
• We will provide 2,000 history, language and culture courses to our people to help preserve our heritage, our honor and our legacy
• We will expand the culture, art and language programs to our communities and schools
• We will build a “Vision Center,” where children, their parents and grandparents can see all of the careers there are to choose from and learn how to achieve those careers

Children

• We will expand the Back to School program so that every child’s first day back at school will be exciting
• We will provide more support to the protection of our children and Indian Child Welfare efforts
• We will increase child support efforts to provide children the family and financial resources they need
• We will support community and non-profit groups who assist our children 

Elderly

• We will build more Programs for All Inclusive Care for the Elderly programs so our elderly are cared for.
  
• We will expand the priority for the elderly and handicapped in housing  programs and remodel their homes so that can stay where they are most comfortable
• We will increase the number of, the size and the services at Elderly Nutrition Sites
• We will provide more eyeglasses and dentures to elderly and handicapped and other medical devices to assist the handicapped
• We will increase the number of doctors and medical staff to deal with the issues of our elderly

Jobs

• We will create 2,000 new jobs in different industries in the Cherokee Nation for Cherokees that want to use their skills; or teach them the new skills required for advancement in their jobs with the Cherokee Nation
• We will build a system that helps Cherokees get their foot in the door for the job they want
• We will prepare more Cherokees to advance in our businesses and give them the first shot at a promotion
• We will increase the number Cherokees recruited and offered the first chance for jobs at the Cherokee Nation and its businesses
• We will increase the number and amount of contracts provided to Indian owned businesses
• We will invest in green energy
• We will create markets for creative Cherokees to sell their art and crafts

Health

• We will build more clinics
• We will add more doctors and provide more specialty medical services and create a patient friendly system for making appointments
• We will improve Hastings Hospital with an expanded emergency room, an urgent care center,  and remodeled rooms and surgery centers, to ensure that our doctors and medical professionals can increase the quality of care for our people and reduce waiting times
• We will build a Medical Center at Hastings Hospital
• We will build a place for families to stay at Hastings Hospital while their loved ones are in the hospital
• We will develop a way for prescriptions to be delivered safely  to your mail box every 30 days
• We will add more doctors at Hastings Hospital, in areas like general surgery, orthopedic surgery, emergency room, internal medicine, OB/GYN, infectious disease, and  other identified areas of need
• We will improve programs to protect our people such as Repertory Therapy, Bariatric Programs, Mammography, Sleep Studies, and other identified areas of need  
• We will get more “State of the Art” equipment , such as ultrasound machines, radiology equipment, new exam room equipment
• We will provide dental services, including crowns and root canal surgeries
• We will build a clinic within 30 miles of every Cherokee in the Cherokee Nation
• We will build drug and alcohol treatment centers to help our citizens in need of these programs

Communities

• We will help more communities build the buildings they need and desire for their communities
• We will provide more water lines with community people leading the way
• We will combine our resources to build communities with good schools
• We will unite local and at large Cherokee communities, so we may truly know we are one family
• We will provide more emergency services in times of ice storms, tornadoes and floods,  including water, food, medicine and shelter

Sovereignty

• We will protect the Cherokee Nation from attacks  by anyone who challenges the sovereignty and rights of the Cherokee Nation and its people

Pride

• We will lead our government with accountability, transparency, growth and stability so that each one of us can be proud of our Nation.
• We will honor and recognize our heritage by restoring our cemeteries and historic buildings
• We will respect every Cherokee that he or she can choose the future they want and set a good example for our children

At large Cherokees

• We will connect “At-large Communities” with local communities and support more development, culture, language, history and genealogy programs

Veterans

• We will honor the sacrifice and contribution of veterans at public events
• We will build a Veterans center to serve the needs of veterans

We can do these things in the next four years because Principal Chief Chad Smith has proven he can lead us to accomplish “all things” we choose. We will succeed because Principal Chief Chad Smith cares about our people, the future of our children and the future of our Nation.