"Over the past few months I have been gearing up for the election of officers of the Cherokee Nation. I want to say that without the “Truth Report” in the Cherokee Phoenix, I would have been completely lost in the quagmire of fibs, exaggerations, omissions, over reporting, underreporting, secrets and bold faced lies.

I am a Cherokee elder living outside the Nation and in the past have been able to hold some values regarding the Cherokee people and their integrity. It saddens me greatly that the candidates chose this ugly path to pursue their personal agendas. I hate to burst Chad Smith’s and Bill John Baker’s bubbles, but this election is not about you. It is about who will lead the people into the future and who has the welfare of every Cherokee, wherever they live, as their one and only concern.

How disappointed I am that neither candidate for principal chief seems to have that mentality. I am aware of all the good deeds they have done, but my expectation of a chief is someone whose morals and standards stand above the rest. The last straw for me was receiving the last marketing post card about “fibs” from the Smith bunch, and then there were the “jet” stories from Baker's bunch."

Get the Story:
Lynne Holman: Election sham (The Cherokee Phoenix 8/31)

More Opinions:
J.R. Burris: If the stakes are high enough… (The Cherokee Phoenix 8/31)
Matthew Scraper: Benefits for at-large Cherokees (The Cherokee Phoenix 8/31)

Cherokee Nation Supreme Court Decision:
In the Matter of 2011 General Election (July 21, 2011)

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