Opinion

Patrick Lambert: My first month as Eastern Cherokee chief

Monday, November 16, 2015

Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Principal Chief Patrick Lambert on the campaign trail in September 2015. Photo from Facebook

Patrick Lambert was sworn in as principal chief of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians on October 5. He now offers his first report to members of the North Carolina tribe:

Hello everyone, the month of October has been very busy for me and our Tribe. We accomplished many things in the first 30 days after being sworn into office. There are many notable events, but what you will not find listed is all of the many people we have been able to assist with personal, family or professional concerns. We have averaged over 20 meetings a day, a flood of phone calls and paperwork and a huge amount of decisions needed on an immediate basis. I have worked every day including weekends since being sworn in and have not had a day of less than 10 hours in the office or at meetings yet. But, this is what it takes, and I will work as much as it takes to do the best job that I can on behalf of our Tribe.
It has been overwhelming with all the outflowing of support and a true honor to serve our Tribe in this capacity. I am grateful for all of the encouraging words, the phone calls, the text messages and the Facebook messages telling me to keep going and that we are doing a good job so far. I have made some tough calls and made some tough decisions this month also, but all my decisions are made for the “Greater Good and always for Putting our Cherokee Families First”. I have been working hard and finding many ways to stop wasteful spending and curtailing abuses within our system. I am also starting investigations on a few areas that look suspicious for possible fraud. For instance, the abuse of the Tribe’s credit cards and disappearance of Tribal equipment and property. As I’ve always said, I will not shy away from doing the right thing, even if some people get mad.
I appreciate the support and, as always, I am asking for your prayers and your patience. There is still so much work to be done and time is short. I have a lot of plans and ideas in the works, and I hope to continue on the path to a brighter future. I appreciate Tribal Council’s support and guidance, and I want to thank all the Tribal programs for your hard work and cooperation. I also want to thank my staff for working so hard and sticking with the daily challenges. I know it’s been very trying at times, and I just appreciate all they do to keep the executive office running smoothly.

Get the Story:
Patrick Lambert: Principal Chief’s Report for October (The Cherokee One Feather 11/16)