Our Moral Test

As long as the public doesn't see a problem, it is easy for the Cherokee Nation government to ignore that problem. 

The PR department gives us photos of the chief standing with a smiling family that just received a key to new "Indian" house. Those pictures make our nation and the administration look good. It's the image our "powers that be" want to present to the world. The problem is, those aren't the only pictures of the Cherokee Nation. The unpublished pictures reveal a hidden sadness that exists in our nation.

Here are the pictures the public relations department won't show you:

A "Cherokee Nation Roof Repair" -

Yes, that's right! Damaged roof? No problem! The Cherokee Nation will bring a tarp out and fix that sucker right up! 

And what happens when you go an extended time with roof damage in the winter? You can't keep heat in your house so your pipes burst! 

Aw, well, the Cherokee Nation has no band-aid for that so guess you're walking to the pump house for water now.

And what happens when you go an extended time with roof damage in the spring? Water runs into your home from rain and it gets the ceiling and floor wet.

Yay! As an added bonus to the damaged roof, you now not only have no running water due to burst pipes, but also black mold  and a rotten floor!

These are photos from the home of one of our Cherokee elders. This elder has health issues and can no longer work. He needs help. He's asked for help. He's been promised help. But he's still waiting for that help after SEVEN MONTHS!

Why? Why is this man still waiting for help?

I've worked in the financial industry. I understand we have one bucket for this money and one bucket for that money and another bucket for other money. I understand each bucket of money has it's own allocated purpose. I understand that, but I don't care about that and I don't want to hear about that. What I do care about is the Cherokee people and what I want to hear is that they will get help when they need it. 

I don't want to hear excuses. I want to hear solutions. 

I don't want to hear "we can't." I want to hear "we will." 

And I don't want to hear "he'll have to wait." He's waited long enough.

Seeing is believing and a picture speaks a thousand words. It's easy for the "powers that be" to ignore something as long as the public doesn't see it. Now we've seen it. Now we believe it. And now we demand action. This is our nation's moral test. How will we measure up?

Those are my thoughts for today.
Thanks for reading.














**Update - 1:00 pm, Sept. 18, 2014 ~~ Someone from the Cherokee Nation Housing Rehab program visited the man and told him they have two houses they are roofing and then he is next. We will continue to update this post until the Cherokee Nation follows through and this Cherokee elder's needs are met.

copyright 2014, Polly's Granddaughter - TCB

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