Why won't Chief Baker hold Elizabeth Warren accountable?

In a recent Associated Press article that has been widely distributed, Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Bill John Baker is quoted as saying the attacks on Elizabeth Warren by Trump and his supporters are "incredibly offensive and distasteful."

While I agree with Baker that Trump and his supporters are doing and saying incredibly offensive and distasteful things, I also believe Warren should be held accountable for her role in the fiasco. Baker’s failure to address the issue of Warren’s fraudulent claims of Cherokee ancestry troubles people and they wonder if he is more concerned about helping the Democratic Party than he is in defending the sovereignty of the Cherokee Nation. His past actions may offer the answer to that question.

On April 8, 2016 at the Carl Albert Dinner during the OklahomaState Democratic Convention, Bill John Baker was the keynote speaker. “He gave a stirring speech highlighting ... his commitment to the Democratic Party.”

Click to Enlarge

Recent examples of that commitment are shown in the following two images.

February 27, 2016, while campaigning for his wife, Hillary, Bill Clinton was introduced by Chief Baker who also presented him with a ceremonial blanket.

Click to Enlarge

In June 2016, Chief Baker and the Cherokee Nation Secretary of State Chuck Hoskin Jr. met with Elizabeth Warren, the U.S. Senator who falsely claims to be Cherokee, and Baker tweeted that she is a champion of the people.

Click to Enlarge

And, in 2012, despite the fact that citizens from the Cherokee Nation, United Keetoowah Band, and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians were speaking out against Warren’s false claim of Cherokee identity, Baker excused it and said he wished everyone felt such a kinship to us.

Because he’s the chief of the Cherokee Nation, concerning the issue of Cherokee identity politics, Baker should be taking a pro-Indian position but he isn’t.

Anthropologist Michael Lambert, a citizen of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians described Cherokee identity politics as a “battle over sovereignty”:

"One of the terrains on which this is being fought is that of how we define “Indian.” The current effort to define Indian as a racial/cultural group is an effort to extinguish Indian sovereignty.  The only way for Indian nations to defend and expand their sovereignty is to make exclusive claim to defining who is Indian and what it means to be Indian. If Indians have sovereignty, then culture, behavior, and belief should have nothing to do with who is or is not Indian. … What does this have to do with non-enrolled Cherokees identifying as such? I see the basis of claims to Indian identity to be political acts. This is, and has been, a battle over sovereignty. One who bases their claim to Indian identity on any basis other than sovereignty is not taking a pro-Indian position.” [Emphasis mine]

Despite her meeting with Chief Baker, Warren has never apologized or retracted her false claim to a Cherokee/Indian identity. Warren has committed, and is continuing to commit, a political act that challenges tribal sovereignty. By ignoring the fact that citizenship in an Indian Nation is a factor in who is or is not Indian, Bill John Baker is allowing a direct attack on tribal sovereignty while offering no defense against the attack. He is not acting in our best interest or in the interest of Indian Country as a whole. Instead, he’s abusing his office to try to influence U.S. politics.

Baker has twice taken the Oath of Office swearing to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the Cherokee Nation. Our Constitution includes the law for determining who is and who isn’t Cherokee. Baker is not defending our Constitution when he turns a blind eye to Warren’s challenge to our sovereignty. Some view his defense and support of Warren as a willful neglect of his duties and as a violation of his oath of office.

Making stereotypical war whoops and using our ancestors’ names to taunt someone is unacceptable, but so is engaging in ethnic fraud and undermining tribal sovereignty. The Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation, Bill John Baker, had the opportunity to denounce the actions of members of both political parties while also educating the American public about why all of these things matter. Sadly, he failed to do so because it would have required him to put the Cherokee Nation’s interests above his own personal political loyalties. Instead of remaining neutral, he chose a side. If there was any doubt before, there should not be any now. He is “Bill John Baker, Democrat” first and “Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation Bill John Baker” second.

Those are my thoughts for today.
Thanks for reading






Michael Lambert quote source -

Sturm, Circe. Becoming Indian: The Struggle over Cherokee Identity in the Twenty-first Century. School for Advanced Research Press, 2011.

copyright 2016, Polly's Granddaughter - TCB

Tweet

Chief Baker, Prove Me Wrong.

UPDATE: 15 October 2015 - Linda Wolfe was notified that the Cherokee Nation will cover the medical care she desperately needs. She would like to thank everyone who worked to help her get what she needed. She also appreciates that she was in so many thoughts and prayers during her time of need. 
____________________________________________

Below is a post from Thursday, January 29, 2015. This woman is still waiting for help. Her allergies are so bad, she is having numerous secondary health problems now. The day after the election, after the results were announced, I sent her a message telling her who won. She responded, "Well, I guess there's no hope for me now."

I nearly broke down in tears. As much as I wanted to tell her we could get her the help she desperately needed, I knew I couldn't promise that. 

I truly believe this woman is a national treasure. She speaks our language and has since birth. At the rate we are losing speakers of the Cherokee language, we MUST do all we can to protect those who still speak our native tongue as their first language. We MUST utilize the knowledge of these Cherokees to revitalize our language or we are going to lose it.

I would like to believe that our chief, Bill John Baker, cares enough about the people to step in and say, "We have to do something to help this sick woman." Sadly, I don't think he will do it. I don't think Baker is going to do anything to help anyone unless they worked on his campaign, donated to his campaign, or has something to offer him in exchange for his helping them. 

If Chief Baker truly cares about the people he was elected to serve, he will act to help this woman, a woman who has nothing to offer him personally, but who has much to offer us as a nation. I don't think he will do it.

The ball's in your court now, Chief Baker. Prove me wrong. 

*

A Voice Lost in Cherokee Nation Health Services

Linda Wolfe, a full blood Indian and speaker of the Cherokee language, has been trying to navigate the Indian Health Care system for over 5 years. At 47, she's still a fairly young woman, but because she is sick, she can no longer work. Often, she can't talk because her illness steals her voice.

After making circles in the IHS holding pattern for three years, finally, in February 2013, Linda was referred to an allergy specialist in Tahlequah. That doctor did tests, evaluated the results, and said Linda needed allergy shots.  While the clinic said they could cover the cost of the shots, Linda would be required to cover the cost of her weekly office call visits, totaling about $120 per month. The Cherokee Nation's IHS wouldn't cover that cost and Linda couldn't afford it, so she's gone without treatment. 

Linda has tried to go outside IHS to get help. She isn't eligible for Sooner Care because she has no children. She couldn't use the free clinic in Pryor, Oklahoma because they told her she was an Indian and had IHS. She can't afford "Obama Care" because Oklahoma didn't accept the Medicaid expansion. She's contacted her Cherokee Nation council person. She's contacted other council people. She's even contacted Connie Davis, executive director of Cherokee Nation Health Services. If it is an option, she's explored it, yet she's still had to go without treatment.

As time has passed and with treatment denied, Linda's health has suffered in other ways. Due to her severe allergies, headaches were no stranger to her, but the one she had several months ago was different. It was a pounding, aching headache like she'd never before experienced. She was in so much pain, she had to lay down.  As Linda rested her head on the pillow, for a moment, she thought she might die because the pain was unbearable. Then she felt a "pop" and the pressure and pounding in her head was gone. At that same moment, something ran down the side of her face. It was blood and was coming out of her ear. A subsequent trip to the doctor revealed that congestion from her allergies was so substantial, it caused her eardrum to burst from the pressure. 

Often, when problems like Linda's are brought to light, the administration's excuse is that the person fell through the cracks. We've been told this enough that it's clear, we don't just have cracks, we have very deep and wide chasms full of people. 

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Enough!

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 "she'll have to wait." She's waited long enough.

It's easy for our administration to ignore a problem as long as our people aren't aware of it. They can't ignore Linda any more. Now we know about her. Now we care about her. And now we demand action. She's lost her voice, but we haven't lost ours. Each of us has a chance to become the voice of the voiceless; to speak for those who can no longer speak; and to stand with those who are standing alone. 

You have a choice. What will you do?

Those are my thoughts for today.
Thanks for reading. 






*Linda Wolfe made the decision to go public with her identity so the post has been updated on 21 Aug 2015 to include it.

copyright 2015, Polly's Granddaughter - TCB

Tweet

Our Right to Privacy

Many of my readers are probably already aware that I, along with another Cherokee Nation citizen, Cheryl Brown, have filed a complaint with the Cherokee Nation Attorney General's office concerning a breach of confidential information and violation of the federal Privacy Act protecting that information. 

While Chief Baker's supporters are trying to spin the complaint into a political issue, it isn't. This complaint is about protecting the privacy of ALL Cherokee citizens. If an unauthorized release of information happens to one of us, it could happen to ANY of us. No matter where you fall in the political spectrum during this election cycle, I think we would all agree that our people are justified in expecting that our right to privacy is protected.

Ms. Brown and I have a history of speaking out when we see wrong doing. 

Cheryl Brown, left; me, in the center; speaking at the Oklahoma City press conference about Chief Baker's participation in the Inhofe pigeon shoot.

The complaint we filed is not about a candidate for council, but instead about a person in a position of trust violating that trust. 

Currently, this complaint only focuses on the contractor who is in question of violating the trust of the Cherokee people. Should this complaint, which has five strong pieces of documentation supporting it, be swept under the rug, it will then not only reflect on the current chief, Chief Baker, who gave this person access to confidential records by giving him a job, but it will also be a reflection on our Cherokee Nation Attorney General, bringing into question whether Cherokee citizens are able to get justice through that office.

Those are my thoughts for today.
Thanks for reading.





Note - This is a suspected violation of the federal privacy act, therefore anyone can report it. Because this is a suspected violation of the privacy act, the agency involved, the Cherokee Nation Registration Department and/or Cherokee Nation, must follow certain procedures in reporting the suspected violation.

copyright 2015, Polly's Granddaughter - TCB

Tweet

"Kalyn is involved. It'll get done now."

Inquiring minds want to know what Kalyn Free's real job is with the Cherokee Nation. She's supposed to be a lawyer, but for some reason, it seems nothing happens at the Cherokee Nation unless she's got her fingerprint on it. For example, why would a lawyer working for Cherokee Nation Businesses get involved in a Cherokee Nation Housing Emergency or Rehab job?

Please review the following timeline of events concerning the replacement home received by Ross Wilson to see what I mean.

August 28, 2014 - Cherokee citizen spoke with Baker about Wilson's situation. ~ Baker was aware and said Wilson was approved for $5000 in Emergency Repair help.

September 18, 2014 - Our Moral Test was published in this blog.

September 26, 2014 -

• FINALLY the Emergency repairs were started on Wilson's trailer. The pipes were fixed and the roof repairs were scheduled to start.
• Dead Birds Leave Stain on the Cherokee Nation published in this blog.
• Cherokee Citizen, Michael Moore, requested investigation of Baker's participation in the pigeon shoot.

September 27, 2014 -

• Kalyn Free sent a message to a person employed by the Cherokee Nation asking them to get Wilson's contact info, apparently from me, because she included a link to my blog post, Our Moral Test, in that message. The person she contacted sent me a screen print of her message to them along with the statement, "Kalyn is involved. It'll get done now." *
• My response was that the water was fixed and the roof repairs were scheduled which makes it obvious the repairs had already been started.
  
  

The repairs had been started. There was no reason for Kalyn Free to get involved at that point. 

September 30, 2014 -

• I, along with two other Cherokee women, spoke at a press conference denouncing the chief's participation in the pigeon shoot. 
• Several hours after the press conference, Wilson was notified that he was getting a brand new trailer and contacted me.
• I notified the Cherokee Nation employee above that Wilson was getting a new trailer.
• A few hours later, the same Cherokee Nation employee posted on Facebook, saying they had just confirmed that Ross Wilson was getting a brand new trailer and that employee was praising Baker for it, suggesting we should all be happy that we have a chief that listens to the people and helps those in desperate need. (Worth a mention - this same employee who praised Baker  was desperately trying to make sure their contract working for the nation got renewed at this time.)

It's pretty clear by the timeline that Free got involved because she needed to do damage control to detract the attention of Cherokees away from the negative pigeon shoot to something that appeared positive like giving a Cherokee a new home. While "giving" a man a free home looks good on the surface, it brings about many questions.

• Why does Kalyn Free have to get involved in order for things to get done?
• Is Kalyn Free actually the one doing the job as chief while Baker is just a figurehead? 
• Is it Kalyn Free's job to do damage control for the current administration, in essence, is she being paid to distract us or hide things from us so we can't really see what is going on?
• Baker said Wilson didn't qualify for a replacement home, so why after Free got involved, did Wilson suddenly qualify for and get a replacement home? 

So many questions, so few answers. As nice as it would be to know the answers to these questions, because of changes to our Freedom of Information Act law, we can't get these answers. Free's contract is hidden behind the "wall" of the CNB. What exactly does Free do for the nation? Why does Baker hide it from us? What do Free and Baker have to fear by sharing her contract and salary with us? The inquiring minds of the Cherokee voters want to know..................

Those are my thoughts for today.
Thanks for reading.





*The screen print from Free will be shared in a following post.

copyright 2015, Polly's Granddaughter - TCB

Tweet

Bill John Baker - Leader or Misleader?

They say the cover up is always worse than the crime. According to Mickie Kennedy, founder of eReleases PR, "It’s one thing to be guilty of doing something wrong; it’s a completely other issue to be a deceiver, trying to hide the truth from the public." Perhaps Chief Bill John Baker, should have consulted Mr. Kennedy before making this speech to a group of Cherokee Nation At Large citizens in California, October 18, 2014.

Baker was referring to Ross Wilson, a man whose home needed repairs and whose home was featured in the post, "Our Moral Test". Baker said the delay in getting Wilson help was because he fell through the cracks. Baker stated Wilson didn't qualify for various types of help and blamed it on the federal government saying they never thought about "these people." He emphasized Wilson couldn't get help because "he didn't own the land!"

I've never been one to beat around the bush, so I won't start now. Baker's statements are not true and there is ample documentation to show it.

Wilson's home was damaged January 5, 2014. He applied for help with repairs and WAS approved for Emergency Repair up to the amount of $5000.

According to the Cherokee Nation Housing Rehab Programs Policy and Procedures, on page 18, where Emergency Repair is discussed, it says, "Property must be owner occupied or the occupant must have a long term lease." [emphasis mine]

As you can see, there is no requirement to own the property, but instead, to be locked into a long term lease on said property. 

Per the requirements, Wilson got a long term lease, dated February 21, 2014, and filed it in Delaware County court. The lease includes the following statement, "Agrees that a copy of this lease will be kept on file with the Housing Rehab Program of the Cherokee Nation."

In May, June, July and August, the Housing Rehab Program posted Request for Bid packets on a "NAHASDA Emergency of one home" for Wilson.

Click photo for more information.

Click photo for more information.

Click photo for more information.

Click photo for more information.

Sometime after August 8, 2014, a bid of $6400 was accepted from Cherokee Home Builders.

Clearly, Wilson qualified and was approved for help or there would have been no reason for him to file his lease with the Cherokee Nation Rehab Department or for that department to submit four different requests for bids and to eventually accept a bid for the work needed on his home.

Now that you know Wilson DID qualify for help and WAS approved for help, watch the video again.

Despite everything Baker says in that video, you've seen the documentation that shows Wilson was approved for help. The help simply didn't come. That is not the fault of Wilson, nor is it the fault of the federal government. Our Emergency and Rehab programs have problems, as discussed in the Cherokee Nation Community Services Committee Meeting on July 14, 2014. The delay in Wilson's home getting the needed repairs is not an isolated case. Chief Baker had the opportunity to admit we have problems but chose not to do so. Instead he tried to deceive Cherokee citizens, voters, into believing he had to fight a bad system put in place by the federal government in order to get one of his people some help. It is simply not true.

After hearing Baker's words and seeing the documentation above, what do you think? Is Baker a leader of our nation or his he a misleader of the people? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below.



Those are my thoughts for today.
Thanks for reading.





*Note: I'm aware there are other issues with Baker's words in the video. This is only the first in a series of posts that will reveal the details of what happened before, during and after Mr. Wilson received his new home, courtesy of the Cherokee Nation. While I am forever grateful that Mr. Wilson now has a home where he is warm and where he has running water, I feel the false information being passed along about his story needs to be addressed with factual information that can be supported with documentation. The Cherokee people deserve to know the truth.

**Ross Wilson's identity had never been revealed in this blog until now. His name has only been released after receiving permission from him to do so and only after at least one Cherokee Nation employee has shared it on social media.

copyright 2015, Polly's Granddaughter - TCB

Tweet

Cherokee Elder To Get a New Home

I know my readers will be delighted to hear that the Cherokee elder featured in "Our Moral Test" will be getting a new mobile home, courtesy of the Cherokee Nation.

Many thanks to all of you who have advocated for his needs by emailing your council members, sharing his story on social media, and praying for him. Your care and concern for a fellow Cherokee shows the compassion that exists among the Cherokee people.

Thanks also go out to those in leadership positions who worked behind the scenes to make this happen. Your willingness to listen to the people in this matter is greatly appreciated.


Those are my thoughts for today.
Thanks for reading.

copyright 2014, Polly's Granddaughter - TCB

Tweet

More Footage of Chief Baker at the Inhofe Fundraiser

Those are my thoughts for today.
Thanks for reading.

copyright 2014, Polly's Granddaughter - TCB

Tweet

Cherokee Nation Citizen Demands Investigation of Chief Baker's Participation in Pigeon Shoot

Cherokee Nation citizen, Michael E. Moore, has submitted a letter to Cherokee Nation Attorney General, Todd Hembree, demanding an investigation into Principal Chief Baker's recent participation in a Pigeon Shoot fundraiser for US Senator from Oklahoma. James Inhofe.

Moore states Baker's participation occurred during Cherokee Nation work hours, while Baker was wearing a Cherokee Nation shirt and driving a Cherokee Nation vehicle. Moore also states that he believes Baker has violated Cherokee Nation code, Title 21, Section 1685, our "injury to animals" law.

Moore asked that Hembree recuse himself and appoint an impartial prosecutor or grand jury to hear the evidence and determine if charges should be filed against Chief Baker.

Moore is licensed to practice law in the Cherokee Nation and is well versed in Cherokee Nation law.

You can read his full letter submitted to Cherokee Nation AG, Todd Hembree, below.

*Posted with permission from Michael E. Moore.

copyright 2014, Polly's Granddaughter - TCB

Tweet

Dead Birds Leave a Stain on the Cherokee Nation

Many of you have already heard about US Senator from Oklahoma, James Inhofe's "Pigeon Shoot" fundraiser.  What you might not have heard is that Bill John Baker, Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation, participated in it and that the Cherokee Nation was listed as a Gold Level sponsor of it.

Here is a video of the event. I think it is important everyone see exactly what a "pigeon shoot" is.

Here is a picture of our chief, Bill John Baker, participating. He's on the right, holding a gun. 

Here's the chief's official Cherokee Nation vehicle parked at the event.

Photo from Shark

Here is the Cherokee Nation listed as a Gold Level Host. 

Photo from Shark

Yesterday, in the Finance Sub Committee Meeting, the donations to Inhofe were mentioned, including this event. It was fully acknowledged that Chief Baker participated. Chuck Hoskin, Jr. said Cherokee Nation Businesses donated the $2500 to Inhofe so Baker could attend.

If the chief of our nation does something on a personal level, that is his business, but if he does something as our representative, under the title of the Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation, then it becomes our business. We have Cherokee Nation citizens living in homes that are in desperate need of repair. We have people who are on waiting lists for health services because "there is no money left" for this year. We have families that can't bury their loved ones because "there's no money to help with that." We can't help the Cherokee people, yet we have money to send our chief out to shoot pigeons and rub elbows with a US Senator who has never been a friend to the American Indian? Are you kidding me?

Don't get me wrong. I'm not an animal rights activist. I believe in hunter's rights, but this pigeon shoot was not a hunt. The death of these pigeons served no purpose other than to stuff the campaign coffers of a man who doesn't give one hoot about American Indians or their causes. The fact that Cherokee Nation money, from any entity of the Cherokee Nation, went to Inhofe for this event infuriates me. Our chief attending and participating leaves me in shock.  

This was not just some employee of the Cherokee Nation going out and participating in something disgusting. This was the top elected official of the Cherokee Nation, OUR CHIEF, participating in an event where living creatures were killed just for the sake of killing them, on our dime while driving our vehicle and listing us as a sponsor of the event. We the Cherokee people are the Cherokee Nation. Bill John Baker did not just damage his own reputation by participating in this "pigeon shoot", but damaged ours as well. To me, and many other Cherokees, that is absolutely unacceptable.

Those are my thoughts for today.
Thanks for reading.

copyright 2014, Polly's Granddaughter - TCB

Tweet