LJWorld.com / Chief urges Indians to preserve culture

Archive for Thursday, August 21, 2003

By Kelly Kurt - Associated Press Writer

August 21, 2003

TULSA, OKLA. — The rise of groups openly hostile to American Indian tribes is one reason the Cherokee Nation must work to preserve its culture, create jobs and build communities, the tribe's newly re-elected chief says.

Principal Chief Chad Smith spoke Tuesday at a meeting of The Associated Press-Oklahoma News Executives.

The tribe's initiatives are important should opinion turn against tribal governments, he said. He said some groups had spoken out against expanding tribal authority.

"We believe in the next 100 years the pendulum will swing against us," Smith said.

Smith, who was sworn in for a second term last week, also spoke against the use of Indian mascots for sports teams, saying they treat tribal members as second-class citizens.

Such mascots continue to be used out of ignorance, he said.

"People are going to realize there's not a lot of value in this anymore," he said.

He welcomed decisions by some news organizations to avoid using mascot names that American Indians find offensive in referring to sports teams.

Union Public Schools' use of its "Redskins" mascot has been called into question by Indian groups. Fifteen other Oklahoma schools use the team name, and hundreds of schools use other Indian names for mascots.

Smith said the term "redskin" referred to a scalp sold for a bounty.

The tribe chooses to take on the mascot issue on a case-by-case basis.

Part of the problem, Smith said, is that many people do not understand what a tribe is.

He pointed out a court ruling that found tribes are not a racial group but sovereign nations that have government-to-government relations with the United States.

The Cherokee Nation entered into treaties with Great Britain before the United States existed, he said. When Oklahoma became a state, it was "subject to the existing rights of the tribes," he said.

Smith said he would like to see the state enter into a compact with tribes enabling them to make their gaming operations more attractive to the Oklahoma market.

He said the state was losing business to other states that offer Las Vegas-style gaming.