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Appearing on COMMUNITY CONNECTION Tuesday, Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. touched on several subjects including COVID-19, WIFI connectivity for tribal households, preserving tribal history and the language and moving forward in the wake of the SCOTUS McGirt decision.

 

Chief Hoskin said Cherokee Nation is now in phase 2A of their COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan.

 

Phase 2A includes Cherokee Nation’s critical workers such as Cherokee Nation’s teachers, child care and head start staff, infrastructure support, and food distribution program staff. 

 

 

“This is an exciting step for our health system as we are now able to provide more tribal citizens, from Cherokee Nation teachers to citizens 55 and older with this added protection,” said Cherokee Nation Health Services Executive Director Dr. R. Stephen Jones. “As we receive more vaccines, we will continue vaccinating more groups in the coming months according to the phases in the Cherokee Nation’s distribution plan.”

 

Since receiving the first distribution of vaccines on December 14, the Cherokee Nation has administered more than 6,500 vaccines, including about 900 Cherokee speakers.

 

Vaccinations are being administered by appointment only for established Cherokee Nation Health Services patients within Phase 1 and now phase 2A of the tribe’s distribution plan.

 

Those Cherokee elders 65 and older who have yet to be vaccinated should also call for an appointment.

 

Individuals that meet phased distribution criteria can schedule an appointment by calling 1-539-234-4099. Qualifying appointments are being scheduled from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday, excluding holidays. Walk-ins are not being taken at this time.

 

Chief Hoskin gave us a preview of a big program Cherokee Nation hopes to roll out soon concerning WIFI hot spots to ensure tribal members in all 14 counties have access t the internet.  

 

Hoskin said the first part will involve allowing hot spot availablitiy outside the Cherokee medical and community center in Ochelata and at the Cherokee Casino in Ramona. Although Hoskin could not elaborate at this time, he hinted the nation is workiing with the FCC to set up localized WIFI hotspots throughout the reservation.

 

Preserving the nation's history and language are very high priorities for Cherokee Nation. Chief Hoskin reminded us the nation had recently purchased the Cherokee Heritage Center in Tallequah from a private enitity and said plans are being made to turn it into a state-of-the-art Cherokee history facility.

 

Hoskin also gave us an update on the future Durbin Feeling Language Center and five new efficiency homes for Cherokee speakers that will be located next to the facility in Tahlequah.  

 

The former Cherokee Casino Tahlequah building is being remodeled and expanded into the Durbin Feeling Language Center, named in honor of the late Cherokee linguist Durbin Feeling. The new language center will house all of the tribe’s language programs, including the Cherokee Immersion Charter School, the Cherokee Language Master Apprentice Program, and the Cherokee Nation translation team. This will be the first time all Cherokee Nation language programs will be housed together under one roof.