Should the Cherokee Nation make campaign contributions to local, state and federal candidates and why?
Yes, but at the state and federal level, not at the local or county level. The issue is whether Cherokee Nation should influence public policy at the state and federal level. We should, because state and federal public policy has a direct impact on Cherokee Nation and the Cherokee people. We can do this in a variety of ways, including through diplomacy and lobbying to educate state and federal policy makers. Unfortunately, we live in a world where our ability to gain access to many state and federal policy makers requires that we participate in other aspects of the political process, including campaign finance. Donations to political campaigns should be one of many methods by which Cherokee Nation asserts its influence in the policy-making arena. Like most Cherokees, I’m troubled that we spend a dollar on politics when we have citizens who lack basic services or descent housing. However, the idea that we must to choose between investing in politics and investing in our people is a fals
