Cherokee Nation swears in new officials

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. — For at least eight weeks, the Cherokee Nation has a new temporary principal chief.

S. Joe Crittenden, who was elected deputy chief July 23 in a run-off, was sworn in Sunday afternoon, first as deputy chief, then principal chief.

After each oath administered by Cherokee Nation Supreme Court justice Darrell Dowty, the spectators at the Place Where They Play activity center at Sequoyah High School roared their approval.

Crittenden will remain principal chief until a winner is declared in the race between now-former principal chief Chad Smith and Tribal Council member Bill John Baker, both from Tahlequah, Okla. Last month, the Cherokee Nation Supreme Court invalidated the results from the June 25 general election after multiple recounts, court hearings and allegations from both sides of irregularities. The new election is set for Sept. 24.

A Tribal Council member from Stilwell, Okla., Crittenden is a graduate of Northeastern State University and is a Vietnam War veteran. He has served the nation in some capacity under every elected Cherokee chief since W.W. Keeler.

As part of his inaugural address, Crittenden listed several areas he would like to change or improve while in office, including creating more jobs for Cherokee citizens within the tribe’s 14-county jurisdiction, increasing scholarship funding for students receiving Pell Grants or pursuing health care-related degrees and raising the amount of casino revenue put back into tribal services.

“I’m going to meet with brokers to see about possible implementation,” Crittenden said over loud applause. “That money belongs to the people. The government can be good stewards of it, though.”

Later, Crittenden acknowledged that his short tenure in office will limit any potential changes.

“Eight weeks is pretty short,” he said. “I’ve got to deal with the budget and there’s a lot to do right now.”

The tribe’s fiscal year starts on Oct. 1. The Tribal Council will hold budget hearings for the coming year later this month. On Aug. 3, the Smith administration presented a budget of $579 million for 2012.

Along with wrestling with the budget, Crittenden said his other immediate priority is to ensure stability for tribal employees and, as time allows, examine the housing, health care and education programs.

With Crittenden serving as acting principal chief, Tribal Council speaker Meredith Frailey of Locust Grove, Okla., was sworn in as acting deputy chief during Sunday’s ceremony.


“The torch has been temporarily passed to Chief Crittenden and I,” Frailey said in her inauguration address. “We will demonstrate to the world that we are indeed a united nation.”

Eight Tribal Council members were also sworn in Sunday. Current members Tina Glory-Jordan, Janelle Fullbright, Cara Cowan Watts and Julia Coates were re-elected in the general election on June 25 and Jodie Fishinghawk was re-elected in last month’s runoff. First-term councilors David Walkingstick of Tahlequah, Okla., and Dick Lay from Ochelata, Okla., won their seats in last month’s runoff as well. First-term councilor Lee Keener Jr., from Claremore, Okla., won his seat in the general election.