KnifeChief announces run for Pawnee Business Council

Nowah! I am Karla KnifeChief, Granddaughter of the late Irene Knife Chief Gonzales and Manual Gonzales, and Daughter of Joanne Gonzales Rankins and JW Rankins of Pawnee OK. My Son, Bobby KnifeHawk Johnson, is 19 yrs old and my Daughter, Skidi Star Leading Fox, is 10 yrs old. We all live in Pawnee, OK.

I am a candidate for the upcoming Pawnee Nation Election for Council Seat #2, Member.

I was born here in Pawnee, OK at the Pawnee IHS Hospital, February 3, 1963. I have lived in California, Texas, Arizona and Oklahoma.  I moved back to Pawnee in 1997 and have been here ever since.  I lived most of my life in Texas, where I attended elementary through High School in Wichita Falls, TX, and  I also attended Midwestern State University. While living in Arizona I attended Motorcycle Mechanics Institute and received a Technician Degree in motorcycle mechanics.

I am a hard worker.  I believe I have a strong sense of fairness inherited from my family.  I  have worked for many programs of the Pawnee Nation; Housing CIAP Program, Education, Tribal Employment Rights Office (TERO), Repatriation, Grounds Maintenance, Special Diabetes Program, Supervisor to the Housekeeping and Grounds Maintenance Department of the Pawnee IHS, and the Pawnee Health Center Project.

I previously served on the Housing Authority Board of Commissioners for two and a half years (June 2003- Dec 2005). I am currently employed at the Housing Authority of the Pawnee Tribe of Oklahoma as the Administrative Assistant and as the Homebuyer Educator.  I have received many certificates for training over the past 14 years, all relating to the Tribal Programs and Government.  Most recently, I completed New Municipal Officials Training, with the Oklahoma Municipal League; a requirement for the Pawnee City Council, in November 2010.  I currently represent Ward #1 for the City of Pawnee as a Member of the City Council.

I am an active volunteer for the Pawnee Bill Memorial Rodeo, and also volunteer for the Bikes for Tykes each in year during Christmas. I participated with the Pawnee Seed Preservation Project and Dancers of the Plains, in Kearney, NE, as well as participating in the Pawnee Language Program and am interested in doing so again.  My Family, as well as myself, are members of the Pawnee Chapter of the Native American Church.

I would like to be elected to the PBC to represent all the Pawnee people the best way I can.  I want all Pawnee tribal members to be considered  when the Council is making decisions on their behalf.    I would like the PBC to have the monthly meetings in the evening or weekends so any of our Tribal Members, or employees, can attend without having to take off their daytime job.  I would like to see more Elders, young men and women attend these meetings, to provide input or to just be fully informed about what is going on throughout the Pawnee Nation.

We are all Pawnee and want good things to happen for our Tribe in a good way.  I am looking forward to the future of the Pawnee Nation, and believe we can make good things happen.  In making a decision, I will take into consideration the voice of all Pawnee Tribal Members.  We need to look towards the future with a plan for our Tribe.

If a Tribal Member has questions, those questions should be answered.   This information includes any questions about the Pawnee Tribal Development Corporation (PTDC), a business created by the Pawnee Nation, for the Pawnee Tribal members; they work for us, and all of us.  The benefit of having the PTDC, is that it earns money for the Pawnee Nation.  With this not being  grant money, we can do what we choose with this money.  A Revenue Allocation Plan can and will help us determine a plan for Pawnee Nation’s success with this Pawnee Corporation.  I am very interested in Pawnee Nation’s success and would like to see more economic development to create more employment.  Not just with the gaming, but with more businesses in town or at the Tribal Reserve.

The Tribal Round House, the Community Building, the Camp Grounds; they all could use some rehab work.  These buildings and lands are investments of the future of our Tribal Members.  We need to take care of them so they will last for generations to come.  We also need to take care of our water supply.  We need to build assets so we can invest in the future of Pawnee Nation.  When we create a business, we should have a plan in place to train Tribal Members for the positions being created, and hire them to work for their tribe.  Let’s keep up with the times!

If you will VOTE for me, I will do the best I can because I care about our Elders, Families and the future of their children and the generations to come! With many, many blessings, Thank you for your time and God Bless You All! “ET DE WAY DO DA HEY”!

With Faith, Love, Hope and Charity, I remain, Karla Knife Chief, Pawnee Skidi Tribal Member.