Bill John Baker named official winner in Cherokee chief electionPosted in Articles, Native Americans/First Nation, New Media, Politics/Public Policy, United States on 2011-10-13 17:50Z by Steven |
Bill John Baker named official winner in Cherokee chief election
Tusla World
2011-10-13
Lenzy Krehbiel-Burton, World Correspondent
TAHLEQUAH – Bill John Baker is now officially principal chief-elect of the Cherokee Nation.
About 1:45 p.m. Wednesday, the Cherokee Nation Election Commission certified the results from the tribe’s special election. The certified results show Baker defeating former chief Chad Smith, 10,703 votes to 9,128.
“I’d just like to thank every person involved in this election,” said commission chairwoman Susan Plumb. “First and foremost, a big thank you to the voters, who came out in record numbers. We received ballots from all 50 states and four foreign countries.”
Almost 20,000 Cherokee citizens voted in the special election, an increase of 5,000 people from the June 25 general election…
…Among the Baker supporters were several freedmen who came in part because of a tribal Supreme Court order issued Tuesday afternoon.
The order, filed at noon, declined to recognize an agreement brokered in federal district court that reinstated the tribal citizenship of 2,800 freedmen descendants.
“This is a time-out for all the racism that’s going on in all the tribes,” said Yvette Hill. “The large amount he (Baker) won by shows that the Cherokee Nation is not for that. The people have spoken, and the tribe needs to be an example.”
About 1,200 freedmen were registered to vote. It is unknown how many cast ballots in the special election.
The tribe’s attorney general, Diane Hammons, issued a statement Tuesday that the tribe does not have the option of ignoring a federal order. As of Wednesday, it is still unclear, what – if any – impact the justices’ order will have on the election.
On Aug. 22, the tribe’s Supreme Court had upheld a 2007 tribal referendum that disenrolled the freedmen descendants and required at least one Cherokee ancestor on the final Dawes Rolls in order to apply for citizenship…
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