Cherokee Nation Tribal Councilor Joe Deere this morning responded to a question about how he will vote in the special election June 15th, 2024. The question is whether the Tribe should call a constitutional convention.
A constitutional convention would create an independent committee created of seven members that would include two members from each branch of the government and a seventh appointee selected by the first six committee members. This convention commission would propose amendments, revisions, or alterations to the current constitution to voters.
Councilor Deere said the question is if the Cherokee Nation Constitution needs to be changed. He referred to the old adage, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
“The Cherokee Nation has moved forward rapidly the last 20 years. We have grown to over 465,000 citizens with positive results both on the reservation and at-large. The framework we have used for this positive progress is our constitution as it is. Our education, healthcare, and language programs continue to lead the way while we maintain financial soundness. Our constitution has allowed for the strengthening of Tribal sovereignty, this, is why I am voting no at the Cherokee Nation special election June 15th,” said Deere.
Councilor Deere added that potential proposed changes to the constitution, “could be something like abolishing term limits for elected officials. That would be a mistake. Term limits allow new ideas to be heard, as well as allow people who are not career politicians to serve the Nation for an amount of time making positive changes from their experience in the community. Term limits also create a type of urgency, we know we can’t waste time we don’t have making the positive impact that we want.”
Councilor Deere urged Cherokee Nation registered voters to visit the polls on June 15th to cast their ballot during this special election, “a core component of our constitution is the right of the people to vote and make their voices heard”.