Massive backlog on Cherokee citizenship applications

[jorbathehutt]

I just wanted to let everyone know that there is a huge backlog of applications being filed by the Cherokee Nation.
I was talking to them and they said that there were over 20.000 applications to process! There is currently a 17 to 18 MONTH waiting list.

Are anyone of you filing for citizenship? Because we have a LONG way to go...

Also, I'm not sure if I want to join the Cherokee Nation. I've heard some bad things about them, like stripping Freedmen of their citizenship, abuse of tribal funds, and other things?

Is any of that true, or am I just reading propaganda?
I'm proud of being Cherokee, but they seem to get the bad rap:

The fake "tribes" making money
The controversy over the Freedmen

Stay tuned to this thread as I (we) countdown the waiting list...

[IlnuSoldier]

Actually-- the problem is everyone and their mom trying to get tribal monies for being Cherokee...

.. and the Cherokee having to constantly deal with non-cherokee trying to take resources away from actual Cherokee families...

My advice is this : Unless you are going to move out to the rez, why do you need to be enrolled ?

Everybody on this board already knows how I feel about being enrolled....and my take on the issue.... so I won't get into that..

But, point is... enrollement is not so much an "identity issue" as it is a legal and finacial issue.

If you don't seriously need a place to live (the rez) or money to get by......then don't bother enrolling.

[sherryh1014]

cherokee citizenship

the reason that i need to become a citizen of the cherokee is without my papers i can't sell my stuff as indian made. also I need medical and without the papers i can't get it! The only thing my father gave me was diabetes now i need help paying for it!

[jorbathehutt]

Actually, I am disabled to the point where working is effectively impossible, and I have actually thought about living on the rez. It's my people's home, and I would feel better if I was among my own people. I don't belive in doing it for the money, or anything like that. I need the services more than anything. Rent just kills me, even though my parents subsidize me, Out of $775, I still end up paying $525 per month.

I get $670 from SSI and I get about 40 dollars in food stamps. I am currently fighting the food stamp issue.

I am thinking about getting a Pell Grant, and going to school in the dorms for a degree in some sort of animal science, since I love horses. That way, I could avoid paying rent until I save enough to be able to make it by.

I was wondering, if I go live on the rez, is Northeastern State a decent school?

You know, having a disibility that controls your life just sucks, it really does. Im not trying to make this a "Im so disabled, please help me, boo hoo" sort of thing, I just want to explain where I'm coming from.

[Josiah]

I just wanted to let everyone know that there is a huge backlog of applications being filed by the Cherokee Nation.
I was talking to them and they said that there were over 20.000 applications to process! There is currently a 17 to 18 MONTH waiting list.

Are anyone of you filing for citizenship? Because we have a LONG way to go...

Also, I'm not sure if I want to join the Cherokee Nation. I've heard some bad things about them, like stripping Freedmen of their citizenship, abuse of tribal funds, and other things?

Is any of that true, or am I just reading propaganda?
I'm proud of being Cherokee, but they seem to get the bad rap:

The fake "tribes" making money
The controversy over the Freedmen

Stay tuned to this thread as I (we) countdown the waiting list...

the reason that i need to become a citizen of the Cherokee is without my papers i can't sell my stuff as Indian made. also I need medical and without the papers i can't get it! The only thing my father gave me was diabetes now i need help paying for it!

Actually, I am disabled to the point where working is effectively impossible, and I have actually thought about living on the Rez. It's my people's home, and I would feel better if I was among my own people. I don't believe in doing it for the money, or anything like that. I need the services more than anything. Rent just kills me, even though my parents subsidize me, Out of $775, I still end up paying $525 per month.

I get $670 from SSI and I get about 40 dollars in food stamps. I am currently fighting the food stamp issue.

I am thinking about getting a Pell Grant, and going to school in the dorms for a degree in some sort of animal science, since I love horses. That way, I could avoid paying rent until I save enough to be able to make it by.

I was wondering, if I go live on the Rez, is Northeastern State a decent school?

You know, having a disability that controls your life just sucks, it really does. Im not trying to make this a "Im so disabled, please help me, boo hoo" sort of thing, I just want to explain where I'm coming from.

Why Now?

Because we have Money? For Education? So that you can sell things?

Why Now?

Why not your Parents when they were born?
Where were they when we had nothing! Before the time of the Big Casinos

What do you bring to our Nation? By being a citizen
Do you know our Politics?
Our ways?
I think not, Some of you still think we live on a Reservation
Ummm That was dissolved in 1907 by the way
We have Tribal Jurisdiction over some land but that is Common Property that is used by all, not being lived on.

Can you tell me why now that you have decided that it was time to Enroll
Where were you when the Freedman issue was brought to a Vote of the Entire Nation in 2003
When We as Cherokee exercised our rights as Citizens and said that you must be of Cherokee Blood to be Cherokee
And now you second Guess this???
Where were you or your Parents when that was voted on???

Why Now

Because you have read we are RICH??
Buh

Cherokees DONT PAY PER CAPS
so you can put that to rest

Why now do you want to a citizen??
Are you ready to exercise that right
To get involved
And not just be another Person standing there with Hand out so that you can get Free Money??

The vast majority of those 20000 applicants that are waiting for Citizneship could not tell you the first thing about our Tribe
All they know is they heard you could get free medical and an education

Buh

[steelemagnolia63]

Oh boy lets jump on the get money and services from the Cherokee bandwagon..... this just makes me ill and ashamed.... there is no free ride. If and I mean if you can prove your claim and you are accpeted onto the tribal rolls you should take up the responsibility of being a member of the nation and not just standing there with your hand out...

All I can say again is that it makes me ill and ashamed......

[Zeke]

Did I just hear elitism?

Boy, it sounds like it.

20,000 applicants that can't tell you a thing about the tribe? What about the thousands of carded 1/256's that can't, either?

So, now, we've gone beyond the dog and pony show of requesting a government-mandated percentage of bloodline or lineage, now we have some sort of "knowledge criteria" for being worthy of acceptance: a Native-style Jim Crow filter. Unbelievable...

WHY NOW?

Because it's their RIGHT.

Why complain? $$$

The argument cuts both ways, if that's even their reasoning, which is presumptive.

[steelemagnolia63]

Is it really their right to be an enrolled member of the Cherokee nation or any nation because they want something from it? The only reason that they want it is for the money, the card that says that they are ndn, the education or the medical care???

Part of my family is enrolled and part of my family is not and for some strange reason we seem to be able to pay our bills, go to school, get medical care and be productive citizens without running to the nation and holding out our hands. Maybe it's because we are not expecting a hand out from anyone. We are just your normal hardworking full and mixed bloods who don't think that the Cherokee Nation owes us anything for being Cherokee......

Go to college the way that I did, on student loans and grants that are open to everyone, get a job.... Go to college the way that my four kids attend college, the same way that I did. Not once have we came knocking on the Nations door whining and moaning because we wanted money for education, or medical care....

And we damn sure would not use our heritage to peddle our wares because we can't sell it as made by an ndn unless we have a tribal card....

[Zeke]

Is it really their right to be an enrolled member of the Cherokee nation or any nation because they want something from it?

If they're Cherokee? YEAH, it is.

The only reason that they want it is for the money, the card that says that they are ndn, the education or the medical care???

That's presumptuous and elitist.

Part of my family is enrolled and part of my family is not and for some strange reason we seem to be able to pay our bills, go to school, get medical care and be productive citizens without running to the nation and holding out our hands.

And?

Maybe it's because we are not expecting a hand out from anyone. We are just your normal hardworking full and mixed bloods who don't think that the Cherokee Nation owes us anything for being Cherokee......

Or, it could be one of 10,000,000 OTHER reasons!

Go to college the way that I did, on student loans and grants that are open to everyone, get a job.... Go to college the way that my four kids attend college, the same way that I did. Not once have we came knocking on the Nations door whining and moaning because we wanted money for education, or medical care....

Then you may have missed out on some wonderful opportunities that could have helped your family, right? But that's a choice and I respect it.

And we damn sure would not use our heritage to peddle our wares because we can't sell it as made by an ndn unless we have a tribal card....

But people like the banned KiowaKat do, ALL THE TIME, yet we don't call them out on it with any consistency.

WE SHOULD.

[steelemagnolia63]

If they're Cherokee? YEAH, it is.



That's presumptuous and elitist.



And?



Or, it could be one of 10,000,000 OTHER reasons!



Then you may have missed out on some wonderful opportunities that could have helped your family, right? But that's a choice and I respect it.



But people like the banned KiowaKat do, ALL THE TIME, yet we don't call them out on it with any consistency.

WE SHOULD.

No Zeke, it's not elitist.. they are convicted by their own words, they want the card to sell their mechandise because they can't use "Native American" unless they have a card and wants medical care... see post by sherryh1014

and just read any of the lame reasoning in the posts of jorbathehutt in regard to Cherokee, or the Seminole (ie I want to be Seminole cause it's my favorite team), I want money for school so I don't have to pay rent... blah blah blah....

I really don't think that my family missed anything by not wanting the Nation to pay our way... It's not right to think that we are owed something because we are Native Americans, anymore than it's right for African Americans to think that they are owed something because of their race. My family has Doctors, Lawyers, Nurses, Accountants, Engineers and Teachers from the sweat of our own brows and student loans, and grants that are open to everyone no matter what race....

[Zeke]

No Zeke, it's not elitist.. they are convicted by their own words, they want the card to sell their mechandise because they can't use "Native American" unless they have a card and wants medical care... see post by sherryh1014

Except, of course, it's their Right if they meet the criteria.

and just read any of the lame reasoning in the posts of jorbathehutt in regard to Cherokee, or the Seminole (ie I want to be Seminole cause it's my favorite team), I want money for school so I don't have to pay rent... blah blah blah....

You're completely missing the boat. THEY DON'T NEED ANY REASONING. It's their Right.

I really don't think that my family missed anything by not wanting the Nation to pay our way...

Forced to disagree. You cannot tell me that SOMETHING couldn't have been advantageous.

It's not right to think that we are owed something because we are Native Americans, anymore than it's right for African Americans to think that they are owed something because of their race.

Sure, I agree. But that means we should be denouncing KiowaKat and free-ride reservation-type losers at EVERY opportunity. Instead, weak-*** Natives glorify them. SAD.

My family has Doctors, Lawyers, Nurses, Accountants, Engineers and Teachers from the sweat of our own brows and student loans, and grants that are open to everyone no matter what race....

Sorry. The reality is that someone there, likely, got something because they were Native. It's not a judgment, it's just most likely.

No issues.

[steelemagnolia63]

Sure there might have been some advantage but I don't think that we missed it because we worked for what we have achieved instead of wanting a handout...

If anyone got anything from the nation I have never heard mention of it. We are rather proud of how we got where we are. Not that there is anything wrong with a hand up, but there is something wrong with one day suddenly wanting to be enrolled so that you can ride the gravy train... The huddled masses here that find out there might be some money to be had and they beat feet to the office to get in line with their forms filled out so that they can get a piece of the pie....

Most of them have no idea what is going on with the nation they are trying to bleed, nor do they want to give their time to help out.. they just want the cheese so to speak....

I think that you can tell that I have issues with the "new ndns" that want what they think is should be theirs. Oh geez I got a disease, I better run to the (insert tribal affliations here) and get them to pay my bills... oh I want to go to college but I don't have the grades to get scholarships, or the self discipline to do the work to get it.... I also have an issue with anyone who thinks that they are owed something by the rest of us because of race, handicap or any other reason that they can dream up for us to tote their load for them.... I am an equal opportunity offender, black white yellow red brown or purple if you are a freeloader then you aren't on my Christmas card list....

[Josiah]

Did I just hear elitism?

Boy, it sounds like it.

20,000 applicants that can't tell you a thing about the tribe? What about the thousands of carded 1/256's that can't, either?

So, now, we've gone beyond the dog and pony show of requesting a government-mandated percentage of bloodline or lineage, now we have some sort of "knowledge criteria" for being worthy of acceptance: a Native-style Jim Crow filter. Unbelievable...

WHY NOW?

Because it's their RIGHT.

Why complain? $$$

The argument cuts both ways, if that's even their reasoning, which is presumptive.

Cherokees dont have a Blood Quantum Requirement Zeke

Just have to prove that you can trace directly to an ancestor on the Roll of 1907

Hell if you can't prove that once had an ancestor no matter how far remove what more do you want the Registration office to do????

[Josiah]

Did I just hear elitism?



20,000 applicants that can't tell you a thing about the tribe? What about the thousands of carded 1/256's that can't, either?


.

I am confused also ZEKE
what 1/256th???
Cherokees Don't Have a Minimum Blood Quantum Requirement To Enroll
Our Enrollment cards just say Cherokee.
Now...
If you want Services such as Education and Health care you must live within the 7 county Boundries of Eastern Oklahoma that would include Tribal plates
But then so does other tribes in Eastern Oklahoma

Tell my your tribe allows a 1/256th to enroll!!!!

[sherryh1014]

citizenship

why are you so quick to say i have nothing to give to the cherokee nation! I am a good person and I have worked since I was 12 years old. Why should i not have my native heritage. My great Grandmother McClenathen walked the trail of tears, I am very proud to be a descentant.