Principal Chad Smith removed from his table an excellent opportunity to lead ALL Cherokee people. He has miss the opportunity to create a legacy of inclusion and peace for all Cherokee people. In a time of much death and violence in this world, Principal Chief Smith has taken a stand like unto George Wallace and Andrew Jackson. Shame on him. I watched his speech at the Council meeting and was sadden to realize he knows so little about Cherokee History. His statement 'the Cherokee paid IN FULL the Freedmen for their service as slaves with the allotments' is evidence he knows so little about the Dawes years in Indian Territory. Mr. Smith the United States government allotted the Cherokee lands. With that very argument the United States government can say all the Cherokee people were paid IN FULL with the allotments. And Mr. Smith I ask what did the Delaware and Shawnee do to earn their allotments. He also stated that the Cherokee Freedmen had done nothing to build up the Cherokee Nation over the last one hundred years. What a argument for the majority of Cherokee citizens who have never or will never visit Oklahoma. The United States could used his very reasons of disenfranchisement to end the Cherokee Nation. His propaganda intentionally mislead Cherokee people and continues to causes unnecessary division based on skin color.

He chooses to use the Cherokee Freedmen as a ridge issue to get elected in the very election he wants this question on the ballot.
SHAME ON CHAD SMITH, the new George Wallace.