Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Candidates Take Part In Debate

The candidates running for Cherokee Nation Principal Chief are debating in Tahlequah Tuesday night before the general election in June.

The candidates said they're ready to debate the important issues in the Cherokee Nation, including tribal sovereignty, language preservation, and government spending.

The four candidates are Cara Cowan Watts, David Cornsilk, Wes NoFire, and the current Chief, Chuck Hoskin, Junior.

The Cherokee Phoenix newspaper is hosting the debate, and their executive editor said having this debate is important for Cherokees across the country.

"Citizens need to know the platforms, the ideas, their vision, and it's a tribe of 450,000 people, it's not just some small club,” said Tyler Thomas, the Executive Editor of the Cherokee Phoenix.

Wes NoFire is in the race, and said his goal is to bring transparency to the Cherokee government, especially when it comes to spending.

"The points I want to make is I want to bring up the truth to our citizens of our current state of our government, and what they're going to expect out of me as our leader and the Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation," said NoFire.

David Cornsilk is also running for Principal Chief, and said he hopes to get his message across about why he believes it's important Cherokee leaders follow the Cherokee Constitution.

"We are a nation,” said Cornsilk. “And as a nation, we have a foundational document that is a blueprint that our leadership should follow."

Cara Cowan Watts is another candidate running for the office of Principal Chief, and said she hopes her non-political background can bring a new perspective to the Cherokee Nation.

"I'm not necessarily a politician, I'm an engineer, I'm a small business owner by day, so I'm just hoping that I get the opportunity to make sure that our people's issues are brought forward tonight," said Cowan Watts.

Chuck Hoskin Jr. is the current Principal Chief and said he wants to remind people about what his administration has done.

He said they’ve seen more money coming in and have been using it to help citizens with healthcare, education, and housing.

But all of the candidates agree, the Cherokee people should go out and make their voices heard on Election Day.

"Democracy is dependent on whether or not our citizens go vote,” said NoFire. “If we don't, we're going to be at the hands of whoever it is that is in charge on a small basis."

The general election for Principal Chief, Deputy Chief, and several other officers will be on June 3.

The debate starts with the Deputy Chief candidates at 6 p.m., and then with the Principal Chief candidates.

The Cherokee Phoenix will be livestreaming the debate on their Facebook page and YouTube channel. Facebook page link: https://www.facebook.com/TheCherokeePhoenix