authentic Native art Elaine Hughes donates jewelry pieces for Cherokee Phoenix’s second quarter giveaway. CULTURE, 12
CHEROKEE CHEROKEEPHOENIX.ORG
MAY 15, 2019
PHOENIX 191 YEARS OF JOURNALISM
LLC ordered to nix campaign donations An Election Commission letter states Cherokees for Change violated election law regarding contributions. BY CHAD HUNTER Reporter TAHLEQUAH – The Cherokee Nation Election Commission is demanding that a limited liability company stop contributing to the campaigns of David Walkingstick and Meredith Frailey, who are running for principal and deputy chief respectively. A cease-and-desist letter unanimously approved May 6 by the EC is addressed to Cherokees for Change LLC and its registered agent, Gregory Russell Appleton, who at one time was listed as the Walkingstick campaign’s financial agent. The letter alleges Cherokees for Change “is engaged in violations” of election law that states, “No corporation, partnership, and/or any other legal entity shall contribute to any Cherokee Nation campaign or
candidate.” Digital advertising and direct mail paid for by Cherokees for Change LLC are considered in-kind contributions, EC officials said. A May 9 investigative memo from Attorney General Todd Hembree alleges there is “little dispute” that Cherokees for Change was “funneling the donations it received into in-kind contributions.” “The contributions that are funding Cherokees for Change, LLC are not being reported to the Cherokee Nation Election Commission,” the memo states. Cherokees for Change is listed with the Oklahoma Secretary of State’s Office as having an Oklahoma City address. It was formed on Feb. 21, according to state records. Appleton’s attorney, A.J. Ferate, said his client did not make in-kind contributions to the Walkingstick-Frailey campaigns.
TOTA(L) INSPIRATION
“There’s a very major difference between in-kind contributions and an independent expenditure,” Ferate said. “There’s no prohibition on that in Cherokee law.” Ferate said Appleton was briefly a financial advisor for the Walkingstick campaign. “That ended some time ago. He left the campaign before starting this entity.” A financial disclosure report filed by the Walkingstick campaign on March 15 lists Appleton as the campaign’s financial agent through Feb. 28. The next report for March 1-31, filed April 18, lists the financial agent as Walkingstick, who faces a May 17 hearing based on complaints lodged against him by CN citizens, in addition to his alleged connection with Cherokees for Change. “The sufficiency of the evidence will have to be judged by the Cherokee Nation Election Commission, but the
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CN officials debunk Hoskin-orchestrated assault allegation
The complaint alleges unknown assailants told Jimmie Dewayne McManus to remove online comments supporting David Walkingstick and that he vote for Chuck Hoskin Jr. BY CHAD HUNTER Reporter
“I think that is a very significant accomplishment,” Gourd said. “We have encouraged artists from other Indian tribes and other cultures to join us.” For the sixth time, Cherokee National Treasure Troy Jackson won the grand prize, this year for a towering sculpture called “Faith in the Creator.” “I think it’s pretty awesome,” he said of the win. Jackson, 63, of Tahlequah, said his Cherokee and European ancestry inspired the clay and steel sculpture. “I’ve always been interested in my family’s heritage,” he said. “My mother’s side was Cherokee and my dad’s side was European. I found that there were certain things that they believed in even before contact with the Europeans.” Jackson’s bird effigy pot also took first place in the pottery category. Painter Jerry Sutton, who has a Tahlequah studio, said he began entering the Trail of Tears Art Show in the early 1990s. “I’ve picked up some ribbons here and there,” he said. “But whether it is culturally focused, personally focused or philosophically focused, I think the
TAHLEQUAH – An allegation that a Cherokee Nation citizen was beaten and bullied at the request of a principal chief candidate has been deemed by tribal authorities as “false” and “misquoted.” Jimmie Dewayne McManus, of Welling, filed a complaint on April 26 with the Election Commission alleging he was assaulted on April 2 by men “believed” to have been sent to his home by former Secretary of State Chuck Hoskin Jr., who is running for chief. A May 9 media release from the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office states that a captain investigating the alleged crime “ruled Hoskin out as a suspect.” “Capt. (James) Brown has been unable to identify the two suspects McManus alleges assaulted and battered him,” the release states. “Capt. Brown has also not been able to develop any evidence suggesting Chuck Hoskin, Jr. was directly or indirectly involved.” According to McManus’ complaint, the men told him to remove Facebook comments supporting chief candidate David Walkingstick, “then demanded” he vote for Hoskin. In the complaint, McManus described the assault as “a deliberate attempt to suppress” his “constitutional right to freedom of speech and to influence the election in favor of Chuck Hoskin Jr.” But during an investigation, McManus indicated his complaint was embellished to include references to Hoskin and his campaign. “McManus told the Cherokee Nation Marshal Service that he never implicated Chuck Hoskin Jr. or his campaign in the assault,” states an April 29 report from the CN attorney general’s office. An incident report filed with the sheriff’s office April 5 indicates the alleged assault occurred around 1:45 a.m. McManus told Deputy Nick Chute that he was awakened “by someone banging” on his front door, which he opened. “McManus stated that he was told to take everything off of Facebook about ‘Chuck’ and McManus responded by saying, ‘f— Chuck,’” Chute’s report states. “McManus stated that he was hit in the head by an unknown object, and he fell backwards on his couch and one of the individuals was on top of him continuing to hit him in the face and head area.” McManus claimed in the report that his aggressor repeatedly said “vote for Chuck.” “McManus stated that he thinks he blacked out,” the
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CHAD HUNTER/CHEROKEE PHOENIX Tahlequah High School junior Macey Conner stands next to her winning artwork on April 5 at the annual Trail of Tears Art Show inside the Cherokee Heritage Center.
Cherokee artist Troy Jackson earns his sixth grand prize win. BY CHAD HUNTER Reporter PARK HILL – A collection of Native American painters, sculptors, basket weavers, potters and more inspired onlookers at this year’s annual Trail of Tears Art Show and Sale. “I wouldn’t want to be judging this,” reception attendee Sally Sutton said. “There are too many good pieces.” Art show winners were announced April 5 during a reception at the Cherokee Heritage Center. “I’m in awe,” Principal Chief Bill John Baker told the artists and others. “We’ve never had this big a crowd, and the quality of artwork is absolutely stunning. You are doing such a great service to the Cherokee Nation because those pieces of artwork are telling stories. They are going to be pieces that our generations will look at so that we’re never forgotten.” The event, in its 48th year, is the longest-running American Indian art show in Oklahoma, event organizers said. This year’s gallery featured 153 works from 89 artists. Charles Gourd, CHC executive director, said 19 tribal nations were represented.
Fishinghawk accused of forging voters’ signatures According to an attorney general’s investigation memo, the District 8 candidate faces possible disqualification. BY CHAD HUNTER Reporter TAHLEQUAH – Cherokee Nation Dist. 8 candidate Jodie Fishinghawk, a former eight-year tribal councilor, faces potential disqualification after tribal authorities accused her of forgery. A May 8 investigative memo from Attorney General Todd Hembree alleges Fishinghawk and an accomplice forged signatures on voter registration forms and absentee ballot requests. “Fishinghawk’s testimony indicates her intent to deceive the Election Commission staff so that voters would be registered by the Election Commission without their knowledge and consent, and absentee
ballots would be issued by the Election Commission without the knowledge or consent of the voter,” the attorney general’s memo states. In response to Hembree’s report, the EC unanimously voted to hold a hearing at 9 a.m., May 16 to consider the allegations. Fishinghawk, of Stilwell, was an Adair County representative for two terms from 2007-15. She faces potential disqualification under Title 26, Section 38(A) of the CN Code Annotated for attempting to interfere with or influence an election. The suspicious absentee ballot requests and voter registration forms were turned over for investigation by EC officials. Evidence includes 33 voter registration forms with the same last name registered at one rural
Jodie Fishinghawk
route address in Stilwell; 11 absentee ballot request forms with the same last name and same rural route address in Adair County; and 43 absentee ballot requests “that were all being sent” to Fishinghawk, according to the attorney general’s office. Hembree said his office and the CN Marshal Service interviewed 17 of the CN citizens whose paperwork
was suspect. “All of these citizens stated that they did not fill out
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