Attendees at this past weekend’s 74th annual Cherokee Nation holiday in Tahlequah may have witnessed an historical moment – the eighth and final state of the nation address by the current Cherokee Nation principal chief.
Elected in 2019, and again in 2023, principal chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. is close to the end of his second and final term . During his final State of the Nation address, he took time to cite work done under his administration, namely funding the expansion of the tribe’s healthcare system.
“Since 2019, we’ve invested over $1 billion towards that effort," said Hoskin. "We’ve expanded primary care by 60% and expanded access to behavioral health by 350%.”
Hoskin also touched on funding priorities regarding elder nutrition programs, housing, childcare, and job training.
As chief, Hoskin said it has been his mission to protect and revive the Cherokee language – an effort set to come to head with the launch of a language hub on their website in just a few days.
“On that website is something precious – the voices of over 1,000 elders fluently speaking our language – preserved forever,” said Hoskin.
Hoskin has over 300 days left as principal chief. It is also the second and final term for Deputy principal chief Bryan Warner who was elected alongside Hoskin to serve the Cherokee Nation.
Both of their terms end on August 14 of next year.
