Guest Opinion. We are in the midst of what could become the greatest century in Cherokee history. As the largest tribal nation in the United States, we are meant to lead the way in building a brighter future for our citizens and all of Indian Country.
Whether it’s investing in health care, revitalizing our language, ensuring every Cherokee child gets a great education, or building affordable homes for Cherokee families, the Cherokee Nation is taking on our biggest challenges.
I know we can do it. I see it every day in the investments we’re making in health care. We built the largest tribal health system in the United States to save lives and to empower Cherokees and other Native Americans to dream big without being held back by health concerns.
I see it through our major investments in education and language revitalization to make sure the rising generation holds on to precious Cherokee wisdom and culture.
We must invest and spend wisely to ensure the communities our ancestors founded long ago continue to flourish. We must look at industries that we’ve not yet conquered and say, “We’re coming there next.” But we should also build on what we’re doing well.
The impressive growth of Cherokee Film is a great example. Film and television is a forever industry in Oklahoma. It is poised for immediate growth and will still be growing a generation from now. Through our tribe’s breakthrough endeavors, Cherokee Nation is at the forefront of this opportunity.
The newly expanded Cherokee Film Studios Owasso Campus is a state-of-the-art facility to tell Cherokee stories and create good jobs for our citizens and other Native Americans. With the Cherokee Film Institute, we have launched the world’s first and only tribally operated education and workforce development center focused specifically on helping Native Americans join the entertainment industry.
In Oklahoma — the home state of 39 tribal nations — we have so many stories that should reach a wider audience. We are removing barriers for Cherokees and other Natives to tell those stories while finding sustainable careers in film and media.
The young people today will have opportunities that our ancestors never could have imagined, and this new generation will give back through stories of the sacrifices and achievements that brought us here.
This is going to be a great Cherokee century, and the choices and investments we make today have put us on that path.
Chuck Hoskin, Jr. is the principal chief of the Cherokee Nation.
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