At an Aug. 6 tribal council meeting, members discussed two important measures — correcting outdated signage and confirming a Cherokee Indian Hospital Authority board appointment — which are likely to set a precedent for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
Resolution 274, submitted by Principal Chief Michell Hicks and passed unanimously, addressed a March 2, 1961, coordinated installation of brown signs along points of entry to the Qualla Boundary designed to attract tourists and non-residents.
While Hicks, in the legislation, “acknowledges the vision of those leaders in promoting Cherokee as a place for visitors,” the document noted that in the decades since that original placement, the tribe has strengthened economically, culturally and linguistically — and continues to exert its sovereignty.
To better represent EBCI, the resolution authorized Hicks to consider, discuss and carry out the signage’s modernization and replacement.
“Such gateway signage shall … reflect the tribe’s status as a sovereign tribal nation, while celebrating Cherokee history, language, culture, identity, and the lasting relationship between the Cherokee people and their ancestral homeland,” it read.
As part of the process, the Office of the Principal Chief will review naming suggestions and feedback from tribal citizens — and signage proposals, with a tribal council presentation deadline of early December, will be established “in collaboration with the appropriate tribal programs.”
“I think it’s time to really exert sovereignty into the signage,” Hicks explained.
Council member Shennelle Feather (Yellowhill) praised the resolution — and thought it should extend even further.
“The small green signs that say, ‘Entering into Cherokee Indian Reservation,’ I think it would be awesome if it were to say ‘Qualla Boundary,’” she said.
Hicks said while he had “no issues” about addressing the discrepancy in the green signage, he’d prefer to “keep the two separate,” so that a problem with one doesn’t affect the other as well.
Council member Lavita Hill (Big Cove) brought up a concern adjacent to her colleague’s: EBCI products that depict the boundary as a reservation.
“I know that this can’t dictate that, but I just feel that we should be mindful of how we use that [reservation language] going forward,” she said.
These statements suggest while the resolution is a step in the right direction to tribal officials, when it comes to accurate EBCI representation, the conversation will likely continue.
Resolution 280 was far more contentious than 274 — and it concerned a procedural, rather than cultural, precedent.
Tribal member Savannah Baylon was nominated by Vice Chief Allen Ensley to serve on the governing board of Cherokee Indian Hospital Authority. Tribal council had voted to advance her candidacy following July 7 confirmation hearings, and the legislation, submitted on behalf of the 12-member body, sought to appoint her to the four-year position.
Baylon, 33, obtained a nursing degree from Lincoln Memorial University and a master’s in nursing leadership from Western Carolina University. She first served as a registered nurse at Harris Regional Hospital before becoming nursing supervisor and later moved to CIHA as a care manager. A Center for Native Health board member, Baylon is currently the director of HRH women’s and children’s services.
Tribal council members — and public commenters — opposed to the confirmation had no personal qualms with Baylon and took a positive view of her character and work. Instead, they raised concerns about how she might’ve been elevated above other candidates. Enrolled member Joey Owle explained that CIHA board selection had always been internal; this cycle was the first in which the position accepted public applications. He also spoke to a potential conflict of interest at play — Baylon is Hicks’ daughter. The principal chief is responsible for board nominations, but in this instance, Vice Chief Alan Ensley got involved, which Owle asserted was a potential breach of the Cherokee Code.
“My concern is not about comparing resumes; it is about protecting the integrity of the process,” he said.
Council member Shannon Swimmer (Painttown) opposed Baylon’s, along with other candidates’, nomination on a financial basis.
“I don’t think that we need to appoint anybody right now during cost containment,” she said.
Later, Swimmer took that comment a step further, arguing that every board position should be unpaid.
“People that really care about this work are going to do it without having to get additional compensation.”
Ensley countered that position.
“This governing board of hospital — that’s probably one of the most important boards that we’ve got,” he said.
Like Owle, Council member Venita Wolfe questioned the legality of what went down.
Attorney General Mike McConnell said though Baylon’s appointment wasn’t perfect, it was absolutely lawful.
“The process for this nomination has been followed,” he said, explaining that by recusing himself, the chief was made unavailable, an instance in which Cherokee Code allows Ensley to take on his role.
McConnell, visibly frustrated, also condemned “against the law” audience behaviors such as shouting comments — and called out Owle directly, whom he said made an unauthorized “point of order”.
Eventually, Balen was confirmed on slim weighted-vote margins of 55 to 45. But the tension cultivated during the discussion exposed a larger rift between those whose feel their relationships to powerful officials prevent the public from taking them seriously — and those who feel nepotism runs rampant in tribal governance, preventing the public from being given a chance.