By the Cherokee One Feather Editorial Board
On the afternoon of Feb. 10, John L. Lowery, tribal chairman of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, released a public memo making accusations of “propaganda articles” and “fake news reports” from the “smear campaign” of the “multi-million-dollar propaganda machine of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.”
It is unclear in the statement what particular articles or media entities Lowery is referencing, but the Editorial Board of Tsalagi Soquo Ugidahli (Cherokee One Feather), the official media outlet of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI), would like to reiterate that we are committed to providing consistent and journalistic coverage of the Lumbee issue as it pertains to discussions of federal recognition in Indian Country and the tribal sovereignty of the EBCI.
As is thoroughly detailed in Chapter 75 of the Cherokee Code, it is the mission and execution of the One Feather to be of public service to the Cherokee community, devoid of political influence, and steadfast in providing upright journalism with a high standard of media ethics.
Our journalism is based on thorough research and transparency. We do not provide false news. We do not receive any amount of money, certainly not millions, from the EBCI to publish propaganda, and we have worked diligently for decades to ensure in tribal law and policy that our paper is absent from any such corruption.
Our integrity as an award-winning community newspaper with high quality editorial leadership and reporting remains intact, and we will continue our coverage of this critical contemporary issue for our tribe.
