There has been quite a stir recently over the proper place of the Tribal Court. We have had front row seats via cable and live stream during Tribal Council sessions to the debate over the powers of the different branches of tribal government. Just what is a “branch” anyway?

I have never been a gloom and doom person. I do, however, believe that each of us would be crazy not to see the signs that our world, and in some cases, our local communities are becoming more dangerous places to be. Right?

It’s 2016 and if you’re reading this, congratulations, you survived the Christmas dinner and the New Year’s Eve parties. And…you’re back at work. And…you’re looking at your bank statement in disbelief because no way did you really spend that much money in a month.

It has been an eventful year. The most significant of which for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians was the election of a new principal chief after 12 years, three consecutive terms, under a single administration

I was 26 years old when I was hired as editor of the Cherokee One Feather. I had no editing experience, no management experience, no supervisory experience, and I certainly had no experience putting together a budget.

William Ledford is well located in New Mexico since that is close to Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, and others that have helped Obama push this country to the brink of a third world country.

I want to start with a thought to help you get through the day. “The early bird might get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.” And now, here we go…

According to the Municode for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, Section 2-1, Subsection B, “The Tribal Council shall have the power to exclude other persons from Cherokee trust lands when necessary to protect the integrity and law and order on Tribal lands and territory or the welfare of its members”. Subsection A talks about the “exclusion” or banishment of enrolled members who are deemed sex offenders or drug traffickers.