In November, National Native American Heritage Month raises awareness about our history, our present-day struggles and our hope for the future. The histories of Native peoples should never be forgotten and that’s why it’s vital that we remember and share our histories not only in November but also all year.

If you have watched or read the news in recent months, you know what is happening at some school board meetings across the country.  The harassment and threats on the lives of school board members in various places is very distressing. 

As we conclude Domestic Violence Awareness Month, we want to talk about a subject that most folks are either repulsed by or don’t want to think about at all – the abusers, the perpetrators of domestic violence. After all, over this past month, we have talked about the heartache and physical pain these people inflict on others. Some of the stories of domestic violence are painful and horrifying.

We have been talking about domestic violence because this is the month set aside to place focus on the issue. We have discussed elder and spousal abuse. But those are not the only sufferers from this societal challenge.

Read Matthew 28:17-20; Hebrews 2:1,17; Acts 1:8; Psalm 8:6

The Cherokee Lady Braves varsity volleyball team is currently enjoying its best season in recorded school history, and the lady at the helm deserves Coach of the Year honors.  The 12 wins this season equals the 12 losses from last season when they went 0-12. 

The EBCI Enrollment keeps pretty tight records of who are enrolled and where they reside, probably much more accurate than any census would bear out. Why not either referendum a change to the Charter that would define the census as polling the enrollment data to get correct residency for each tribal member?

Going back to the basics will be a good review.