Baker sworn in as principal chief
BY LENZY KREHBIEL-BURTON World Correspondent
Thursday, October 20, 2011
10/20/11 at 7:50 AM
Read stories and view documents related to the Cherokee elections.
TAHLEQUAH — After four
months, two elections and a summer
of recounts and court hearings,
Bill John Baker is now officially
principal chief of the Cherokee Nation.
With his wife, Sherry Robertson-
Baker, holding a Bible, and his family
behind him, Baker was sworn
into office Wednesday night on the
back steps of the Cherokee Nation
Courthouse by Supreme Court
Justice James Wilcoxen in front of
more than 200 Cherokee citizens.
The impromptu inauguration was
announced around 3 p.m. Wednesday
after the tribe’s Supreme Court
justices dismissed an appeal from
former Principal Chief Chad Smith
on the grounds that Smith did not
provide a sufficient cause of action
to overturn the election results.
“The court further finds that irrespective
of the Freedmen vote …
the special election of the Cherokee
Nation to elect a principal chief can
be determined with mathematical
certainty,” Chief Justice Darell Matlock
Jr. wrote in the order.
In his appeal, Smith had claimed
that the election was invalid because
1,200 freedmen descendants
were allowed to vote due to an
agreement brokered in federal district
court. That agreement was later
deemed unconstitutional by the
Cherokee Supreme Court.
In his inaugural address, Baker
acknowledged his opponent and the
protracted election, which cost the
tribe and both candidates hundreds
of thousands of dollars.
“The Cherokee people have spoken,”
Baker said. “And I am humbled
and honored to be elected to lead our great nation."
“This has been a difficult
and tough campaign for everyone.
I want to thank Chief
Smith for contacting me today,
acknowledging my victory,
and offering to help in any
way necessary in the coming
weeks."
Smith had issued a concession
statement around 3:30
p.m. Wednesday.
“I understand our Cherokee
Nation Supreme Court
has dismissed my appeal of
the election,” Smith said in
his statement. “I acknowledge
that Bill John Baker
has been elected to the office
of principal chief and
offer him any help I may
provide in building the nation
I so love and have been
honored to serve these last
12 years."
Along with Joe Byrd,
Smith was one of two former
Cherokee chiefs present at
Wednesday’s ceremony. Also
in attendance were Deputy
Chief Joe Crittenden, about
a dozen current and former
Tribal Council members, and
George Wickliffe, chief of the
United Keetoowah Band of
Cherokee Indians.
Baker now assumes leadership
of the nation’s largest
tribe. The Cherokee Nation
employs more than 8,500
people across northeastern
Oklahoma and has an economic
impact of almost $1
billion.
As principal chief, Baker
will pull in a starting annual
salary of $124,812.
Earlier this year, the Tribal
Council voted to increase
the pay of the tribe’s principal
chief, deputy chief and
Tribal Council members by
11 percent annually for four
years, raising Baker’s salary
to more than $170,000 by the
end of his four-year term.
“We’re going to go in at 9
a.m. tomorrow (Thursday)
morning, comfort a few folks
and get started assessing
what we need to do to get
this nation moving forward,”
Baker said.
“When you look back at
the last few months, you can
remember it for what it has
been: a historic time in the
Cherokee Nation,” said state
Rep. Chuck Hoskin Sr., DVinita,
the master of ceremonies
for the event and head
of Baker’s transition team.
In his closing remarks,
Baker acknowledged the divide
within the tribe caused
by the election and asked
Cherokee citizens to start
coming together to help the
tribe move forward.
“We can’t fight amongst
ourselves,” Baker said. “We
should be working together
to fight hunger, to fight
poverty, to fight for better
schools and to fight for our
elders.
“Wado,” he said, thanking
his supporters in the Cherokee
language. “Bless each
and every one of you, and
God bless the Cherokee Nation."
Associated Images:
Bill John Baker and wife, Sherry Robertson-Baker, greet the crowd at the Cherokee Nation Courthouse in Tahlequah on Wednesday before Baker takesthe oath as principal chief of the Cherokee Nation. MIKE BROWN/For the Tulsa World
Principal Chief Bill John Baker stands on the steps of the Cherokee Nation Courthouse in downtown Tahlequah after taking the oath of office during a ceremony on Wednesday. MIKE BROWN/for the Tulsa World
Bill John Baker and wife, Sherry, hold a Bible as he takes the oath of office as principal chief Wednesday evening. MIKE BROWN/for the Tulsa World
APPEAL DENIED
Chad Smith: The former chief conceded after his appeal was denied.
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