Opinion

Letters welcome

In its recent ruling in McGirt v. Oklahoma, the United States Supreme Court affirmed what Native Americans in Oklahoma have always known and maintained: Our land is, and always has been, ours.

Letters welcome

It is often said it takes a village to raise a child. The saying could not be truer and I firmly believe our country’s teachers are an important part of that village.

Recently the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma affirmed what Oklahoma tribal nations have known from the beginning – on January 1, 2020, our gaming compacts with the state of Oklahoma automatically renewed for another 15 years. I am pleased with this conclusion and what it means for the future of Cherokee Nation and Cherokee Nation Businesses. In my many years of service to the Cherokee Nation, I have seen how powerful it is when our tribal government and the state of Oklahoma maintain a positive and mutually respectful partnership.

Thank you to everyone who was a part of the fourth annual Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA) Heroes Ball last Friday night. It was a success beyond even our best hopes.

Like many of you, I was both shocked and saddened by the news that dozens of Claremore Veterans Center residents have tested positive for COVID-19 in July, and I send my deepest condolences to the

Lawlessness is running rampant in cities across our country, inflicting more pain on communities already suffering from the COVID-19 pandemic.

On Monday, the State of Oklahoma saw a record high of 1,401 new cases of COVID-19 reported by the Oklahoma State Department of Health. With the surging numbers and impending return to school of many students, the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy is urging everyone to take caution and protect yourself as much as you possibly can, along with those around you.

The COVID-19 pandemic has instilled fear in the hearts of many Americans. Since the pandemic began, there have been numerous mandates attempting to dictate how we must live our lives that have mostly been made out of fear. Experts predicted up to 10 percent of people who got COVID-19 would die from the virus, but that was not the case. Today, over 99 percent survive with most never showing symptoms from the virus.

At Cherokee Nation, we are putting the federal CARES Act dollars to work for our citizens and our communities. To that end, we have committed more than $7 million to our Career Services Department. This will keep our existing programs at full strength and expand new programs to help citizens living on our reservation who have been negatively impacted by COVID-19.

Edward L. McAlvain, 85, of Wichita Falls, passed away July 24, 2020.

What did Peter mean when he said in 1 Peter 2:9 “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” emphasizing the phrase “a peculiar people”. The word “Peculiar” comes from the King James Version and is not seen in the more modern English translations. This is because at the time the King James Version was translated, the word peculiar was often used to refer to something belonging to someone, as in someone’s property. The dictionary gives two definitions, the first is “strange or odd; unusual” and that is the definition we recognize for the most part today. The second definition is “particular or special”. Biblically speaking, it’s telling us that this word can be used to describe something or someone that “belongs exclusively to some person, group, or thing” or to refer to “a property or privilege belonging exclusively or characteristically to a person.” The original meaning of the Greek words translated “peculiar” in 1 Peter 2:9 is indeed what is meant in this passage; particular or special, belongs exclusively to some person or group and that person is Jesus Christ and that group is Christians all across the world, “The Church Body”.