Cherokees donate nearly $5 million to help with bridge repair

The Cherokee Nation announced Wednesday it will donate almost $5 million to the Oklahoma Department of Transportation to help rebuild and repair eight bridges in six counties in northeastern Oklahoma.

[sandy pierce]

I think it is wonderful that Cherokee Nation is helping the state to repair the bridges and roads..Way to go!!!!

[msbobbie]

I think it is wonderful too! I am Choctaw in the southeastern part of the state. I do not know that our tribe has been so generous with roads as this, but they do contribute and they do a lot for the schools as well. I know the Cherokee have also in their tribal areas.

[Mr Realist]

Isn't it just giving the state back the money they have taken by issuing their own car tags and keeping that money for the tribe?
If they really want to help they should not skim profits from the state by making their own car tags, not paying sales taxes like everyone else, etc.
It's nice they "give" some of it back, but they also took it to begin with and I'm sure the state isn't coming out ahead on that deal or otherwise they wouldn't go through the hassle of making the tags, etc.

[Enigma]

Almost every blacktop county road in Delaware and Cherokee counties (I can't speak for the other counties around here) were built by the Cherokee Nation. They also operate a heavy equipment school that give new skills to their unemployed and puts them to work, building those roads and bridges. If it was left up to our county commissioners, they would still be dirt and poorly graded at that. So almost every mile of two lane non-highway blacktop our residents and school buses run on, is thanks to the Cherokee Nation. They either paid for it, or built it, or both.

While they do a lot just for their own people, they also do quite a bit for their area neighbors and schools too. I don't agree with everything about it all, but it is what it is, and whining about it, is not going to change it. Their sovereignty was affirmed by treaty. Do we break another one, just because it is inconvenient or resented by some? If the US Government of this time period were to break an Indian treaty, as meaningless, then they may do the same to our Constitution. Thus taking away YOUR and MY rights and privileges. So don't complain Mr Realist, it could be a whole lot worse.

[Willie]

The money they have been making off the casnios that has helped other communities also. Enigma have you been reading about the Cherokee Freedmen issue with the tribe ,and Congress may vote to stop funding to the tribe account the Cherokee Nation took a vote to kick out the Black tribal members that during the Dawes enrollment did'n't or were nt allowed to put down the degree of blood. This is under treaty rights with the United States and the C.N.