UNITED KEETOOWAH BAND of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma’s Chief George Wickliffe, left; and Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs for the Department of the Interior, Carl J. Artman, right; pose for photographs during Mr. Artman’s visit.

ASSISTANT SECRETARY of Indian Affairs for the Department of the Interior, Carl J. Artman, center; poses with top United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma officials during Mr. Artman’s visit. Pictured left to right are, UKB Tribal Secretary Liz Littledave; UKB Chief George Wickliffe; Artman; Muskogee Regional B.I.A. Director Janette Hanna; and UKB Assistant Chief Charles Locust.

US Department of the Interior’s Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs Visits United Keetoowah Band

Tahlequah, Okla. -- United States Department of the Interior’s Carl J. Artman, Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs, made an historic visit to Tahlequah, Oklahoma for a meeting with top United Keetoowah Band officials Tuesday, January 8.

Assistant Secretary Artman met with Chief George Wickliffe and Assistant Chief Charles Locust and toured the Keetoowah Cherokees Tribal Headquarters, as well as the tribe’s 80 acre Tribal Complex which currently includes the Community Services Building, Henry Lee Doublehead Child Development Center and the UKB Wellness Center. They also visited new construction sites for the tribe’s Elderly Community Center and Civil Defense Station as well as the Keetoowah Cherokee Celebration grounds.

Mr. Artman was accompanied by Mr. Mike Smith, Indian Affairs Deputy Director from Washington, D.C. and Ms. Janette Hanna, Regional B.I.A. Director from Muskogee.

Assistant Secretary Artman stated to Chief Wickliffe and Assistant Chief Locust that being in Washington doesn’t present an accurate picture of the trust application land, and having the opportunity to visit and tour the tribe gave him a better appreciation of what the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma is working toward.

Assistant Secretary Artman also had the opportunity to view the master plan of development for the tribe’s 76 acres and remarked favorably to the layout of the master plan. He observed that no casino plans were involved in this acreage, and the trust application land is located some distance away from the Administration offices and the offices of the CNO. “We need to and will make a decision very soon,” Artman stated to Chief Wickliffe.

Mr. Artman is an enrolled member of the Oneida Tribe of the Indians of Wisconsin. He was nominated by President Bush and confirmed by the U. S. Senate on March 5, 2007. Artman served as Department’s Associate Solicitor for Indian Affairs. Prior to joining the Solicitor’s Office he was chief counsel for the Oneida Tribe, managing all legal affairs of the tribe.

“We considered this visit as landmark event for the UKB tribe. The Keetoowah Cherokee tribe is finally communicating with Department of Interior and is viewed on a national level as the federally recognized tribe that Congress approved us to be over 57 years ago. The United Keetoowah Band is honored to have such a distinguished group from the Department of Interior,” stated Assistant Chief Charles Locust.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs is an agency of the federal government of the United States within the department of the Interior charged with the administration and management of 55.7 million acres of land held in trust by the United States for American Indians, Indian tribes and Alaska Natives.