Assistant Chief Locust Re-elected to NCAI Board

The United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma’s Assistant Chief Charles Locust will serve the next two years as the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) Eastern Oklahoma area vice president alternate. Mr. Locust was re-elected by acclamation by members of the Eastern Oklahoma area caucus during the 64th Annual Convention of the NCAI in Denver, CO.

The National Congress for the American Indian is the largest organization of American Indian tribes with over 250 tribes represented. The organization monitors and lobbies for legislation affecting Indian tribes across the nation. Since 1944, the National Congress of American Indian has been working to inform the public and Congress on the governmental rights of American Indians and Alaska Natives.

Mr. Locust duties as NCAI Eastern Oklahoma area vice president alternate, will be working along with the Eastern Oklahoma vice president Joe Grayson, attending meetings with NCAI Board of Directors, working with assigned committees, projects and issues.

Mr. Locust brings experience and qualifications in performing his duties of a NCAI board member. In addition to serving as Assistant Chief of the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma, he has served as Eastern Oklahoma area vice president for the past two years as well as other tribal positions. Locust has served as Executive Director for Tribal Operations, Executive Director for Housing Authority, Director of Gaming, Program Accountant, and Gaming Commission Chairman with the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma and Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma and in the private sector as President of the Gaming Division for Rocket Gaming. Locust holds a Bachelor’s degree in Social Science, with an emphasis in Business Administration and has completed coursework toward a Masters’ in Business Administration.

The prior two years as Eastern Oklahoma area vice president alternate, Mr. Locust has attended quarterly, annual and mid year NCAI executive board meetings. “These meetings give board members an overview of what will be discussed in regards to issues that will affect the tribes during their annual NCAI convention. Responses to education, legal issues, court issues, Indian Child Welfare, Housing, etc.” stated Locust. “As for changes, NCAI has grown to the point where they are actually more involved in assimilating information to the tribes, where before information was not reaching tribes, NCAI was just an organization. Today NCAI is actually administering workshops and providing legal documents for tribes.”

Mr. Locust’s goals for the next two years as Eastern Oklahoma area vice president alternate are to provide awareness in regards to the United Keetoowah Band of CherokeeIndians in Oklahoma. To ensure smaller tribes have a voice in NCAI and throughout Indian Country. “I think that’s one thing that is lacking, the voice of the small tribes who are dominated by tribes with enormous amount of resources, legally, legislatively or financially. They cannot compete with the larger tribes in those areas so they have to seek other alternatives to support their views such as NCAI. Many of the larger tribes who have the resources feel they have no need for NCAI and bypass the organization. I think we should keep a level playing field for all tribes, prevent larger tribes from dominating all tribes. Many times the larger tribes will sign agreements with agencies without the knowledge of smaller tribes, and in some cases have been drastically affected by that decision. The smaller tribe doesn’t have the opportunity to see how that decision evolved.”

Concerns were also brought to attention during the Eastern Oklahoma Area election in Denver at the NCAI Convention. The question was brought up as to how the Delaware Tribe was allowed to vote for the Eastern Oklahoma Area vice-president. “It was my understanding that you had to be a state or federally recognized tribe to vote as a tribe. At this point the Delaware Tribe is neither, the tribe is not state or federally recognized, how did they carry 180 votes?” stated Locust.

“I received a list from NCAI at the executive board meeting on Saturday, Nov. 17 where it showed only four tribes paid in our district, the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma, Choctaws, Chickasaws and Cherokee Nation. The Delaware Tribe attended the Eastern Oklahoma election meeting and the Eastern Region Chairman from Cherokee Nation allowed the Delaware Tribe to vote. I stated that the Delaware Tribe shouldn’t be allowed to vote and asked for a protest, no action was taken by the Eastern Oklahoma committee so the United Keetoowah Band has decided to write an official letter to the Executive Board announcing our protest.”

Another concern was the timing and change of date for the Eastern Oklahoma Area election. Questions were brought up as to why the change of date for the election. It was felt that one tribe was trying to dominate the election. Because of the change other tribes may not have had the opportunity to properly register their credentials for the voting process or have the time or resources to reschedule their attendance at the NCAI convention causing some tribes to miss the election.

“In the future, meetings should have a quorum before decisions such as these types of changes are made! This just demonstrates how the smaller tribes can be dominated, when allowed too,” stated Locust.