TAHLEQUAH, OKLAHOMA – The Cherokee Nation has announced an additional drive to get more of their citizens who live in California certified with new photo ID Cherokee citizenship cards.
With 19,700 Cherokee Nation citizens living in California, it's important to meet with and offer some of the same benefits as citizens in Oklahoma, Principal Chief Bill John Baker said.
“Producing a government issued, photo ID helps to instill a greater sense of pride in our people, and we're happy to bring this service to our Cherokees living outside of Oklahoma,”
Chief Baker said.
"I've presented my photo tribal citizenship card at several major airports, and even to the US Secret Service, and experienced no problems whatsoever."
Since October, Cherokee Nation's registration department has issued more than 14,000 of the upgraded citizenship "blue cards" in Oklahoma and seven other states, as well as Washington DC.
The Tribe's upgraded photo ID citizenship cards are similar in appearance to a driver's license. It features a citizen's Cherokee Nation registration number, official registrar signature, the citizen's photo and signature, Principal Chief's signature and a distinctive Cherokee Nation hologram seal for validation. Citizens can opt for their official Bureau of Indian Affairs Certificate Degree of Indian Blood (CDIB) on the back of the card.
The photo ID cards are being issued in conjunction with a community meeting of tribal citizens in Bakersfield, California, and the Bay and Sacramento area.
For more information contact Riley Rose at 661.859.4322 or Jacquie Archambeau at 925.408.3222, or the Cherokee Nation registration department at 918.458.6980 or registration@cherokee.org.
The groups will meet at the following times and locations:
Bakersfield, California
Saturday, April 27
10:00 am to 3:00 pm
Hart Park, Section 7, NE Corner
8222 Alfred Harrell Hwy.
Suisun City, California
Sunday, April 28
10:00 am to 3:00 pm
Rush Ranch
3521 Grizzly Island Road
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They should have something like this to offer ALL Nations, not just the Cherokee. The United States has a list of registered Reservations they use for determining public aid for those not living on Reservations, why can they not use this same Data Base to offer this type of card to ALL Nations? I know it is harder for some of those that are Border Nations that travel over under the Jay Treaty to go get a card such as this, but for those who are USA Born Nations this should be offered to ALL.
The first step to achieve this for all nations is here.
Neet-O Other Nations need to do likewise.
Does it cost $5.00 like it did to get on the Dawes Rolls?
When are they going to be in San Diego, Calif.