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Tribal Council candidates make their case BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER arly voting is underway for the June 3 Primary Election in Cherokee, which will determine the final slate of candidates progressing to the General Election Sept. 2. This year, all 12 Tribal Council seats are up for election, as well as School Board seats for Wolfetown, Big Cove and Birdtown. The Primary Election will whittle the number of candidates down to four per township for Tribal Council and two per community for School Board, with General Election voters selecting two Tribal Council representatives and one school board member to represent their community. Due to smaller numbers of candidates in those townships, Tribal Council hopefuls from Big Cove, Painttown and Cherokee County/Snowbird will not face a primary contest. The Smoky Mountain News contacted all 19 Tribal Council candidates facing a primary contest next month with an opportunity to introduce themselves to voters. Below are responses received by the initial deadline, listed in alphabetical order. Over the coming weeks, SMN will run additional responses as they are received.
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Smoky Mountain News
May 12-18, 2021
CYNDI LAMBERT
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Lambert, 55, is seeking her first term in elected office as a Tribal Council member representing Birdtown. She owns and operates a carwash, self-service Laundromat and hotel in the casino district. Lambert has been in private business for 25 years, starting businesses from the ground up, and she believes that business acumen is essential for success as a Council member. Lambert served as “First Lady” while her husband Patrick Lambert was principal chief and has been involved in the tribe’s political landscape for more than 20 years. Between 1993 and 1997, she worked as a front office clerk in the EBCI Finance Department and was the person primarily responsible for getting the first per capita distribution out to tribal members in 1995. Opinion on tribal government’s current direction: “I think our Tribe’s current direction is fair, but I think there is still more work to be done to get it headed in a better direction. I believe recently we have been spending way too much money on outside ventures while ignoring our issues here at home. We need to get back to taking care of our people and remind ourselves that a position on Tribal Council is a position of service. While business diversification is an important goal, we must not lose sight of our needs at home and protection of our assets. I think so much focus has been on venues outside of our area that we have lost protection of our own sphere of political influence. I think our rela-
tionship with the State of N.C. needs some attention and repair, as this is vitally important to our political and financial wellbeing.” Top priority if elected: “Immediately I want to make sure that our people are the direct beneficiaries of the new $1.9 trillion American Relief Plan Act money. There are billions of dollars that are heading into Indian Country, just like for states. And I want to add my voice to make sure this money gets directly into the pockets of our enrolled members. I know there are some spending guidelines, but a large discretion is placed with each Cyndi Lambert tribe to determine the exact way this money will be used, and I want to see it directly benefit all our working families with direct financial relief to every tribal member.”
CHRISTOPHER REED Reed, 32, is seeking his first elected term and hopes to represent Yellowhill on Tribal Council. He currently works as the JonesBowman Leadership Award program specialist for the Ray Kinsland Leadership Institute and Cherokee Boys Club. He holds a bachelor’s degree in hospitality and tourism from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Opinion on tribal government’s current direction: “When I’ve asked my community members what they are worried about most, it seems to always come back to the wasteful spending. Numerous projects are being planned or advanced when we truly need to reign in the hurtful spending the tribe is doing. This could be everything from office printer paper to land Christopher Reed purchases. If a budget is developed and approved, programs must adhere to them. Our tribe does not have bottomless pockets. If I can live on a budget, then surely the tribe can; the numbers might be larger, but it’s still a budget. “Old ideas and the political game of ‘you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours’ must be addressed. Our politicians and program managers must be held accountable for any violations of ethics and integrity as well as be the voices of their communities.” Top priority if elected: “Economic diversity and stability. The lockdowns of 2020 have shown us how frag-
Also on the primary ballot TRIBAL COUNCIL Birdtown • Albert Rose • Boyd Owle • Gilbert Crowe Jr. • Gloria “Punkin” Griffin • Robin Lambert • Jacob George • Cyndi Lambert Wolfetown • Jesse “Fonzie” Sneed • Bo Crowe • Bill Taylor • Chelsea Taylor Saunooke • Sam “Frell” Reed Yellowhill • Tom Wahnetah • T.W. Price Saunooke • Dave Wolfe • Stephanie Saunooke French • Christopher Reed • Shannon Ross • Elvia Walkingstick (Write-in)
SCHOOL BOARD Big Cove • Kristina Hyatt • Lavita Hill • Karen French-Browning • Lori Taylor • Damian Solis Birdtown • Melanie Lambert • Ashford Smith • Bree Stamper • Ray Long Wolftown • Isaac “Ike” Long • Berdie Toineeta • Bucky Squirrel
To have a profile published in an upcoming issue of The Smoky Mountain News, Tribal Council candidates can contact holly@smokymountainnews.com. ile an economy based on gaming and tourism can be. While I was in my undergraduate studies, I found the hypothetical examples of pandemics, terrorism and other ‘acts of God’ to be interesting thought exercises. Never in my dreams did I think we’d see the mass closures,
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