Cherokee Nation to continue emergency programs despite federal government reopening, announces food security partners

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. - Cherokee Nation announced today that its emergency programs to respond to the lapse in federal SNAP funding will continue even as the federal government appears on the verge of reopening.

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin, Jr. and Deputy Chief Bryan Warner issued a declaration of emergency on October 28, two days after USDA announced the suspension of SNAP benefits for all Americans in November.

The declaration tapped millions of dollars in tribal reserve funds for direct cash assistance payments to Cherokee Nation citizens across the country and more than $1.25 million for food banks, food pantries and meal programs in the region.

Media reports on Sunday signaled that a bipartisan deal in the United States Senate will soon end the federal government shutdown, the longest in American history.

"While the federal government was gridlocked and states like Oklahoma sat on billions in surplus funds, our staff created multi-million-dollar programs to respond to what is in reality a hunger crisis," said Chief Hoskin. "The damage caused by the shutdown does not end with the reopening of the federal government. Millions of Americans, including more than 58,000 citizens of the Cherokee Nation, suffered for want of SNAP benefits and likely had to do without or make sacrifices to put food on the table. We cannot abandon them simply because federal leaders summoned the will to reopen the federal government."

Cherokee Nation citizens living anywhere in the United States can apply for cash assistance of up to $75 per Cherokee citizen in the household on SNAP by November 14, 2025, on the tribe's Gadugi Portal. The portal is accessible by citizens on the tribe's website, Cherokee.org.

Cherokee Nation also released a list of "Food Security Partners," non-profit organizations that shared in some of the $1.25 million in tribal funds pledged for donations. The deadline for organizations to apply was Friday, November 7. The list of more than 155 Food Security Partners is available at this link and will soon be available online at cherokee.org. Several additional Food Security Partner applications are under further review and could be added.

The tribe also provided support to its network of CCO Participating Organizations, located across the Cherokee Nation reservation and in many urban areas of the country, to provide assist with local food security needs. A list of CCO Participating organizations offering this support can also be found at this link and will soon be available on the tribe's website at cherokee.org.

Cherokee Nation's food security partners and CCO participating organizations are independent entities with their own policies and procedures and geographic areas of service.

Many of the tribe's CCO Participating Organizations recently held a special "SNAP Day" for community members through the tribe's Hawiya meat distribution program.

"This has been an all hands on deck effort," said Deputy Chief Bryan Warner. "In a crisis nothing is perfect, but I am proud of Cherokees who have pitched in from my fellow leaders to front line staff, to council members and to Cherokees in the grass roots doing what they can to help their fellow Cherokees, friends and neighbors and communities during these difficult days."

Chief Hoskin and Deputy Chief Warner's emergency declaration and response plan was funded by the tribe's Public Health and Wellness Fund Act, recently amended by the Council to add more annual funding.

"Cherokee Nation, through prudent spending and sound public policy, was positioned well to respond to this crisis," said Council Speaker Johnny Jack Kidwell. "I am proud of the entire response, but I am particularly proud of my council colleagues for working so well together to make sure our tribal budgets were prepared to the greatest extent possible for the unknown."

Chief Hoskin asked citizens to be patient as the tribe's staff processes more than 20,000 applications received to date for cash assistance for approval and electronic payment.

"We must all remember that our staff created a program in a matter of days to handle as many as 59,000 applications, review those applications and process payments," said Chief Hoskin. "Although they are days ahead of schedule for payments, their work hours are long and the volume of applications is large."

Chief Hoskin encourages all citizens of Cherokee Nation to keep their Gadugi Portal profiles up to date for accessing periodic programs for which they may be eligible and so that they are prepared to apply for crisis response programs in the future.