The affordability crisis is hitting low-income Cherokee elders. We are taking action on the rez

Osiyo,

Cherokee values teach us to respect our elders, listen to their wisdom and honor the sacrifices they've made for us and for our future. But honoring our elders takes more than words. It means making sure they have what they need to live healthy, secure and fulfilling lives.

Across our 7,000-square-mile Cherokee Nation Reservation, too many elders are feeling the squeeze of rising costs. Groceries, utilities and other basic needs keep taking a bigger bite out of monthly budgets. For elders living on fixed incomes, even a modest increase in expenses can force difficult choices.

Deputy Chief Bryan Warner and I believe our elders deserve better. That's why we're putting more tribal resources directly into their hands and expanding access to nutritious food and fellowship.

At our recent pair of Cherokee Nation Elders Summits, we announced a major expansion of our Elders in Need program, which helps low-income Cherokee elders pay their utility bills. Chief Bill John Baker established EIN in 2012. Inflation - topping 32% just in the last decade - has eroded that initial benefit at a time when we have more tribal funding to bring to bear. So, we are increasing the annual EIN benefit by 50%, from $400 to $600, while tripling the number of eligible elders from about 1,400 to 4,200.

That will be significant relief for thousands of Cherokee households. More money for groceries, medications and everyday needs means less worry about keeping the lights on and homes comfortable. We're making this possible through a $2 million annual investment from our historic Public Health and Wellness Fund Act. The expanded program will reach more elders living on the reservation, aged 60 and older, who participate in Cherokee Nation's energy-assistance and food-distribution programs. It will also reach eligible elders in urban portions of the reservation.

Additionally, we're building on another commitment, making nutritious meals and fellowship more accessible to our elders.

Last year, after launching our first new site in over a decade in Stilwell, we tapped PHWFA to expand nutrition services to Bowlin Springs, Dewey and Tulsa and began an effort to improve services and facilities at all sites.

In 2027, we'll open new elder nutrition sites in Tahlequah, Salina, Catoosa and Locust Grove, while renovating existing sites in Oaks, Foyil and Porum. That's another $2.5 million investment in our elders.

With these latest commitments, we're moving closer to a goal outlined in my State of the Nation address: putting an elder nutrition site within reach of every Cherokee elder on our reservation. These sites are about more than a good, hot meal. They're places where senior citizens are able visit with friends, stay connected to their communities and find the interpersonal interactions that are so vital to our physical and mental well-being.

Our Public Health and Wellness Fund Act was created to improve Cherokee lives, and supporting our elders sits at the very heart of that mission. Good health isn't just medical care - it's having enough to eat, a safe home, and knowing your tribal government is there to assist you.

PHWFA also reflects something powerful for all of us: sovereignty, self-governance and tribal self sufficiency. As with all of the more than $50 million invested annually in PHWFA programs, grants, projects and services, our $4.5 million investment in elders uses zero federal dollars.

While the country waits on states and the federal government to address the affordability crisis for elders, Cherokee Nation is making a bold move using the tribally funded PHWFA. As our resources grow under PHWFA, we can expand investments under that law and help more elders - and all citizens - in the future without waiting on a federal grant.

Deputy Chief Warner and I, along with the Council of the Cherokee Nation, will continue to ensure Cherokee elders are a primary consideration in every community effort. We know that each elder is the living embodiment of who we are as a people, and when we take care of our elders, we honor our past as we build a brighter future. Cherokee elders spent their lives caring for families, building up communities and carrying forward our culture and values. We owe them that same care in return.

Wado,

Chuck Hoskin Jr.
Principal Chief