Title
A RESOLUTION APPROVING THE CREATION OF A CHARTER SCHOOL WITHIN THE CHEROKEE NATION AND APPROVING THE APPLICATION OF CHEROKEE NATION EDUCATION SERVICES TO CHARTER
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WHEREAS, the Cherokee Nation is a federally-recognized Indian Nation with a historic and continual government-to-government relationship with the United States of America;
WHEREAS, The Cherokee Nation since time immemorial has exercised the sovereign rights of self-government on behalf of Cherokee people;
WHEREAS, the Cherokee Nation has operated an education system within its territory since the infamous Trail of Tears;
WHEREAS, Cherokee Nation operated the first compulsory co-educational facility west of the Mississippi River;
WHEREAS, over 21,000 Cherokee Nation citizens attend public schools throughout the tribe's territory;
WHEREAS, Cherokee Nation supports public schools through education programming, such as Johnson O'Malley/Co-Partner programs and other Education Services initiatives;
WHEREAS, Cherokee Nation supports public schools through financial contributions in the form of grants from tribal revenue generated by the collection of Cherokee motor vehicle registration taxes;
WHEREAS, Cherokee Nation currently operates its own school system, Sequoyah Schools, which is a federally-and-tribally-funded boarding school, offering grades 7-12, serving the needs of Native youth;
WHEREAS, Sequoyah Schools is the school of choice in Northeastern Oklahoma, offering an Immersion program for grades K-5, wherein children learn core curriculum in the Cherokee language;
WHEREAS, the Immersion school currently serves over 100 students;
WHEREAS, all teachers in the Immersion school are fluent in the Cherokee language and are certified by the State of Oklahoma;
WHEREAS, the Immersion school is supported by a Curriculum Department, a Technology Department and a Translation Department;
WHEREAS, the Immersion school has a relationship with Apple, and has worked closely with the company to develop Cherokee language software for Macintosh operating systems, iPhones, iPods and iPads;
WHEREAS, the mission of the Cherokee Nation Education Division is to build leaders to build the Cherokee Nation;
WHEREAS, the Oklahoma Charter Schools Act, 70 O.S. § 3-130 , et al, provides for creation of charter schools, when sponsored by "By a federally recognized Indian tribe, operating a high school under the authority of the Bureau of Indian Affairs as of the effective date of this act, if the charter school is for the purpose of demonstrating native language immersion instruction, and is located within its former reservation or treaty area boundaries. For purposes of this paragraph, native language immersion instruction shall require that educational instruction and other activities conducted at the school site are primarily conducted in the native language", 70 O.S. § 3-132 (7);
WHEREAS, the Cherokee Nation meets the requirements under State law to charter.
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CHEROKEE NATION, that the application to charter submitted by Cherokee Nation Education Services, a copy of which is attached hereto is hereby approved.