Executive Summary Cherokee Nation is the Indian nation and republic of the Cherokee Indians recognized through twenty-two treaties since 1721 by the United States and foreign governments. Although there are two other federally created Cherokee organizations, the Cherokee Nation is the only Cherokee federally recognized Indian nation with a historic treaty government-to-government relationship. With over 230,000 members, the Cherokee Nation is one of the two largest American Indian tribes or nations. The Cherokee Nation land base remaining under federal trust relationship is comprised of over 90,000 acres, about half of which is tribal land, and about half is trust or allotment land of individual tribal members. Cherokee Nation operates on a budget of more than $200 million a year. Eighty three percent of the budget is federally funded and appropriated to more than one hundred different programs and services on behalf of Cherokee citizens. Seventeen percent of the budget is Tribally generated and goes to the General Fund for the operation of Cherokee Nation government. For Further Details
Cherokee Nation Economic Impact According to year 2000 US Census, Native Americans are the largest minority group with 273,230 or 7.9% of the state’s population being Native American. The economic impact of Federal funding for Tribal programs on the Oklahoma economy is well in excess of $1 billion dollars annually. There are 6,642employees and 759 students employed by Cherokee Nation, Cherokee Nation Industries, Cherokee Nation Enterprises, Housing Authority of the Cherokee Nation, Cherokee Nation Home Health, Hastings Indian Hospital, and Claremore Indian Hospital. Direct Expenditures | $288,277,552 | Direct Employment | 6,642 |
Each direct expenditure becomes income to someone and is then re-spent. Multiple rounds of local expenditures and employment are therefore attributable to the Cherokee Nation. The economic activities brought into the service area counties indirectly create and supports millions of dollars of additional local earnings and well over one thousand non-Cherokee Nation jobs. Indirect Earnings Attributable to Cherokee Nation | $ 44,500,608 | Indirect Employment Attributable to Cherokee Nation | 1,811 | | | The total economic impact of the Cherokee Nation for 1999 was: | Total Economic Impact | $374,868,850 |
For Further Details
Cherokee Nation Business Enterprises Business Enterprises maintained under the Tribal Government employs 24 people and generated revenues of $2,148,013.87 in FY 2001. Business Enterprises includes the Landfill, Golf Course, Ranch Operations, and Tsa La Gi Elderly and Disabled Apartments. The Landfill, located in Adair County, has the largest impact and provides safe, effectivewaste disposal for four northeastern Oklahoma counties (Adair, Cherokee, Delaware, and Muskogee) and four northwest Arkansas counties. Our landfill not only provides environmentally effective waste disposal, we keep the cost of waste disposal for area residence approximately 50% below the current market price (we do charge more for out of state disposal). For Further Details
Cherokee Nation Compacts and Taxes Compacts are made for the mutual benefit of the Cherokee Nation and the State of Oklahoma. Taxes collected by the Nation are reinvested in Oklahoma schools and communities in a way that is very much like the State itself does. In addition to helping tribal members the funds distributed by the Nation directly or indirectly help all Oklahomans. Cherokee Nation tribal members pay state income taxes and retail sales taxes at the same rate as other citizens. Tribal members pay property taxes unless they live on restricted land. Cherokee Nation paid $70,482.57 in property taxes for the year 2001. Cherokee Nation deducts state and federal taxes from employee wages. Taxes paid in Fiscal Year 200l were $14,459,369.37. Cherokee Nation paid $2,076, 873.76 in state withholding taxes, $73,059.24 in state unemployment taxes, $7,114,538.42 in FICA and $5,194,897.75 federal taxes. In 1992 Cherokee Nation and the State of Oklahoma entered the Tribal/State Tobacco Tax Compact. The Nation has collected $21,083,056 of which $5,270,764 was paid to the State of Oklahoma in lieu of state tobacco excise and sales taxes. In 1996 Cherokee Nation and the State of Oklahoma entered a compact for the purpose of levying a tax on the use and sale of motor fuel on lands subject to the jurisdiction of theNation. Through October 29, 2001 the Nation has collected $32,259,162.70. As agreed to in the compact the tribe has used the monies collected for tribal government programs consisting of highway and bridge construction, health, education, correction, and law enforcement. In 2001 Cherokee Nation Tax Commission began the issuance of motor vehicle registration of tag, title and tax within the jurisdiction of the Cherokee Nation. Thirty-Eight Percent of the revenue from the sale of Cherokee Nation car tags will fund public schools in the Cherokee Nation, 20% for area highways and roads, up to 20% for Cherokee Nation Marshal Service, municipalities and county law enforcement and the remaining monies after the costs of Tax Commission operating costs will fund tribal education, housing, health programs and education. Oklahoma has a compact with Cherokee Nation providing for cross-deputization of Cherokee Nation Marshals with state and local units of government for law enforcement personnel. This provides cooperation and avoids jurisdictional issues regarding Indian country and helps supplement state and local law enforcement. For Further Details
Cherokee Nation Instrumentalities Cherokee Nation Enterprises (CNE) employed 767 individuals in 2001 and in 2002 the number jumped to an all time high of 979 individuals and reached record revenues in the amount of $95,999,000 in FY 2002. Federal and state payroll tax withholdings and employer matching funds exceed $4 million annually. Cherokee Nation Industries (CNI) employs 230 people in the State of Oklahoma and has annual expenditures of $42 million. For Further Details
Impact Summary |
