Incumbent Councilor Joshua Sam faces a lone challenger, Derrick Ross, for reelection to his Cherokee Nation District 7 Tribal Council seat.
Sam, 36, won 51.8 percent of the vote in a runoff election in 2021. A lifelong resident of Stilwell, he earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Northeastern State University, according to his council webpage. Before serving on the council, he worked as an auditor and accountant for the Cherokee Nation. When Sam was elected in 2021, he faced a challenge from an opponent accusing him of improperly notarizing ballots, but the challenge was dismissed with prejudice as “frivolous.”
Ross, 38, has also spent his life in District 7. He worked in law enforcement and as a security guard for a Cherokee Nation family shelter, but he left the position to run for the Tribal Council.
District 7 lies along the Cherokee Reservation’s eastern border in parts of Adair and Sequoyah counties. It includes the communities of Belfonte, Dahlonegah and Stilwell. The winner of the June 7 race will represent 9,387 citizens in the Cherokee Nation’s legislative body for four years. This will be the first election for the district since boundaries were redrawn last year.
Ross agreed to speak with NonDoc abut his candidacy ahead of the election, but Sam did not respond to requests for an interview.
Ross: ‘A lot of people are telling me that they still need essential help’
Throughout his campaign, Ross has called for increased transparency and more accessible services for Cherokee citizens. In an interview, he said his tribe is not using its financial resources to benefit citizens in need.
“We’re a $4.4 billion tribe, so why are [citizens] struggling?” Ross said. “They’re putting up these big buildings, but a lot of people are telling me that they still need essential help. They need food and their roofs fixed.”
In a written response to questions from the Cherokee Phoenix, Sam said the Cherokee Nation had made “tremendous investments” in the community, but that he believes more work could be done.
“Our programs are intended to deliver the greatest benefit to our citizens, but there are areas where we can improve,” Sam told the publication. “If I am given the opportunity to serve a second term, I will continue working on the goals that I had when I first ran, which include increasing resources and support for our elders, youth and working families.”
On Facebook, Sam has touted investments made in District 7 over his term, including the opening of a community wellness center and increased funding for Cherokee welfare programs.
“It is a testament to what working together can do for our people and our tribe,” Sam wrote in a February Facebook post. “There isn’t an argument that can state otherwise, but that we are seeing record investments in the future of our citizens by providing infrastructure, education, health, employment, elder care, language revitalization and so much more that will strengthen the daily lives of our people.”
However, Ross, who said he has sought assistance from the Cherokee Nation in the past, argued that accessing tribal services can be difficult and that many programs seem poorly managed.
“I feel like these programs are just for a chosen few,” Ross said. “I don’t think that’s right. I feel like we can make a real change in our community, but it just starts with holding our chief accountable because he is in charge of these programs.”
Candidates prioritize housing, economic opportunities
In addition to expanding services for Cherokee citizens, both candidates said housing is among their top priorities. On Facebook, Sam praised community investments that led to the development of 15 houses in District 7 and several new rental properties for Cherokee elders. In a response to the Cherokee Phoenix, Sam said he wants his second term to focus on resources for working families.
“We are still in a housing crisis and need to continue working together to find ways to ensure our people have more housing opportunities,” Sam wrote. “As we have continued to invest in many areas that have provided more employment opportunities in our district, I know we must continue to bring more resources that will allow our working families to find employment opportunities near their homes.”
Ross said his focus would be to ensure that Cherokee citizens in the district can receive assistance from the tribe to remain in safe, affordable housing.
“People need help,” Ross said. “I met a woman with a tree growing through her roof and a guy that didn’t even have running water. These are the people I’m trying to fight for, because they’re not getting the help.”
In addition to housing, Ross said he would advocate for increased physical and mental health care services for Cherokee elders and veterans, along with increased funding to support cultural education, trade schools and university studies for youth. He also wants to increase access to the Tribal Council by opening a satellite office in the district for constituents to meet with him to discuss issues without having to travel to the nation’s capital in Tahlequah.
