WEBVTT 1 00:00:03.680 --> 00:00:06.320 Good morning, good morning, good morning. Welcome, WelCom welcome any time 2 00:00:06.320 --> 00:00:10.480 now for a very special community connection right here on K one, the one 3 00:00:10.919 --> 00:00:15.560 you trust, you know. Cherry Key Nation has the big election that's coming 4 00:00:15.640 --> 00:00:19.399 up on Saturday, right, yes, Saturday, and we have a Crystal 5 00:00:19.480 --> 00:00:24.120 Saint John who is running for Cherokee Tribal Council. And uh, first of 6 00:00:24.160 --> 00:00:26.760 all, tell us a little bit about yourself, young lady. All right, 7 00:00:26.839 --> 00:00:31.160 my name is Crystal Saint John and I live here in Bardasville, and 8 00:00:31.440 --> 00:00:36.640 I'm married to Matt Saint John. And we have three beautiful children, nineteen, 9 00:00:36.759 --> 00:00:43.399 seventeen and eleven, and they're they're my whole life and purpose for living 10 00:00:43.439 --> 00:00:48.399 and what I do. M I was born in Tallaqua, and I went 11 00:00:48.439 --> 00:00:52.560 to school there at Woodall for two years and moved up here in first grade. 12 00:00:52.600 --> 00:00:56.679 And this is where where I've made my life since then. Now you 13 00:00:56.679 --> 00:01:00.159 you took a little detour and I went to the Army. I did a 14 00:01:00.159 --> 00:01:03.200 little bit about that. I was a bridge engineer in the military. My 15 00:01:03.280 --> 00:01:08.480 sister she joined the army and I followed right after her. We're very close 16 00:01:08.519 --> 00:01:11.560 in age, and we both did the same thing. She got sent over 17 00:01:11.599 --> 00:01:15.840 to Fort Riley, Kansas, and I got sent over to Hanal, Germany. 18 00:01:15.959 --> 00:01:22.680 So it was it was a very nice experience for someone from a smaller 19 00:01:22.719 --> 00:01:26.200 area to get out and see different people in places of the world. So, 20 00:01:26.719 --> 00:01:33.040 what has attracted you to the notion of running for tribal council? We 21 00:01:33.079 --> 00:01:36.280 always asked that of people who were running for office for the first time. 22 00:01:38.000 --> 00:01:41.680 What has attracted me is, you know, in my early twenties, when 23 00:01:41.680 --> 00:01:44.319 I did get back from the military, you start to have a better understanding 24 00:01:44.359 --> 00:01:49.359 of how government affects our everyday lives. And I started really paying attention to 25 00:01:49.599 --> 00:01:55.079 government and the things that happened, legislation that passes, and more so than 26 00:01:55.120 --> 00:01:57.359 any other government, I paid attention to the Cherokee Nation government. I watched 27 00:01:57.359 --> 00:02:01.799 their committee meeting. Um, I've done that for about the past ten years, 28 00:02:01.799 --> 00:02:06.959 and that's ten years ago. Is about whenever I felt like that's what 29 00:02:07.359 --> 00:02:09.879 I was going to be someday, that's what I could do and make a 30 00:02:09.919 --> 00:02:15.719 difference and better people's lives. And so I just have followed the government and 31 00:02:15.919 --> 00:02:22.439 its activities to learn to watch and with my family and I my husband and 32 00:02:22.479 --> 00:02:24.599 my children, we talked about it and prayed about it over the past year 33 00:02:24.639 --> 00:02:29.680 and a half and we decided that God said, now's the time. If 34 00:02:29.680 --> 00:02:31.560 you want to stand up for your people, you go stand up for your 35 00:02:31.560 --> 00:02:37.759 people. We're talking with a Crystal Saint John and she's running for Cherokee Tribal 36 00:02:37.759 --> 00:02:40.919 Council at twelve District twelve. Yes, Okay, District twelve, which includes 37 00:02:42.120 --> 00:02:46.800 Bartlesville, Copan all the way down to just no Wada, just north the 38 00:02:46.960 --> 00:02:52.599 north very northern portion of Skytook and Ramona Ocellata via a little bit of Talala. 39 00:02:53.360 --> 00:02:57.719 Okay. Oh, this is a that's a that's a good land. 40 00:02:57.800 --> 00:03:01.599 It's a pretty big size, Yeah it is, and it's really great. 41 00:03:01.960 --> 00:03:07.120 Now by watching the council meetings over the years, you had about a decade's 42 00:03:07.120 --> 00:03:10.960 worth to take it all in. What are your takeaways from it? How 43 00:03:10.960 --> 00:03:14.800 do you see it as it is and how maybe you think it should be. 44 00:03:15.319 --> 00:03:22.800 What I believe are elected members of government should be is representatives of the 45 00:03:22.840 --> 00:03:25.000 people that elected them, the people from their districts. And I believe it's 46 00:03:25.120 --> 00:03:31.960 a service job. I believe government is not something that you should elected. 47 00:03:31.960 --> 00:03:38.599 Official government is not something you go into without a servant's heart. I am 48 00:03:38.680 --> 00:03:43.120 running because I believe it is a job of service to the people and not 49 00:03:43.280 --> 00:03:49.680 of enrichment of elected officials. Unfortunately, in my opinion, i've seen extreme 50 00:03:49.719 --> 00:03:53.479 pay raises happen in our elected officials over the past four to five years that 51 00:03:53.560 --> 00:03:58.360 I did help get stopped the first time they tried to do it, and 52 00:03:58.400 --> 00:04:01.599 then when COVID happened, they shut down the committee meetings so citizens couldn't be 53 00:04:01.639 --> 00:04:05.960 there and have to face them while making that vote, and then they got 54 00:04:05.960 --> 00:04:10.439 it past. And one of my main things is to try and bring that 55 00:04:10.560 --> 00:04:15.839 number back down because when we haven't made it to where we're servicing services, 56 00:04:15.920 --> 00:04:20.720 basic services to our citizens and making that available to the people in District twelve, 57 00:04:21.639 --> 00:04:27.040 elected officials shouldn't be putting large portions of money in their pocket, and 58 00:04:27.120 --> 00:04:30.360 that's what is currently happening, and I don't think that's what's best for the 59 00:04:30.399 --> 00:04:36.279 people. Now. With the different communities that you'll be serving, should you 60 00:04:36.319 --> 00:04:41.000 get the job, that's a lot of shoe others. That's a lot of 61 00:04:41.040 --> 00:04:45.360 moving around, that's a lot of travel that well, that's right, and 62 00:04:45.759 --> 00:04:50.040 you know, I'll be the District twelve representative. But your job is to 63 00:04:50.079 --> 00:04:55.319 serve all Cherokee people. I will be taking back the concerns that I am 64 00:04:55.360 --> 00:04:59.279 hearing from citizens and that I speak with them about and meet with them about. 65 00:04:59.680 --> 00:05:02.519 And I would like to change it because currently a lot of times Council 66 00:05:02.560 --> 00:05:09.360 brings forth legislation or government contracts and different things like that that some citizens don't 67 00:05:09.360 --> 00:05:14.279 even understand are taken place. And I would like to make sure that that 68 00:05:14.639 --> 00:05:17.480 enough time is there to get some feedback from citizens on how they feel about 69 00:05:17.519 --> 00:05:23.079 it, such as you know mcgurt is a big thing that a lot of 70 00:05:23.079 --> 00:05:27.160 people have heard about. Well, whether you're a Cherokee Nation citizen of District 71 00:05:27.160 --> 00:05:31.439 twelve or not, it affects your life. And we have made a contract 72 00:05:31.519 --> 00:05:39.160 that any Cherokee citizens that are jailed for more than six months, the Cherokee 73 00:05:39.279 --> 00:05:44.839 Nation is sending them to a prison in Texas. And whoa, but let's 74 00:05:44.839 --> 00:05:50.199 back that up here. If you're a Cherokee Nation citizen and you're jailed for 75 00:05:50.240 --> 00:05:54.959 more than six months, you don't serve locally, you go to Texas, 76 00:05:55.199 --> 00:06:01.199 Texas. Do we have a Cherokee presence of than inmates in Texas? Um? 77 00:06:01.279 --> 00:06:03.759 Well, there's some citizens. My sister, she lives in Texas. 78 00:06:03.920 --> 00:06:09.399 But but no, no, no, And so these citizens, if so, 79 00:06:09.439 --> 00:06:13.000 if you're um, fall under the jurisdiction of the Cherokee Nation. So 80 00:06:13.079 --> 00:06:15.920 if you committed a crime something that you need to go to jail for and 81 00:06:15.959 --> 00:06:19.879 it's for more than six months, they're saying they have no space and or 82 00:06:19.959 --> 00:06:27.879 the lack of government relationships between the state and the tribe. So they're contracted 83 00:06:27.920 --> 00:06:31.360 with a private prison in Texas, and our citizens that serve more than six 84 00:06:31.399 --> 00:06:34.879 months go to prison in Texas to finish their term. And to me, 85 00:06:35.120 --> 00:06:41.720 that's not okay. And that's something that the Delaware tribes should be consulted with. 86 00:06:41.839 --> 00:06:46.920 You know, they they live under our jurisdiction of land as well, 87 00:06:46.959 --> 00:06:51.759 but their citizens have to fall under that as well, and we should consult 88 00:06:51.800 --> 00:06:56.560 with our citizens, we should hear their opinions, and we should consult with 89 00:06:56.560 --> 00:07:01.800 our other governments. That it's a very complicated situation with three different tribes living 90 00:07:01.839 --> 00:07:06.240 with under the same jurisdiction of the Cherokee Nation, which is the United Katua 91 00:07:06.279 --> 00:07:10.680 Band the Cherokee Nation, and then we have the Delaware tribe just up the 92 00:07:10.759 --> 00:07:14.920 road here. Wow, this is very interesting. We're talking about some issues 93 00:07:15.279 --> 00:07:18.480 that I don't think everyone has heard before. That's true. I think a 94 00:07:18.480 --> 00:07:23.879 lot of times some citizens don't even understand or know these things happen until it 95 00:07:23.920 --> 00:07:28.560 happens to someone in their family. And I think it's important to communicate with 96 00:07:28.600 --> 00:07:31.240 our citizens the laws that we've passed, the contracts we've entered that will affect 97 00:07:31.399 --> 00:07:38.439 their everyday lives, their family members, their neighbors. And that's what I 98 00:07:38.480 --> 00:07:41.800 want to change in government as being here for the people, speaking with the 99 00:07:41.839 --> 00:07:46.279 citizens, hearing their concerns and letting that affect my yes or no votes in 100 00:07:46.319 --> 00:07:50.720 council chambers, not just other people in council, and making sure that we 101 00:07:50.759 --> 00:07:56.959 all get along by saying yes when everybody feels that's best, but it's okay 102 00:07:57.000 --> 00:08:00.720 to say no if your citizens disagree with that, and you're over all feedback 103 00:08:00.839 --> 00:08:03.240 is please don't pass this, this is not good, or please change that, 104 00:08:03.360 --> 00:08:07.639 make an amendment before it changes to where it serves us better. We're 105 00:08:07.639 --> 00:08:11.160 talking with Crystal Saint John. She is running for Cherokee Nation Tribal Council District 106 00:08:11.240 --> 00:08:16.720 twelve. And when you mentioned that you're going to represent not only the district, 107 00:08:16.800 --> 00:08:20.800 all Cherokees, what does that encompass. A lot of people think, 108 00:08:20.839 --> 00:08:26.000 well, we've got fourteen counties, but there goes beyond that. It does. 109 00:08:26.040 --> 00:08:33.000 There's Cherokee citizens all across the United States and they all vote in elections. 110 00:08:33.039 --> 00:08:35.600 They have a vote in the chief and Deputy chiefs race, and they 111 00:08:35.639 --> 00:08:43.879 also have their council representative in an at large candidate. So we serve Cherokees 112 00:08:43.919 --> 00:08:48.039 all over with they don't have the same laws that are passed that they if 113 00:08:48.039 --> 00:08:54.480 they reside outside those fourteen counties you mentioned, they're not under that law unless 114 00:08:54.519 --> 00:08:58.600 they're here and they come back home, then they're under the Cherokee Nation law 115 00:08:58.639 --> 00:09:01.600 as well. But they do get scholarships, they have community meetings, they 116 00:09:01.639 --> 00:09:05.360 like to remain you know, connected with culture, just the same as others 117 00:09:05.399 --> 00:09:09.840 do. And so we still serve them in many ways they can we can 118 00:09:09.879 --> 00:09:16.080 offer new services for them to access that's maybe not just under Cherokee Nation Health 119 00:09:16.240 --> 00:09:20.440 or the Indian Health that we have here locally. Crystals. Saint John is 120 00:09:20.440 --> 00:09:26.000 our guest here on Community Connection. So we've got the election coming up. 121 00:09:26.120 --> 00:09:28.559 I think everybody knows it's June third. We're can folks around here vote, 122 00:09:28.600 --> 00:09:31.480 We're the polling places. Well, this is what I'd like to get out 123 00:09:31.480 --> 00:09:37.080 there. Today is early voting day. If you want to early vote, 124 00:09:37.159 --> 00:09:41.200 you can drive to Talaquall to the Election Commission and vote from seven am to 125 00:09:41.240 --> 00:09:45.759 seven pm. And that's today and tomorrow, and then on Saturday, June 126 00:09:45.799 --> 00:09:50.360 third, you can go vote at your precinct. So if whatever precinct you 127 00:09:50.399 --> 00:09:54.480 have selected, which for our district, it'll be Bardesville or no Wada. 128 00:09:54.799 --> 00:10:03.000 Unfortunately, our sky Took precinct was shut down this year, so those folks 129 00:10:03.000 --> 00:10:05.720 now have to drive to Barnesville to vote. I would like to change that, 130 00:10:05.799 --> 00:10:09.159 make sure they have somewhere closer to vote for them. But Barnesville over 131 00:10:09.159 --> 00:10:15.039 on Virginia Avenue, right at the Cherokee Housing Authority, and that Saturday this 132 00:10:15.200 --> 00:10:20.080 Saturday, from seven to seven Over in Nowada, it's at the Noweta Community 133 00:10:20.080 --> 00:10:24.799 Building right across from the health clinic there in Nowada. Okay. So the 134 00:10:24.840 --> 00:10:28.600 thing is you can early vote in Tallaqua today if you're a Cherokee Nation Tribal 135 00:10:28.639 --> 00:10:33.200 citizen and you're registered. Same on the Saturday, though, on the actual 136 00:10:33.320 --> 00:10:37.679 day of the general election, we go over to the Housing Authority here on 137 00:10:37.720 --> 00:10:43.440 the west side of town in Bartlesville or the NODA Center in Nowada. That's 138 00:10:43.519 --> 00:10:46.039 right, all right? Got it? Clear? I'm old. I got 139 00:10:46.120 --> 00:10:50.720 it. And call your Cherokee family and friends and invite them to come and 140 00:10:50.799 --> 00:10:52.320 vote with you. Take a car pull with you. Make sure your voice 141 00:10:52.360 --> 00:10:56.159 is heard for me or against me. Go make your opinion matter very good. 142 00:10:56.360 --> 00:11:05.919 So what have you seen over the years that made you want to say 143 00:11:05.960 --> 00:11:13.559 this is the time when you you told us you've been watching the tribal council 144 00:11:13.600 --> 00:11:16.799 meetings for over ten years. What was that that moment for you that said 145 00:11:18.600 --> 00:11:24.879 this is the call. Whenever the outrageous in my opinion, pay raises was 146 00:11:24.960 --> 00:11:28.840 coming about, I went and stood in council chambers with a lot of citizens 147 00:11:28.840 --> 00:11:33.919 and we got it stopped. Then COVID happened and they shut down meetings from 148 00:11:33.919 --> 00:11:39.879 citizens to be there, and they passed pay raises that to where now council 149 00:11:39.919 --> 00:11:48.240 members in their fourth year are making ten thousand dollars a month. The chief 150 00:11:48.240 --> 00:11:52.279 of the Cherokee Nation is around thirty thousand dollars a month with those pay raises 151 00:11:52.440 --> 00:11:56.080 that that they had put in place. And after we got it stopped, 152 00:11:56.120 --> 00:12:00.200 I know it could have been stopped if they felt like that was non in 153 00:12:00.200 --> 00:12:03.919 the best interests for the Cherokee people. And when they didn't do that, 154 00:12:03.919 --> 00:12:07.240 that's when I decided this needs to stop. When we're getting into a government 155 00:12:07.279 --> 00:12:11.159 that seems to be more self serving, and we do a lot the Cherokee 156 00:12:11.240 --> 00:12:15.320 Nation government does a lot of great things. I'm not saying that, but 157 00:12:16.960 --> 00:12:22.279 if we still have elders that are passing away unfortunately, like my aunt recently 158 00:12:22.320 --> 00:12:26.960 did while waiting on some housing repairs, I don't think elected officials need that 159 00:12:28.000 --> 00:12:31.600 type of money. If we still have to drive a long distance to get 160 00:12:31.600 --> 00:12:37.600 our basic Cherokee Nations citizen photo IDs. We can bring services up here, 161 00:12:37.679 --> 00:12:41.000 get more jobs for Cherokee citizens to work in, allow them to apply for 162 00:12:41.279 --> 00:12:45.879 all the things that everybody gets to apply for Intaloqua. Let them do that 163 00:12:45.919 --> 00:12:48.559 here in Bardsville. Like you said, we have a pretty big land area 164 00:12:48.639 --> 00:12:54.039 in our district. We need basic service people here working that will create jobs 165 00:12:54.320 --> 00:13:00.879 and allow a local place for our citizens to access applications, human to human 166 00:13:00.960 --> 00:13:03.879 answers to questions if they have them, and we don't really have that. 167 00:13:03.960 --> 00:13:07.639 We have the housing Authority, we have a clinic that does has wonderful people 168 00:13:07.960 --> 00:13:11.840 and has a lot of great things. I'm so thankful that that has come 169 00:13:11.879 --> 00:13:16.080 because I was at a time when we had just a little bus that would 170 00:13:16.120 --> 00:13:18.679 come once a month and that's where you would get your medical treatment. That 171 00:13:18.720 --> 00:13:20.440 was when I was probably eight or nine, ten years old. Wow, 172 00:13:20.679 --> 00:13:24.039 and we've come a long way, but we still have a long ways to 173 00:13:24.080 --> 00:13:28.519 go in making sure that UM District twelve citizens are getting the same services that 174 00:13:30.200 --> 00:13:35.679 Tallequall citizens are also receiving. Crystal Saint John, she's running for Cherokee Nation 175 00:13:35.759 --> 00:13:41.399 Tribal Council District twelve. Do you have a Facebook page or a website that 176 00:13:41.759 --> 00:13:46.440 folks can contact you if they want to know anymore about you before they cast 177 00:13:46.440 --> 00:13:50.840 their vote, either today or in person on a Saturday. I do have 178 00:13:50.919 --> 00:13:54.200 a Facebook page. I don't have a website. I don't have a big 179 00:13:54.200 --> 00:13:58.039 dollar campaign. I'm just a girl that's passionate and cares, but I don't 180 00:13:58.679 --> 00:14:03.039 have big donors and all kinds of stuff like that. I've done what I 181 00:14:03.039 --> 00:14:05.480 could to try and get my word out there. Crystal Saint John twelve at 182 00:14:05.480 --> 00:14:09.799 gmail dot com is my email. My phone number is nine one eight two 183 00:14:09.799 --> 00:14:11.879 one four five six, one three if you'd like to call or text me, 184 00:14:13.440 --> 00:14:18.759 and my Facebook page is Crystal Saint John for Council, Cherokee Nation District 185 00:14:18.840 --> 00:14:22.440 twelve. Wow. Wow, I'll tell you what it's been interesting. I 186 00:14:22.600 --> 00:14:24.240 learned a lot of things. I think a few other people have too, 187 00:14:24.360 --> 00:14:28.600 I hope so. But appreciate you coming in and introducing yourself to the voters 188 00:14:28.639 --> 00:14:33.320 and to everyone who's listening today. Crystal Saint John, Cherokee Nation Tribal Council 189 00:14:35.120 --> 00:14:37.320 candidate for District twelve. Good luck to you. Thank you so much for 190 00:14:37.360 --> 00:14:41.000 having me. I appreciate it. You got it, folks, you've been 191 00:14:41.039 --> 00:14:43.240 listening to our community connection on K one