By CHRISTINA GOOD VOICE
Senior Reporter

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – Tribal Councilor Cara Cowan Watts said she would challenge the District Court’s approval of the council’s five-district plan because the map doesn’t reasonably and equally apportion councilors.

“My ideal districting plan would be 15 separate and reasonably equal districts based on Cherokee citizenship population and easily identifiable boundaries,” Cowan Watts said. “Equal representation must be the primary goal.”

She said she plans to file an appeal in the Cherokee Nation Supreme Court. 

“The map approved by the Tribal Council, signed by the chief and accepted by the Cherokee Nation District Court does not reasonably equally apportion council members,” she said.

She said if it is assumed that 110,892 is the acceptable total population for CN citizens living within the 14-county area, as calculated by the Tribal Registrar, the optimal population per seat based on 15 council seats is 7,393 citizens.

“If there are three council seats for each district in a five district configuration, the optimal number per district is 22,179,” Cowan Watts said.

In the map that combines Tulsa, Rogers and Washington counties, District 5 has 5,074 (22.8 percent) more citizens than the other districts, she said. 

“This is almost an entire fourth seat,” Cowan Watts said. “After spending seven years trying to rectify our community’s apportionment issues, I refuse to give up now until I know we have exhausted every opportunity.”

Cowan Watts said she is paying a Cherokee lawyer out of her own pocket so that Cherokees in all districts are treated fairly.

She also said that Rogers County has lost out on at least $1.3 million from 2004-10 because the number of councilors in a district apportions some tribal budgets. 

christina-goodvoice@cherokee.org • (918) 207-3825