Congress may not be talking about another stimulus checks, but the second-largest tribal nation in the country will soon get more money in direct payments. Nearly 400,000 Cherokee Nation citizens are set to get $2,000 in additional coronavirus stimulus checks.
Q1 2021 hedge fund letters, conferences and more
Last week, Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. approved legislation that would give the Oklahoma-based tribe $2,000 in stimulus payment. The payment was approved by the tribe's governing council in a 16-1 vote. Cherokee Nation is the country’s second-largest tribe after the Arizona-based Navajo Nation.
This stimulus payment is part of the tribe's share of President Joe Biden's American Rescue Plan Act. The tribe got $1.8 billion under Biden’s plan, and the $2,000 direct payment represents about 43% of that. The payment would go to the tribe's 392,832 citizens, and it would be split into two $1,000 payments over two years.
“Cherokee Nation called on Congress to provide even more funding to Indian Country, and we were successful,” Hoskin said in a press release, referring to the funding they got from Biden’s plan.
To apply for direct payment, the citizens of the tribe will have to use the Gadugi Portal. The application process is expected to be online in June. Citizens, however, are being asked to register for the Gadugi Portal now to ease the sign-up process later.
Cherokee Nation’s $1.8B COVID assistance plan to help every Cherokee citizen,. The Thirsty family said $2,000 for her and each of her children over two years will help “pay bills, behind from COVID.”https://t.co/UH0ZskmPmc
— CherokeeNation (@CherokeeNation) May 26, 2021
More benefits for Cherokee Nation citizens
Along with the direct payment, the spending plan for Cherokee Nation citizens also includes many other initiatives. These include mental health and wellness initiatives, support for education and small businesses, housing and job training, support to infrastructure, tribal health care services and more.
The plan also includes $80 million (representing 4.39% of the $1.8 billion fund) for an initiative to eliminate poverty barriers. This program, called “a-sv-dlv-I” (Cherokee word for “bridge”), will help to eliminate barriers to self-sufficiency, that came up or were worsened by the pandemic.
Hoskin said the funding would ensure that their tribe “is able to heal together and rebuild to be a stronger tribe with stronger and healthier Cherokee families and communities.”
Further, Hoskin noted that the funds would boost their efforts “to recover and rebuild.” The Cherokee Nation came up with a Respond, Recover and Rebuild program after the Covid-19 pandemic, to offer relief to the tribe’s citizens. Hoskin said the new Respond, Recover and Rebuild plans would be carried out over a total three-year period.
Other key components of the proposal are Cherokee Nation Payroll & Hazard Pay (2.74%), Cherokee Nation Workplace Health & Safety Improvements (4.39%), Housing / Quarantine (6.59%), Job Training / Small Business / Economic Impact (5.49%), Government Revenue Replacement (9.6%), Education / Language / Higher Education Relief & Assistance (6.59%), Health Infrastructure / Behavioral Health / Wellness Programs (7.13%), Transportation and Infrastructure (3.18%) and Broadband infrastructure (3.57%).
