A field certification clerk from the Cherokee Nation will be at the Cherokee Nation office in Sallisaw from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. March 11 to assist Cherokees with applications for Certificate of Degree of Blood cards and membership in the Cherokee Nation. The office is located at 101 W. Quesenbury in Sallisaw.

"Our goal is to make registration more convenient for Cherokees. We don't want people to have to come to Tahlequah to register themselves or their children. The application process is fairly simple, and application services and tribal citizenship are free. Citizenship is important because it provides easier access to tribal programs and services, and it is required to be able to vote in tribal elections, "Lela Ummerteskee, tribal registrar for the Cherokee Nation, said.

The Cherokee Nation's main tribal registration office is located in the W.W. Keeler Tribal Complex in Tahlequah, and is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. There is no charge for application services or tribal membership.

For general information about application requirements, please contact the Cherokee Nation registration department at (918) 456-0671, extension 2575, or (800) 256-0671, extension 2575, Ummerteskee said.