Warner: ‘The sky’s the limit’
Deputy principal chief touts successes, vision for ‘one of the best places to live’
If you’re one of those who doesn’t know how proud Bryan Warner is of his community and the importance of the Cherokee Nation, there are surely geology enthusiasts who’d like to see the size of the rock that you recently crawled out from under.
If you’re one of those who doesn’t know how proud Bryan Warner is of his community and the importance of the Cherokee Nation, there are surely geology enthusiasts who’d like to see the size of the rock that you recently crawled out from under.
But Warner is happy to bring you up to speed.
“What I say to you is: Oklahoma is a great state, Sequoyah County is a great county and Sallisaw is absolutely one of the best places to live,” Warner, deputy principal chief of the Cherokee Nation, told community leaders last week at the Sallisaw Chamber of Commerce’s monthly membership luncheon held at People Inc.
“The opportunity here with a tribal nation and being on this reservation, the sky’s the limit. What we (the Cherokee Nation) want to do is to increase opportunity for those who live out in the recesses where we all live, we all know these places. But I promise you, the rest of the world has forgotten about them. We support our local churches, we support our local schools, we support our community organizations,” said Warner, the penultimate community cheerleader.
“We’ve been given a great fiscal responsibility, and we want to make sure we are utilizing our dollars in your community the most effective way that it can be,” he said on behalf of the Cherokee Nation.
Warner, who was reelected in June and lives in Sallisaw with his wife Maco and their three sons, used broad strokes to paint a sweeping picture of what the Cherokee Nation is undertaking, and the impact tribal activities have on local communities within the 14-county reservation. His 30-minute address — into which he compressed an hour’s worth of information — to chamber members advocated for cultural and language preservation, workforce training, personal and family wellness, higher education scholarships and comprehensive community support, among other topics.
Warner opened not only with a traditional Cherokee greeting — “Shi-yo ni-ga-da,” hello everyone — and explanation, but also the reason why the Cherokee language is so important.
Explaining that the Cherokee culture and Cherokee language “mean so much more than just words,” he emphasized their importance. “That is the No. 1 thing that helps us remain in what we are to be called Cherokee. Otherwise, if our language dies, we’re just another sovereign government within a government structure. We all know those individuals, our neighbors, our brothers and sisters, they understand being a tribe is much more than just being in government,” he said.
Warner then pivoted to Redbird Smith Estates — located next to People Inc. on J.T. Stites Boulevard, where the subdivision is being built — before broadening his scope related to housing.
“Next door, I know we broke ground not long ago, we’ve got about 33 lots over there that we’re looking at. We’ve been working with the city — had a meeting just Monday with the city a little bit — we’re getting really close to finalization. Phase 1 of that project is 12 homes, and then it is eight duplex units for 16 individual families. Those duplex units will be out here close to J.T. Stites Road. Those are low-income rental units, maybe for an elder, maybe for a family that’s not quite ready for a home ownership,” Warner said. He said completion of Phase 1 is forecast for late 2024.
“Right now in the queue and on tap for the entirety of Sequoyah County, we already have about 17 homes for people that have been into new home construction. Also, we have a replacement home program for certain elders, disabled and handicapped, that if their home is deemed to be using rehab dollars, if it’s over a certain amount, we come in and say, ‘Let’s not spend that money to rehab that home. Let’s tear that home down. Let’s build that individual or that family a new home.’ There’s about six or seven of those replacement homes, and that’s no cost to that homeowner. So that’s a really good program that I’ve been proud of,” Warner said.
Warner then praised Councilman Daryl Legg and other tribal counselors in citing the 2022 reauthorization of the Housing, Jobs and Sustainable Communities Act, which earmarked $120 million for expansion of affordable housing and home improvements for Cherokee Nation citizens.
He then turned his focus to a proposed child development center he had mentioned during a previous visit.
“That’s something that is very much needed. You’re looking at early childhood education. We need more child development, we need more childcare. We can build the building, but do we have the people that can help us? Well, Carl Albert [State College] helped us with that. They developed programming to where we can get those individuals certified, have them ready to take these jobs that will be coming. That project is one that we authorized through a special set of federal funds,” Warner said of the project that is expected to cost about $25 million.
Healthcare successes
“Our hepatitis C elimination program has been wildly successful,” Warner proclaimed. “I saw it on the news not too long ago — I was watching CBS Sunday Morning News — and they had some other states were getting highlighted for their hepatitis C elimination program. There are drugs out there that can cure hepatitis C right now. The biggest piece of that is the cost of those drugs and of that treatment.”
Warner said a renowned epidemiologist who is a doctor within the Cherokee Nation, took the lead on the hepatitis C elimination project, and has realized success.
“If we can come in and help mitigate those circumstances, that is something that is very important. Cherokee Nation had a really special opportunity. So we were able to come in at a discounted rate, and over time, I’m pretty sure that we’ve cured over 1,000 or so people of hepatitis C.”
Then he segued to substance use and addiction.
“When you start talking about substance use disorder, and addiction and all of these things, that’s where hepatitis C comes in, HIV comes in, all of these little pieces. Another partner we’ve worked with is [Sallisaw] Health and Wellness on A Real Community Opioid Response grant. They were the lead on that, we partnered with them, they’ve been doing wonderful things,” Warner said.
“But it really takes all of us to tackle that addiction issue. And that is something that we continually want to take strides for. We’ve got medically assisted treatment now at the Cherokee Nation. We’ve got harm reduction now at the Cherokee Nation. These are things that we’re wanting to be able to go to our communities and make sure that our communities are prepared for these things that are coming down the way, and looking at alternative ways to de-stigmatize the affliction that the individual is going through. Because it’s very simple to say, ‘Well, they’re on drugs and they’re never going to get hope,’ But I’m here to tell you, there’s hope all over this area. So that’s some of the things that we’ve been really hitting hard on.”
Warner then emphasized the Cherokee Nation’s commitment to holding responsible those who contribute to substance use, highlighting prosecution of big drug companies.
“We got about $100 million in settlement money. And as Chief [Chuck Hoskin Jr.] will tell you, he says it best, we took the opioid industry to court. We have the drug addiction problem here in America, we’re going to make the opioid industry pay for it because we’re going to take those dollars that we got off that settlement and build a residential treatment facility somewhere within the Cherokee Nation reservation, and that’s the first beginning steps,” Warner said.
“But we know there’s three parts to that continuum of care and how you want to do that — you gotta detox, we gotta take that residential treatment and how do we transition those individuals back? You’ve got a very good weapon here in Sequoyah County against things like that, and that’s your councilman, Daryl Legg. This is somebody that knows of the utmost importance; this is somebody that started a reentry program for individuals. When they come out of incarceration, how do we get them back in society? How do we help them and lift them up so that they don’t go right back down the same path? And a lot of this stuff, not only dealing with substance use disorder, but so many other things.
“We can cure that individual, but when we send them back into water that is contaminated or we send them back into a community or we send them back into a family, it’s a harder step. It’s a harder lift, to go to the community, treat the family, help the family, help the community. That’s the rising tide that will raise all the ships. That’s a heavy lift, and that’s why we have to have each and everyone of you here. I don’t know if you understand how important you are and how pivotal this group of folks is to this very community. But what you want and what you’re willing to go out and do have to be the same thing. I can talk all day about ‘I’m gonna do this and gonna do that,’ but if we never take action and we never take those steps … that’s what’s important. The Cherokee Nation, obviously, does not do any of this alone. We have a great group of employees, but we have a great group of communities that are all around,” Warner said.
Warner then emphasized the need for expanding healthcare services.
“Across the United States, there’s an obvious provider shortage and there’s an obvious nursing shortage. It does not just affect Northeast Health Systems Sequoyah, does not just affect Health and Wellness, does not just affect the Cherokee Nation. It’s happening everywhere,” he said, citing national statistics that reveal dramatic shortages of doctors and nurses.
The Cherokee Nation is expanding its clinics, including Tahlequah’s 469,000-squarefoot facility, and is building a new hospital that will cost more than $400 million. Indian Health Service has also made a commitment to healthcare currently being provided.
“IHS, through a joint venture, gives us $100 million annually to operate that Tahlequah facility. And they base a joint venture off of 10 years down the road — what are you going to need in 10 years, and we’re gonna build it today. That’s why that thing is 469,000 square feet. Now besides that clinic, Chief Hoskin said, ‘You know what? I want to build a new hospital.’ Our Hastings Hospital has served for so long, we took it over in about 2008 from IHS, it was an Indian Health Service facility. Since we’ve run that, we’ve gone from 40 beds to about 127 beds in that new hospital,” Warner said. When the new hospital is complete, Hastings will be repurposed and remodeled to be used for behavioral health and substance use disorder, he said.
“We’re taking a look at what’s our demographic suffering from, how can we expand certain services. But also, we don’t want to expand so much that we drown out everything else that’s already going on. We want to work in concert with those individuals. We’ve never had a NICU. So in this new hospital, we want the opportunity to have a new NICU. We want to make sure that we have expanded services, because we need a place for residency for our doctors.
“So over a 10-year period of time, OSU and the Cherokee Nation worked hand in hand to try to get to the point where we’re at today. This year will mark the first year that we graduate a class of doctors out of the OSU Osteopathic Medical School in the Cherokee Nation. We’ve got a full cohort of individuals — there are 200-plus students — that are going through that. But here’s the thing that statistics tell us: Wherever they do that residency, typically those doctors stay within an 85- to 100-mile radius of that area.
“At OSU, their main mission is medical care doctors for rural America. We’re considered rural Oklahoma, rural America. So if we can provide more opportunity for more residency … we’ve got to make sure we have a great residency program for family medical practice. So we want to continue to expand those, because we want to take those individuals out of that school, find residency programs close here, so that maybe they fall in love with this place, just like we all did,” Warner said.
Education and public safety
Effortlessly shifting from one topic to another, Warner detailed funding for schools and public safety.
“The car tag compact we got, we had to kinda go a long ways and it was kind of an arm wrestling match. And the Legislature came through and gave us that extension by that veto. Why is that important for you? You live within the Cherokee Nation reservation boundary, your school system, no matter where your kids go, there’s a formula out there. A Cherokee child in that school, so much money is allocated because of that. That money is the cherry on top. It’s non-discretionary funding. Thirty-eight percent of car tag revenue goes to that education funding. That is something that is so important. This is a direct impact. Last year, over seven and a half million dollars went to 107 school districts within the Cherokee Nation reservation and a few contiguous school districts around the edge. That’s big time. If the car tag and the compact does not exist, then there goes that 38% right out the door. There goes money to schools within your county,” Warner said, and pointed out that there are 10 school districts in the eastern half of Sequoyah County.
“The Cherokee Nation, we are always willing to come to the table and to negotiate on behalf of the Cherokee Nation and those that live within our boundaries, our neighbors, our school system, it’s so important.”
The Cherokee Nation supports higher education with college scholarships, and Warner says scholarships for this school year total $17.5 million for 6,300 Cherokee students. In addition, the Cherokee Nation has spent more than $190 million in the past four years for career tech and career readiness and support.
“So whether it is career service support, human service support, housing authority, education, all of these things, the Cherokee Nation has a full buffet of opportunity, not just for your community, but for that family, also for that individual. We want to put people to work. We want to make sure our school system has educated teachers.”
In addition to supporting schools, a percentage of car tag money is also allocated to county commissioners for road maintenance.
“There’s 136 volunteer fire departments within the Cherokee Nation reservation. These are the lifebloods of many of these small communities. Every year we would give them $3,500,” Warner said, adding that the Cherokee Nation pursued public safety grants, not just for fire departments, which generated an extra $50,000. “It makes the biggest benefit. This not only went to fire departments, but it went to municipalities and went to sheriff’s departments and went to PDs and went to emergency response, all of these things.
“You are blessed to live in this area. Your sheriff has been one of the best to work with. He had a good relationship with the tribe before, and he currently has a great relationship with the tribe,” Warner said.
Community organizations
Encouraging a perspective of “What’s the benefit for the greater good? What’s the benefit for everybody?” in looking at Sequoyah County as a whole, Warner pointed out the successes of community groups from throughout the county.
“But when I come to Sallisaw, we do not have a Sallisaw Cherokee community organization,” Warner lamented. “This is something I would tell you to be prayerful about. It’s something to kind of ease into, because you can take on a burden that can be too great, but I promise you, it is worth it. You can do so many different things at these community organizations. It doesn’t have to be here in Sallisaw. I’m just trying to give everybody that idea. As a councilman, as the deputy chief, we can get behind you and support, but we don’t spearhead these types of movements. We are there for that local support.”
Blue Ribbon Downs
“It took me a year to prepare my heart to take those grandstands out,” Warner confessed when asked about plans for Blue Ribbon Downs. “I grew up there. I remember the day I got off the school bus and the old blue grandstands were on fire and burning. It was just a sad day. I thought racing was over forever and we were gonna have to move. It was one of the happeningest places in the world.
“We have done a feasibility study on those grounds for about two to three different projects. We don’t have anything cemented in that we wanna do. We wanna keep our lanes open to be able to pivot. Last week we went out and did some improvements — fixed the roads, we regraded the track, stuff like that,” Warner said.
Then he pivoted to the Cherokee Nation’s development of a park at Robert S. Kerr Reservoir.
“Out at the park, James Thornton and his crew are working diligently. They’re looking at May of next year of getting that park back open, so that’s about 80 or so RV slots, a new boat ramp for four boats at one time to go down, a walkout fishing dock, they’re gonna start off with about five to 10 cabins, right now they’re cleaning up that area. That is a big project.”