Cite as: 31 CNCA § 601

A. Capital funding is authorized for the following capital projects, totaling $35 million, to be completed by September 30, 2027, all of which are formally designated herein within the meaning of the Comprehensive Building Naming Act of 2021.

1. Ꮷꮎꮥꮆꮖꮝꮧ Ꭶꮅꮙꭹ Ꮒꮪᏻꭺꮫ (Tsunadeloquasdi Galiquogi Niduyugodv), School of Seven Directions: Construction, not to exceed $30 million, of the Ꮷꮎꮥꮆꮖꮝꮧ Ꭶꮅꮙꭹ Ꮒꮪᏻꭺꮫ (Tsunadeloquasdi Galiquogi Niduyugodv), School of Seven Directions, located in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, within the Durbin Feeling Language Campus, a more precise description contained in Exhibit A to this Act.

2. Kenwood Language and Culture Reserve; Future Kenwood Language Campus: Development, not to exceed $250,000, of The Cherokee Nation Kenwood Language and Culture Reserve located on more than 1,400 acres at approximately 48546 County Road 504, Salina OK 74365 in the community of Kenwood, a more precise description contained in Exhibit A to this Act, which shall be a protected Reserve within the meaning of the Cherokee Nation Park, Wildlands, Fishing and Hunting Preserve Act of 2021, except to the extent that the disturbance of the property is deemed warranted by the Principal Chief to construct a Cherokee Nation Language Department Kenwood Campus by future authorization of the Council or to achieve any other purpose or policy of this Act or to continue any existing leases of said property through the end of fiscal year 2024.

3. Kenwood Language Office: Various repairs, modifications and improvements, not to exceed $1.75 million, to the Cherokee Nation Community Building and Cherokee Nation Head Start buildings, located at approximately 1100 County Road 486, Salina OK 74365, in the community of Kenwood, as the Cherokee Nation Language Department Kenwood Offices, at such time as those buildings are vacated and their present functions are relocated to the Woody Hair Community Center and until such time as the Cherokee Nation Language Department Kenwood Campus is deemed by the Principal Chief to be sufficiently complete for relocation of said language offices, after which the Principal Chief is authorized to designate those buildings for other uses in the Nation’s interest.

4. Ꮷꮎꮥꮆꮖꮝꮧ Tsunadeloquasdi Language Immersion School, Greasy Campus Improvements: Improvements, not to exceed $3 million, to the Ꮷꮎꮥꮆꮖꮝꮧ Tsunadeloquasdi Language Immersion School, Greasy Campus, located at 92009 S. 4676 Road, Bunch, OK 74931, in the community of Greasy, hereby so named and designated as the Cherokee Nation Language Department Greasy Campus, with respect to classroom expansion, outdoor playground, physical exercise infrastructure and/or drainage improvements.

B. Commencing with Fiscal Year 2024, annual operating funds for all programs authorized under this Act shall be no less than $18 million, which is the approximate equivalent of the average appropriation for such programs for fiscal years 2022 and 2023, provided:

1. For fiscal years 2025 through 2031, submission by the Principal Chief of a proposed Comprehensive Operating Budget Act must, to the extent that it does not include a proposed increase to Language Program operating funding of at least five percent (5%) over the preceding fiscal year, include a written justification from the Principal Chief to the Speaker of the Council that the proposed Language Budget operating budget is consistent with the purposes and policies of this Act.

C. The funding source for capital projects and operations authorized by this Act includes any available source, including but not limited to grants, dividends or other payments from entities in which Cherokee Nation is the sole or majority shareholder and that are organized under Cherokee law as well as federal funds including but not limited to funds available under the Cherokee Nation Respond, Recover and Rebuild Plan, R-33-23, and any amendments thereto, funded by the federal American Rescue Plan Act.

D. The Principal Chief is authorized to execute such memoranda of agreement with Cherokee Nation Businesses to effectuate the funding requirements of this Act.

E. Nothing herein supplants the Council’s oversight or appropriations authority, including but not limited to such additional appropriations or authorizations the Council may make for language programs and capital projects from time to time.

Historical Data

LA 19–19, eff. October 15, 2019. Amended LA 04-24, eff. January 22, 2024. Amended LA 23-26, eff. June 25, 2026.