Tribal Council At Large
Jack D. Baker
1102 Marlboro Lane
Oklahoma City, Ok 73116
Home: 405-840-1377
Cell: 918-457-9382
Email: jack-baker@cherokee.org
Jack D. Baker was born on his Grandfather’s Cherokee Allotment at Chewey, Adair County, Oklahoma. His grandfather was Daniel B. Frog (a/k/a Daniel Downing). He is the son of the late Ed and Deloris (Downing) Baker. He attended schools at Chewey and Westville. He graduated from Oklahoma State University with a B. S. in Accounting. He retired in 1999 from Liberty Mutual Insurance Company after 29 Years:
He is national president of the Trail of Tears Association and, as such, works with the National Park Service and other organizations including various State Parks, The Nature Conservancy, The Trust for Public Land, and many publicly and privately owned sites historically connected to the Trail of Tears in order to protect the sites and provide interpretation for visitors to the sites.
Baker is the treasurer of the Cherokee National Historical Society, Inc. which operates the Cherokee Heritage Center. He is also a board member of the Oklahoma Historical Society which operates about 40 historic sites across the state including Sequoyah’s Home, the Murrell Home, and Fort Gibson as well as the newly opened Oklahoma History Center. Of the 25 board members, he is the only Native American.
He has been president for more than twenty years of Goingsnake District Heritage Association which is a local historical society based in Westville organized to preserve the heritage of the Goingsnake District of the Cherokee Nation. He is a board member of the Cherokee-Moravian Historical Association which was formed to create awareness of the early relationship between the Moravian Church and the Cherokee Nation.
Baker also served as a member of the 1999 Cherokee Constitutional Convention. Until obtaining his position on the Tribal Council, he served on the Cherokee Nation Registration Committee and as president of the board of the Cherokee Nation Education Corporation.
The Cherokee Phoenix asked Tribal Council candidates to respond to seven questions of concern to Cherokee citizens. Read the questions and responses below.
- Why do you want to serve on the Tribal Council?
Over the years I believe that I have been of service to the Cherokee people in the various positions that I have held or am now holding. These include being the national president of the Trail of Tears Association; treasurer of the Cherokee National Historical Society, Inc.; and being the only Native American on the board of the Oklahoma Historical Society. These positions, however, are not the best place to serve the Cherokee people and the Cherokee Nation. I believe that being on the Tribal Council is where I can make the greatest contribution for the Cherokee people & Nation. The Cherokee Nation has made great strides in the last few years in the goods and services that it offers to its citizens. This is a crucial time where we must plan carefully for the future of the Cherokee Nation so that we may ensure that the Nation becomes more self-sufficient and has both financial and political stability. I want to be on the Tribal Council to work towards these goals of independence and stability.
- What is the greatest priority in your district and how will you address it as a legislator?
I believe that the greatest need of those Cherokee citizens living away from the Nation is for them to feel that they are a part of the Cherokee Nation. It is very important that we continue to develop Cherokee communities outside the Nation. It is through these communities that our citizens can get to know and socialize with other Cherokees. They can use these ties to become more informed about the Nation and its needs as well as sharing solutions to their own needs. It is through these interactions that they can share information about educational opportunities and healthcare that may be available to them from sources outside the Cherokee Nation. These communities can provide the Cherokee history course, seminars and special courses on Cherokee culture including the teaching of our heritage arts and crafts, and classes for those who wish to learn the Cherokee language. It is important that the Tribal Council provides the support that is needed by these communities. As a Council member I will ask for additional funding to provide for the development of additional communities and for the support of the existing communities so that they may further their interest in our history, culture, and language. With strong Cherokee communities all across the country, the Cherokee Nation is strengthened as a whole.
- Cherokee Nation-owned businesses return 25 percent of profits to the Cherokee Nation as a dividend. Is that amount appropriate or should it be changed and why?
The current percentage is actually 30%. The Cherokee Nation has more money for services than ever before with this 30% dividend. Four or five years ago the dollar amount of our dividend was about one-tenth of what it is today. If all of our earnings had been paid out in goods and services during the last few years we would not have the large dollar amount that is available today as it is a direct result of the reinvestment of our earnings. In fact, if it had all been paid out we would have received far less overall than we are now paying out. I am well aware that there are many needs of our Cherokee people and that if all of the profits were paid to the Cherokee Nation if would help to alleviate some of these needs. By reinvesting the 70% earnings we will, however, be able to provide even more services in the future as the last few years has shown. The Tribal Council passed a jobs-growth bill based on the 30% dividend. In addition to the large increase in the dollar amount of our dividends, there has been the same large increase in the number of jobs provided by our Cherokee Nation owned businesses – more than 3000 jobs over the last few years! It is very important that we increase the jobs available for our people. The 30% dividend is appropriate because the Cherokee Nation must plan for the future. We must diversify our income sources. Even with a 30% dividend, our service budgets are higher than ever, and our businesses can grow so that we have even more money for services in the future while creating jobs for the next generation.
- Should the Cherokee Nation make campaign contributions to local, state and federal candidates and why?
The Cherokee Nation works closely with the local, state, and federal governments. By partnering with these governments, we can increase the go