P. O. Box 130
Marble City, OK 74945
HOME (918) 775-5905
E-Mail: mcooksey@cherokee.org
Personal Background
Mary Flute Cooksey is one-half Cherokee, and is currently serving her second term on the Cherokee Nation Tribal Council for District 3. She is the daughter of Thomas and Lorine Flute and the granddaughter of John Flute and Mollie Mush. Her great grandparents were John Flute Sr. and Esther Walkingstick, original enrollees who founded the Flute Springs Community in Sequoyah County in the 1860s.
What are your qualifications for this position
Eight years of experience serving on the tribal council and actively working with every committee.
Being on all committees and serving as co-chair gives you a world of knowledge.
Served on county, state and national committees. Have worked will all tribal leaders and officials.
What is the role of the tribal council, in general and in relation to other tribal branches of government
Council is the legislative branch, the law makers. We make laws, pass rules and regulations on to the executive branch or the administration. Its the administration's job to carry out the rules. The judicial branch of government is supposed to be for appeals purposes, to hear and resolve disagreements under our Constitution.
Why do you believe you can make a difference and what are the top priorities of your campaign platform
I believe in what I'm doing as a council person and most of all, I believe in our people. We're elected to represent the people and to come to the meetings, to voice our opinion which is the people's opinion. I've been working on and trying to make good things happen for the last eight years. The health care, the job situation, our housing problems and our kids' education. I come to all the meetings because I was elected by the people to represent them. Whether I agree or not.
What are the biggest problems facing the Cherokee people today and what solution(s) do you propose
One of our biggest problems today and tomorrow is trying to find and create ways and means to make our nation self-sufficient. The tribe has grown so large, that it far out weighs our means. We must, keep trying everyday to create new streams of revenue. The needs of the tribe are growing tremendously at a very fast rate, more than the assets or dollars. We must work together and try hard to preserve the services for our people, today and tomorrow.
During the 1999 Elections, a candidate questionnaire was given to the
candidates addressing the following questions:
- What are your qualifications for this position
- What is the role of tribal council, in general and in relation to other
tribal branches of government
- Why do you believe you can make a difference and what are the top
priorities of your campaign platform
- What are the biggest problems facing the Cherokee people today and what
solution(s) do you propose
To see the responses to those questions, please follow this link:
http://www.cherokee.org/TribalGovernment/Elections99Page.asp?ID=e99election