"I am not a policy expert. I am here to ask you to think about our people and the children not as a burden, but as an opportunity," "Their education and well-being is an investment in our future."

The Alapaha River Band of Cherokee, Inc. has been coming together with the support of a collection of charities, religious groups and nongovernmental organizations, we also want the Bush administration to commit an additional grant money each year to education and to aiding people in all Native American Tribes.

"The crisis has far outpaced the funding!"

Cherokee families sometimes beat the odds and survive but often are restrained, resort to law-breaking or are forced into poverty or to live on reservations. There are some people still today that are ashamed to be known as a Native American Indian. I am proud to be of Cherokee Blood I think of it as God’s Blessing for me to be of Cherokee Heritage. I feel that "I am so very lucky to have the opportunity to find and learn more about my heritage through The Alapaha River Band of Cherokee, Inc."

There has been occasion when a National Cherokee Tribe Leader has spoken very disrespectfully to our Chief; George “Eye of Eagle” Burke, the Tribe Leader actually resorted to name calling because Eye of Eagle and his members do not live on the reservation, (he called our chief; “Cherokee Trash”). This type of behavior is very hard to accept and the leader of the National Cherokee Tribe should be embarrassed by trying to dishonor “Eye of Eagle” by such childish means, (I think his people would be embarrassed for him if they knew of this).

"Our government has the power to help our people choose which path our children are going to take by giving grant money for us to purchase enough land to grow and build our own resources. We could build a Culture Center, have a Trading Post, Doctor’s Clinic, Pharmacy, Women‘s Crisis Center, Red Cross, Food Source Pantry. There are so many ways we could give vocational training so that our people could actually work and earn a decent living. I also would like to mention; there are ways that young people can get involved in this cause; "Educate themselves and know the power of their voice."

Any help that people can offer is better than nothing. "The best solution for anyone who is abandoned or displaced is to know they have somewhere to get help and to find a home. "We would support that first and foremost."