Joe Byrd (Cherokee Nation Principal Chief) facts for kids

Joe Byrd (born 1954) was an important leader in the Cherokee Nation. He served as the Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation from 1995 to 1999. Joe Byrd can speak both the Cherokee language and English. After his time as Principal Chief, he continued to serve the Cherokee people in other roles.

Early Life and Public Service

Joe Byrd grew up in Nicut, Oklahoma, and Belfonte, Oklahoma. Before becoming Principal Chief, he was a member of the Cherokee Nation Tribal Council. He served on the council from 1987 to 1995. This experience helped him prepare for his future leadership roles.

Serving as Principal Chief

In 1995, Joe Byrd was elected Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation. He took over from Wilma Mankiller. His four years as Chief were a time of many challenges and disagreements within the Cherokee Nation government. These issues became very serious by late 1997. The problems were so big that the United States government, through the Bureau of Indian Affairs, had to step in to help resolve them.

Disagreements with the Tribal Council

Many members of the Tribal Council were concerned about some of the decisions and actions made by Chief Byrd. They asked for financial information and documents, but Chief Byrd did not always provide them. This led to growing tension between the Chief and the Tribal Council.

The Tribal Council asked the Cherokee Nation Justice Appeals Tribunal (JAT) for help. The JAT is like a court for the Cherokee Nation. The JAT decided that all documents about Cherokee Nation business should be available for the Tribal Council and any Cherokee citizen to see. However, Chief Byrd still did not provide the documents.

Resolving the Government Issues

Because Chief Byrd did not cooperate, the Tribal Prosecutor asked for a search warrant for Chief Byrd's office. In February 1997, the Tribal Marshals, who are like police for the Cherokee Nation, searched his office. They took copies of many documents.

After this, Chief Byrd made some changes in the Marshal Service. But the Cherokee Nation Justice, Dwight Birdwell, ordered that the marshals be put back in their jobs. The Justice also said that any more firings would be seen as not following court orders.

Chief Byrd then asked the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) to take over law enforcement duties for the Cherokee Nation. He also created a new security team.

Outside Help and Resolution

The disagreements continued to grow. In March 1997, the US Attorney and the FBI began looking into the situation at the Cherokee Nation. They reviewed information and talked to many people. They concluded that some of the claims made were not true.

In April 1997, the BIA ordered its law enforcement officers to take control of law enforcement in the Cherokee Nation. This was a big step to help bring order back.

The situation became very difficult. Chief Byrd tried to close down the Cherokee Nation Justice Complex. He also tried to remove the Justices from their positions. The Justices then issued orders for his arrest. The Cherokee Nation asked federal courts for help.

During this time, there was a lot of tension. Even SWAT teams and BIA helicopters were seen patrolling tribal lands during the Cherokee National Holiday in 1997.

Restoring Order and Stability

In August 1997, Chief Byrd went to Washington, D.C.. He met with important US government officials. After several days of talks, he agreed to let the Bureau of Indian Affairs manage the Cherokee Nation's law enforcement system. By late September, the Cherokee Nation Courts were reopened, and the Cherokee Nation Marshal Service was back in action.

What Happened Next

After these events, the BIA watched the Cherokee Nation government very closely for the rest of Chief Byrd's term. The challenges during 1996 and 1997 also had a big impact on the Cherokee Nation's 1999 Constitutional Convention. People wanted clearer rules for removing elected officials and for making government financial records open to everyone. They also wanted to make the Cherokee Nation's court system stronger and more independent.

In 1999, Joe Byrd ran for re-election but lost to Chad "Corntassel" Smith. It took more than four years for the Cherokee Nation government to fully recover and for the BIA to no longer need to be involved in its daily affairs.

Later Service on the Tribal Council

Joe Byrd continued to serve the Cherokee Nation. On January 23, 2012, he was sworn in as a member of the Cherokee Nation Tribal Council for district 1. He won a special election to fill the seat left by Bill John Baker.

In 2013, he was elected to a full term for the new district 2 and was sworn in on August 14, 2013. In August 2015, his fellow council members elected him as the Speaker of the Tribal Council. He was re-elected to the council and as Speaker in 2017. He reached the end of his term limits in 2021.