Cherokee Nation to celebrate annual Earth Day

WHAT:
The Cherokee Nation will celebrate its annual Earth Day, with Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. highlighting the Cherokee Nation Energy and Sustainability Act that supports energy efficiency and other conservation measures.

WHEN:
Friday, April 17 at 1 p.m.

WHERE:
One Fire Field
17475-17551 S. Muskogee Ave
Tahlequah, OK

WHO:
Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr.
Deputy Chief Bryan Warner
Council of the Cherokee Nation
Secretary of Natural Resources Christina Justice

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. - The Cherokee Nation will celebrate its annual Earth Day event at One Fire Field on Friday, with Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. highlighting the Cherokee Nation Energy and Sustainability Act, a sweeping measure that will guide the tribe toward greater energy efficiency, water conservation, and environmental stewardship for generations to come.

The Council approved the legislation on April 13, and the measure now advances to the tribe's Rules Committee on April 30.

The legislation would centralize the tribe's energy and conservation policies under the Secretary of Natural Resources, establish a new Office of Energy Programs, and require measurable reductions in energy and water consumption every three years beginning in fiscal year 2027. The act would also authorize the "Cherokee Nation Recycles" and "Litter Free Cherokee Nation" programs, establish a policy of light pollution reduction, and formally declare energy efficiency and climate change mitigation as public health issues under Cherokee law.

The Cherokee Nation Energy and Sustainability Act would be the second major environmental legislative achievement of the Hoskin/Warner Administration, following the 2021 "Cherokee Nation Park, Wildlands, Fishing and Hunting Preserve Act," which protects public lands within the Cherokee Nation Reservation.