Cherokee Nation announces $332 million spending package for COVID-19 aid

The Cherokee Nation announced its first spending plan for some of the $8 billion in federal COVID-19 relief funds, with $332 million going to the tribe’s operations, safety precautions, economic recovery and health programs.

In a news release Thursday, Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. said the “Respond, Recover and Rebuild” spending plan is a vital part of the tribe’s future amid “the worst crisis of our generation.”

“We strove to make the Cherokee Nation’s infrastructure safer, and we did everything in our power to offer relief to Cherokee citizens through our vital programs, allowing us to persevere through this trial, heal together, and rebuild as a stronger tribe and community,” Hoskin said. “The COVID-19 Respond, Recover and Rebuild spending plan is the crucial next step in our approach to recovering and rebuilding the great Cherokee Nation.”

The spending plan is in it earliest stages, with more details to come to the Council of the Cherokee Nation and citizens in the following weeks, according to a news release.

Read more: https://www.tulsaworld.com/news/cherokee-nation-announces-332-million-spending-package-for-covid-19-aid/article_14ec91e6-101a-544c-8582-e051e7196859.html