Chairman candidates

John “Rocky” Barrett – Keweoge (He Leads Them Home)

What is something you hope to accomplish during your first (or next) term?

I hope my next term in office is one we provide access to the benefits Citizen Potawatomi can receive living on Tribal land and financing their new homes through the Nation’s financial institutions. We are developing new housing subdivisions a short commute to the preferential-access jobs in industries, like our ProPipe factory and other tenants of Iron Horse Industrial Park. These residences and on-reservation jobs allow homebuyers exemptions from Oklahoma income and property taxes with lower housing and utilities costs. This will truly be the most thorough extension of opportunity in our history, and one we can provide our younger working population. For our elders, we will provide the next step to Elder Housing in the operation of a state-of-the-art Assisted Living Center.

“In addition to housing and jobs, we will bring a new medical clinic to Choctaw, Oklahoma, plus a housing addition, grocery store and business park. These homes will be financed under the HEARTH Act, which will allow us a much lower land cost to the new homes. These developments open access to the business expansion developing with the opening of the new Kickapoo Turnpike. This will also bring new medical services to our population in eastern and northern Oklahoma City.

“I predict that our bank will more than double in asset size after the economy opens back up from the pandemic. This will allow the bank to accommodate all of the new business created by the building expansion. It will also allow us to expand our lending to Tribal members out of state.

“We are planning for the construction of an outdoor performance venue backed up by a drive-in theater on a new frontage road from the Grand Casino to the McLoud Exit on I-40 if approved by the Legislature. We will finally build our columbarium on the land in front of the old Quaker Church. The new medical administration facilities at Mission Hill Hospital will be completed in the next term, as well as a new emergency care facility.”

CPN’s Tribal enrollment grew by historic numbers in 2020. How do you propose that the Tribe engage and serves its growing population?

“The projects I described are about the participation of our new working Tribal members. We must help them realize greater opportunities in working for the Nation or one of the new businesses. While they work the same as any other employee, their additional benefits will be commensurate with success in their new jobs – because they have an ownership stake in it all. Engaging our new student population will be a matter of growing our scholarship and education capability. My opponent is advocating tuition for all Tribal children from kindergarten through 12th grade. This is impossible based on the cost. The amount of money this would require cannot even be calculated. It is an empty promise she cannot keep. The most important knowledge our new members can have is the sacrifices our elders made to get where we are. It was not free. We grew from being broke on one of the poorest reservations in Oklahoma to where we are now through hard work and wise planning; not reckless spending that will sacrifice our existing elder care and higher education programs. We need to continue to increase the access our people have to the leadership in their government as a means of learning. One way could be new Tribal cultural events to educate our people on the Potawatomi ways and language.”

Lisa Kraft

What is something you hope to accomplish during your first (or next) term?

It would be near impossible for me to sum up what my first six months in office will look like in 500 words or less. Plus, it will take a weeklong session of General Council, broadcast on all social media, with an encrypted tribal member portal, to take a census of needs and talents to determine a justifiable plan forward. I can’t wait to tackle it. I want to hear from each of you to help tell your story and let’s see what we can do to help each other.

Please visit CPNchairman.com to learn all about who I am and what changes I want to bring on June 26. My campaign team has done an amazing job rebuilding my campaign and all social media. Thank you all for the prayers to Larry and Michelle Briggs. Larry is our former bank President of 25 years. Their son, Lee Williams, was my campaign manager, and has been by my side on this journey so I can run my fulltime business while also campaigning.
Lee went missing for almost a week before his family found him in a hospital from a severe accident. His recovery will be long. Please send warmth and prayers for his healing to the Brigg’s family.

I hope to give him good news on June 26. I hope many of you living in Oklahoma can come meet me in Shawnee on April 12 from 7 to 9 at Coffee and Crafts downtown. We will upload the video to our YouTube channel so you can learn what I would like to accomplish in my fist 6 months to 4 years. My billboards are going up all over the state the first week of April, so look for pictures on my website.

CPN’s Tribal enrollment grew by historic numbers in 2020. How do you propose that the Tribe engages and serves its growing population?

Our tribal population is at or nearing 36,000 members. What an amazing time for us all. Our Nation knows no bounds. Geography has no limits in today’s world when it is used to deny services, create political strife over “in or out” of one state distinction of our membership, and where our government holds itself unaccountable to its people by locking information into some tiny black box only the Chairman holds.

A new Kraft Administration will include a Press Secretary that knows and reports my daily activities on my CPNchairman.com website. Our news media will be independent of the government. As a sample of what I want to bring, please follow us on Instagram and FaceBook. Please sign up to receive emails as I do not have access to tribal rolls names and addresses.

Please be sure to request your absentee ballot and make sure Tribal Rolls has your current address. I need your vote to bring the voices of our Nation strongly through in how we make decisions, decide who to serve, and spend our money. The present belongs to us all, let’s bring change on June 26 together. The Citizen Potawatomi Nation is We the People!

Steve Castaneda – EConOush (Little Leader)

What is something you hope to accomplish during your first (or next) term?

To bring Pride back to the members of the tribe young and old.

CPN’s Tribal enrollment grew by historic numbers in 2020. How do you propose that the Tribe engages and serves its growing population?

The first is to educate the young about their Tribal blood, where we came from, how we got here, and where we are going. Second is to make education funds easier to obtain across the board. The third is to make medical funding easier for all the members to get where ever they are?