Update from Chief Flanagan

Update:

We have a somewhat historic day ahead of us. Adam Watson, independent Senate candidate for district 26, reached out to The Chickamauga Nation asking that we be involved with a project that he plans to start on his own property.

Mr. Watson plans to break ground, and before doing so he asked if we would like to conduct studies on the project area to make sure that there is little to no likelihood of the desecration of artifacts, graves , or anything sacred to our tribe.

This will mark the first time our Tribe has been contacted in Arkansas to oversee a project for this reason.

This type of precedent is something that I hope that governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders will follow as we have the same type of concerns with the land on Millcreek Mountain.

Many candidates in the up and coming election have been open to government to government communication with our Tribe. This gives me hope. 

I am also hopeful that governor Sanders will do the right thing by entertaining a meeting with the leaders of the indigenous demographic within her constituency, The Chickamauga Nation.

Local leaders like Bryan King, who has made a request for us to meet with the governor, have been very sensitive to the concerns of the Chickamauga Nation. Based on the communication we have had with local candidates, it would appear that we will soon have more Franklin County leaders that share his sentiment.

I see no reason that governor Sanders wouldn’t exercise the same type of empathy for the hundreds of thousands of Arkansans who are proud of the indigenous aspect of their heritage.

As always, I am hopeful and look forward to a bright future.

Thank you,

Justin Flanagan 
Western Region Medal Chief 
The Chickamauga Nation