David Cornsilk
Encyclopedia
David Cornsilk is the managing editor of the Cherokee Observer, an independent newspaper, and one of the founders of the Cherokee National Party. He is a Cherokee
Nationalist
, and a dual member of the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians
.
as the second son of John and Tinsey Cornsilk née Carter. His brother, Jack Wayne Cornsilk, 13 months older, died in an automobile accident in 1975.
David Cornsilk grew up on land owned by his Cherokee grandmother in the Eldon-Titanic communities of Oklahoma on the border of Cherokee and Adair counties. His early education was at Lane School, located on the Barren Fork Creek, Oklahoma. It was a small stone building consisting of two classrooms, two teachers and a cook. By the time he was in fourth grade, the family was traveling extensively between the Cherokee Nation
in Tahlequah, Oklahoma
, and the Eastern band
in Cherokee, North Carolina
. David attended eight different schools in that year.
During his sophomore year, Cornsilk was selected as school mascot for the Stilwell High School Indians sports teams. In the 10th and 11th grades, he served as student delegate to the Indian Education program funded by Johnson O'Malley federal funds. He graduated from Tahlequah High School in June 1977. After graduation, he attended Northeastern State University
at Tahlequah; a university he chose not only for its first-rate science department, but because it had started as a school for Cherokee.
During college he was highly active in campus organizations, including the Native American Student Association and student government. He was a founding member and second president of Beta Beta Beta Biological Honor Society and twice received the W.W. Keeler Minority Scholarship. He graduated from Northeastern State University in May 1981 with a degree in biology-zoology emphasis and minors in chemistry and botany.
in Muskogee, Oklahoma
.
Cornsilk has supported citizenship for the Cherokee Freedmen
, whose status had been revoked in the 1980s. The Freedmen have challenged tribal laws and orders with litigation. Cornsilk wrote to Principal Chief Wilma Mankiller
in 1988 asking her to take a larger issue of Cherokee nationalism.
In 1990 he worked with John Guthrie to expose the problem of Indian art fraud in eastern Oklahoma. As hundreds of artists were claiming to be Cherokee with no proof, he and Guthrie worked to bring the issue to the attention of the public. They handed out fliers and wrote letters to the editors of local papers. Some of the purported Cherokee artists protested and one attacked Cornsilk physically, resulting in the incident being called the "Indian Art War." The US Congress passed the Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990.
David Cornsilk, Marvin Summerfield, and Thomas Fourkiller formed the non-profit "WhitePath Foundation" in 1991. It was the first organization to publish information on HIV/AIDS in the Cherokee language.
Seeking to remain independent, the three men created an independent news outlet in 1992 for events in the Cherokee Nation and United Keetoowah Band. They published the first issue of The Cherokee Observer in January 1993. Cornsilk was managing editor, Summerfield as language editor, and Fourkiller as religion editor. In addition, Marvin's wife Linda Summerfield became health editor, Sandra Sac Parker was a reporter, Robin Mayes a political satirist, and Franklin McLain an opinion editor.
In 1995 Cornsilk filed a lawsuit on behalf of Bernice Riggs in the Cherokee district court, which was taken to the CNO Judicial Appeals Tribunal. Although Riggs lost that case, it was demonstrated in court that Riggs had documentation of Cherokee blood. This had been ignored by the Dawes Commission
, when it classified her parents as "Freedmen" rather than "Cherokee by blood".
Cornsilk left The Cherokee Observer staff in December 1999, and served as a delegate to the CNO Constitutional Convention. He had participated in all aspects of the development of the 1999 constitution as a delegate appointed by the judicial branch of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma.
In 2004 Cornsilk filed another case before the JAT: Allen v. Council, on behalf of Lucy Allen, a Cherokee Freedman
. They won that case, which overturned the negative ruling in Riggs, and struck down CNO law that imposed requirements for membership above and beyond those set by the Constitution.
Cornsilk continues to work as a political activist and lay advocate for Cherokee Freedmen.
Cornsilk does not believe in the right of people to self-identify as Cherokee. He believes that the authority of the tribe stems from the group, and that self-identification "is an assault on the right of the group."
Cornsilk has encountered considerable opposition among the Cherokee. In many people's thinking, Cherokee nationalism is closely tied to ideas of race and culture. Sturm thinks these are "misperceptions." She describes Cornsilk as an exception to the norm for the Cherokee, for his desire to put self-preservation of the Nation ahead of race or culture.
. Cornsilk and his father, John Cornsilk, are active in Cherokee Nation and United Keetoowah Band politics. They helped win citizenship rights for the Cherokee Freedmen
as well as equal rights for gay Cherokee citizens.
Cornsilk creates cartoons and political satire related to Cherokee Nation politics. He and his father run the Cornsilks.com website and political blog.
Cherokee
The Cherokee are a Native American people historically settled in the Southeastern United States . Linguistically, they are part of the Iroquoian language family...
Nationalist
Nationalism
Nationalism is a political ideology that involves a strong identification of a group of individuals with a political entity defined in national terms, i.e. a nation. In the 'modernist' image of the nation, it is nationalism that creates national identity. There are various definitions for what...
, and a dual member of the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians
United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians
The United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma is a federally recognized tribe of Cherokee Indians headquartered in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. The United Keetoowah are also referred to as the UKB...
.
Early life and education
Cornsilk was born in Claremore, OklahomaClaremore, Oklahoma
Claremore is a city and the county seat of Rogers County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 18,581 at the 2010 census, a 17.1 percent increase from 15,873 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area and home to Rogers State University...
as the second son of John and Tinsey Cornsilk née Carter. His brother, Jack Wayne Cornsilk, 13 months older, died in an automobile accident in 1975.
David Cornsilk grew up on land owned by his Cherokee grandmother in the Eldon-Titanic communities of Oklahoma on the border of Cherokee and Adair counties. His early education was at Lane School, located on the Barren Fork Creek, Oklahoma. It was a small stone building consisting of two classrooms, two teachers and a cook. By the time he was in fourth grade, the family was traveling extensively between the Cherokee Nation
Cherokee
The Cherokee are a Native American people historically settled in the Southeastern United States . Linguistically, they are part of the Iroquoian language family...
in Tahlequah, Oklahoma
Tahlequah, Oklahoma
Tahlequah is a city in Cherokee County, Oklahoma, United States located at the foothills of the Ozark Mountains. It was founded as a capital of the original Cherokee Nation in 1838 to welcome those Cherokee forced west on the Trail of Tears. The city's population was 15,753 at the 2010 census. It...
, and the Eastern band
Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians , is a federally recognized Native American tribe in the United States of America, who are descended from Cherokee who remained in the Eastern United States while others moved, or were forced to relocate, to the west in the 19th century. The history of the...
in Cherokee, North Carolina
Cherokee, North Carolina
Cherokee is a town in Swain County, North Carolina, USA, within the Qualla Boundary land trust. It is located in the Oconaluftee River Valley, near the intersection of U.S. Route 19 and U.S...
. David attended eight different schools in that year.
During his sophomore year, Cornsilk was selected as school mascot for the Stilwell High School Indians sports teams. In the 10th and 11th grades, he served as student delegate to the Indian Education program funded by Johnson O'Malley federal funds. He graduated from Tahlequah High School in June 1977. After graduation, he attended Northeastern State University
Northeastern State University
Northeastern State University is a public university with its main campus located in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, United States, at the foot of the Ozark Mountains. Northeastern's home, Tahlequah, is also the capital of the Cherokee nation of Oklahoma...
at Tahlequah; a university he chose not only for its first-rate science department, but because it had started as a school for Cherokee.
During college he was highly active in campus organizations, including the Native American Student Association and student government. He was a founding member and second president of Beta Beta Beta Biological Honor Society and twice received the W.W. Keeler Minority Scholarship. He graduated from Northeastern State University in May 1981 with a degree in biology-zoology emphasis and minors in chemistry and botany.
Career
Cornsilk was hired by the Cherokee Nation as a research analyst to perform genealogical research on Cherokee families seeking registration in the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma. From 1989 to 1994, he also was assistant director of admissions at Bacone CollegeBacone College
Bacone College is a private four-year liberal arts college in Muskogee, Oklahoma. Founded in 1880 as the Indian University by Almon C. Bacone, Bacone College is the oldest continuously operated institution of higher education in Oklahoma...
in Muskogee, Oklahoma
Muskogee, Oklahoma
Muskogee is a city in Muskogee County, Oklahoma, United States. It is the county seat of Muskogee County, and home to Bacone College. The population was 38,310 at the 2000 census, making it the eleventh-largest city in Oklahoma....
.
Cornsilk has supported citizenship for the Cherokee Freedmen
Cherokee freedmen controversy
The Cherokee Freedmen Controversy is an ongoing political and tribal dispute between the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma and descendants of the Cherokee Freedmen regarding tribal citizenship. In 1863, by an act of the Cherokee National Council during the American Civil War, the Cherokee who supported...
, whose status had been revoked in the 1980s. The Freedmen have challenged tribal laws and orders with litigation. Cornsilk wrote to Principal Chief Wilma Mankiller
Wilma Mankiller
Wilma Pearl Mankiller was the first female Chief of the Cherokee Nation. She served as principal chief for ten years from 1985 to 1995.-Early life:...
in 1988 asking her to take a larger issue of Cherokee nationalism.
In 1990 he worked with John Guthrie to expose the problem of Indian art fraud in eastern Oklahoma. As hundreds of artists were claiming to be Cherokee with no proof, he and Guthrie worked to bring the issue to the attention of the public. They handed out fliers and wrote letters to the editors of local papers. Some of the purported Cherokee artists protested and one attacked Cornsilk physically, resulting in the incident being called the "Indian Art War." The US Congress passed the Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990.
David Cornsilk, Marvin Summerfield, and Thomas Fourkiller formed the non-profit "WhitePath Foundation" in 1991. It was the first organization to publish information on HIV/AIDS in the Cherokee language.
Seeking to remain independent, the three men created an independent news outlet in 1992 for events in the Cherokee Nation and United Keetoowah Band. They published the first issue of The Cherokee Observer in January 1993. Cornsilk was managing editor, Summerfield as language editor, and Fourkiller as religion editor. In addition, Marvin's wife Linda Summerfield became health editor, Sandra Sac Parker was a reporter, Robin Mayes a political satirist, and Franklin McLain an opinion editor.
In 1995 Cornsilk filed a lawsuit on behalf of Bernice Riggs in the Cherokee district court, which was taken to the CNO Judicial Appeals Tribunal. Although Riggs lost that case, it was demonstrated in court that Riggs had documentation of Cherokee blood. This had been ignored by the Dawes Commission
Dawes Commission
The American Dawes Commission, named for its first chairman Henry L. Dawes, was authorized under a rider to an Indian Office appropriation bill, March 3, 1893...
, when it classified her parents as "Freedmen" rather than "Cherokee by blood".
Cornsilk left The Cherokee Observer staff in December 1999, and served as a delegate to the CNO Constitutional Convention. He had participated in all aspects of the development of the 1999 constitution as a delegate appointed by the judicial branch of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma.
In 2004 Cornsilk filed another case before the JAT: Allen v. Council, on behalf of Lucy Allen, a Cherokee Freedman
Cherokee freedmen controversy
The Cherokee Freedmen Controversy is an ongoing political and tribal dispute between the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma and descendants of the Cherokee Freedmen regarding tribal citizenship. In 1863, by an act of the Cherokee National Council during the American Civil War, the Cherokee who supported...
. They won that case, which overturned the negative ruling in Riggs, and struck down CNO law that imposed requirements for membership above and beyond those set by the Constitution.
Cornsilk continues to work as a political activist and lay advocate for Cherokee Freedmen.
Controversy
The anthropologist Circe Sturm characterizes Cornsilk's involvement in the Freedmen issue as one that is driven by primarily political motives. She thinks his support of recognition of the freedmen as tribal citizens would extend the Cherokee Nation's power base, and placate, possibly silence, some of its most persistent critics. According to Sturm, Cornsilk thinks that the Cherokee Nation should not use strictly racial means for identifying its citizenry. He believes these are based on a fear that Cherokee citizens of mixed European-Cherokee heritage are in danger of being reclassified as not Cherokee. Cornsilk believes that the Cherokee Nation must resolve the issue before the U.S. government imposes a conservative definition of "Indianness," which might cause the Nation to lose over half of its citizens.Cornsilk does not believe in the right of people to self-identify as Cherokee. He believes that the authority of the tribe stems from the group, and that self-identification "is an assault on the right of the group."
Cornsilk has encountered considerable opposition among the Cherokee. In many people's thinking, Cherokee nationalism is closely tied to ideas of race and culture. Sturm thinks these are "misperceptions." She describes Cornsilk as an exception to the norm for the Cherokee, for his desire to put self-preservation of the Nation ahead of race or culture.
Personal life
Cornsilk lives in Tulsa, OklahomaTulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...
. Cornsilk and his father, John Cornsilk, are active in Cherokee Nation and United Keetoowah Band politics. They helped win citizenship rights for the Cherokee Freedmen
Cherokee freedmen controversy
The Cherokee Freedmen Controversy is an ongoing political and tribal dispute between the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma and descendants of the Cherokee Freedmen regarding tribal citizenship. In 1863, by an act of the Cherokee National Council during the American Civil War, the Cherokee who supported...
as well as equal rights for gay Cherokee citizens.
Cornsilk creates cartoons and political satire related to Cherokee Nation politics. He and his father run the Cornsilks.com website and political blog.