Tami (Gonzalez) Cantrell - District 5 Special Election Candidate

Halito

My name is Tami (Gonzalez) Cantrell and I am proud to announce my candidacy for Choctaw Nation Tribal Council District 5. I am a proud Choctaw woman that comes from a long line of full blood Choctaws. My family has lived on their original allotment in Haskell County their entire life. I am a lifelong resident of Haskell County and a proud wife, mother and educator.  I am proudly married to Brandon Cantrell and together with our 4 children we work as stewards of the land on our cattle ranch outside of Stigler. As a certified teacher I am extremely dedicated to instilling a love of education and the pursuit of higher education and training opportunities for all our Chahta youth. Throughout my life I have worked on both the local and national tribal levels. I have worked directly for the Choctaw Nation with positions serving youth and our vulnerable adults and elders. On the National level I worked with Self-Governance Communication and Education working with The Department of Interior Bureau of Indian Affairs and Indian Health Services advocating for our sovereign rights. The continued fight for our tribal sovereign rights is one that I will continue throughout my life as we as proud people deserve the rights to govern ourselves. The decision to embark on this journey within the tribal government comes from a love and dedication to my fellow Chahtas. I have a servant’s heart and am dedicated to the betterment of life for our elders and the advancement of our tribal youth. I know that we must honor our past while focusing on the native belief of looking ahead to the next 3 generations. Without past knowledge and understanding our tribe cannot progress.

My campaign will be dedicated to giving a voice to our citizens in District 5 and our Tribal members across the nation by:

• Visiting all areas within our district and gaining knowledge of the needs of our people
• Advocating for more tribal youth involvement in cultural programs that encourage the knowledge and love for the Chahta heritage
• Increasing agriculturally based programs that help improve mother earth by teaching our youth to be good stewards of the land and its products
• Increasing more activities that encompass youth involvement with our elders so that they may learn the ways of the Chahta life and our past
• Increased access to education and employment opportunities for all our tribal members
• Giving a voice to all Chahta people within and outside of our tribal nation

My life is dedicated to the Choctaw motto of Faith, Family and Culture. Without faith and family nothing in my life would prevail. I am blessed with a family that supports me beyond measure and a church family that is as close as blood. My cultural dedication can be summed up with one phrase- Chahta Sia Hoke, it is who I am, and I am proud of the sacrifices and the dedication that comes with being Choctaw.

Yakoke,
Tami (Gonzalez) Cantrell