1. What or who inspired you to run for office?

My mom inspired me to run. She raised me with strong values—family, leadership, and standing up for what’s right. She didn’t raise followers. Over the past four years, I’ve also watched Josh Sam in office. Our people deserve someone with a backbone—someone who will speak up when elders are in need, who will call out wrongdoing, even if it means going against the Chief. Someone who demands transparency and accountability. That’s what I bring to the table—what’s been missing for too long.

2. What do you see as the biggest challenges facing your district right now?

We need election reform—plain and simple. Cherokee Nation Business Board Directors should not be donating to candidates. Employees shouldn't have to quit their jobs to run for office. No one—not candidates or staff—should be handling absentee ballots. These are basic protections, and I will push for them as soon as I’m elected..

3. What are the biggest challenges facing the Cherokee Nation right now?

Cherokee Nation is starting to look more like a corporation than a tribe. District 7 is the heart of our Nation—Adair County has more Cherokee citizens than anywhere else. Yet we’re still living below the poverty line, even though the Nation’s headquarters are just down the road. If we were truly operating as a tribe, our elders wouldn’t be struggling, our children would have more opportunities, and families wouldn’t have to scrape just to get by.

4. What solutions do you want implemented to address the challenges facing your district and the Cherokee Nation?

I’ll fight for better access to essential programs—things our people rely on to survive, not to get ahead. We’re not asking for handouts, just equal footing. The Chief oversees these programs, and it's time he’s held accountable for how they're run. I’ll make sure that happens.

5. Can you work with others who do not share your views to help remedy the needs of your district and the Cherokee Nation? Please provide examples of past experiences where you worked with others who disagreed with you then or in the past and created a positive outcome.

Yes. I’ve worked in factories and in security for years—you learn real fast how to find common ground. You won’t always agree with the people around you, but you work toward the same goal. I don’t take things personally. I de-escalate, I solve problems, and I get the job done.

6. What experiences do you feel you bring to the table that make you qualified for the Cherokee Nation Tribal Council?

I’ve got a backbone. I’m not tied to political favors or special interests. I’ve already stood up to public officials when it mattered. Our government is lacking accountability and transparency, and I’m ready to bring both back. I don’t work for the Chief—I work for District 7.

7. Why do you think voters should trust you?

Because I’ll show up and I’ll follow through. Josh Sam had his chance. Now it’s time for a change

8. How will you balance the legislative and executive branches of the Cherokee Nation?

By holding them accountable. That’s what checks and balances are for, and that’s what we’ve lost. I’ll ask the hard questions, stay present, and work to make sure our tribe doesn’t just function like a business—it needs to function like a Nation.

9. What does balance between the branches of the Cherokee Nation government mean to you?

It means restoring the power of the Council to represent the people. The Chief should be working for the Cherokee Nation, not running it unchecked. Our people come first, and I will stand up to make sure they stay first.

10. Please provide examples of how you would want to improve transparency in the Cherokee Nation government.

I’ll host regular community meetings—and I’ll make sure folks know about them well ahead of time, not just through whispers. Tribal business should be public business. Everyone deserves to know what’s going on.

11. Please provide examples of how you would want transparency improved in the Cherokee Nation Businesses.

We need real checks and balances. That starts by putting oversight back in the hands of the Council—where it belongs.

12. Do you think the Cherokee Nation is providing adequate health care for its citizens? Please provide examples.

No. Not when citizens are being denied surgeries or when coverage falls short. We can build a $400 million hospital, but if our elders and kids with special needs can’t get the care they need, we’re not doing enough. We need more access, not more ribbon cuttings.

Vote Derrick Ross for Cherokee Nation Tribal Council District 7 - Accountability, Transparency, and Service to the People

Derrick Ross

[email protected]

(918) 410-0570