"the People's Paths!" Cherokee News Path - Cherokee Nation Chief Honored

***"CN Principal Chief Chad Smith and Bobbie Gail Smith (seated) join with Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation representatives Kay Ramsey, Brandi Sullivan, Barb Drotar, and Sheri Engelbrecht."***

TAHLEQUAH, OK - The Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation was honored recently by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) during its annual gala held recently in Tulsa.

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chad Smith was honored for his personal and professional dedication to preventative treatments and finding a cure for diabetes.

“JDRF’s relationship with the Cherokee Nation is very meaningful due to the fact that we all very much want to find a cure for diabetes and its complications,” said Brandi Sullivan, Executive Director of the JDRF. “Chief Smith is being honored for his deep dedication to fulfilling this mission.”

Research has shown that a high number of Native Americans suffer with diabetes. In 2007, 38 percent of patients seen at Cherokee Nation Health Centers were diagnosed with diabetes. Currently, Oklahoma ranks number two in the nation in the prevalence of diabetes, with nearly 200,000 diagnosed cases. An estimated 2,000 Oklahomans are expected to die this year from diabetes-related complications, making it the seventh leading cause of death in the state.

The Cherokee Nation has played an important role in assisting those with diabetes over the past several years. More than 4,500 Cherokee patients and an additional 4,300 patients from other tribes are treated at tribal health centers for the disease. The Cherokee Nation spends more than $6.5 million annually in offering a team approach to care and intensive case management including podiatry services, prevention activities, healthy cooking instruction and self-management classes. In 2007, the Cherokee Nation provided $1.5 million to the University of Oklahoma for research in the hopes of finding a cure for the disease.

“On behalf of the Cherokee Nation, I am honored and humbled to be recognized by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation,” said Smith. “We here at the Cherokee Nation have a word, ga-du-gi, which means working together for the benefit of the community. Our partnership with JDRF, the University of Oklahoma, and others in the healthcare profession in helping those with diabetes is important not only to Cherokees, but to all people.”