Kimberly Teehee

{{short description|Cherokee political advisor from Oklahoma (born 1968)}}

{{Infobox officeholder

|name = Kimberly Teehee

|image = Barack Obama and Kimberly Teehee, 2012-04-27 (cropped) (cropped).jpg

|caption = Teehee in 2012

|alt = Teehee in 2012

|office = Delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives
from the Cherokee Nation

|status = Designate

|term_start = TBD

|term_end =

|succeeding = Constituency established

|predecessor = Constituency established

|successor =

|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1968|10|13}}

|birth_place = Chicago, Illinois, U.S.

|death_date =

|death_place =

|party = Democratic

|education = Rogers State University (AA)
Northeastern State University (BA)
University of Iowa (JD)

}}

Kimberly Teehee (born October 13, 1968) is a Cherokee attorney, politician, and activist on Native American issues. She is a Delegate-designate to the U.S. House of Representatives from the Cherokee Nation. She served as senior policy advisor for Native American affairs in the administration of President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2012.{{cite web |url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the_press_office/President-Obama-Announces-Kimberly-Teehee-as-Senior-Policy-Advisor-for-Native-American-Affairs/ |work=whitehouse.gov |title=President Obama Announces Kimberly Teehee as Senior Policy Advisor for Native American Affairs | The White House |date=15 June 2009 |via=National Archives |access-date=2009-10-29}} In February 2020, she was named by Time as one of 16 activists fighting for a "More Equal America."{{Cite magazine |title=These 16 People and Groups Are Fighting for a More Equal America |url=https://time.com/5783951/equality-activists/ |access-date=2022-03-26 |magazine=Time |language=en}}

Early life and education

A member of the Cherokee Nation, she was born in Chicago, Illinois, and raised in Claremore, Oklahoma, where she and her family are fluent Cherokee language speakers.{{cite web |last1=Alexander |first1=Kerri Lee |title=Kimberly Teehee |url=https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/kimberly-teehee |website=National Women's History Museum |access-date=18 August 2020 |language=en}}{{cite web |last1=Toensing |first1=Gale Courey |title='Elated and excited': Teehee named Obama's senior advisor on Indian affairs |url=https://www.indiancountrytoday.com/politics/48250207.html |website=Indian Country Today |access-date=July 11, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090628164612/https://www.indiancountrytoday.com/politics/48250207.html |archive-date=June 28, 2009 |date=June 18, 2009}}

Teehee is a graduate of Rogers State University, where she received an associate's degree,{{Cite web |date=2010-12-19 |title=News {{!}} NSU Alumna Named Obama Senior Policy Advisor {{!}} Northeastern State University |url=https://www.nsuok.edu/News/Story/714/Default.aspx |access-date=2022-03-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101219190207/https://www.nsuok.edu/News/Story/714/Default.aspx |archive-date=2010-12-19 }} and of Northeastern State University, where she was graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science in 1991. She earned her Juris Doctor from the University of Iowa College of Law in 1995.{{cite web |url=http://www.reznetnews.org/article/obama-names-cherokee-native-policy-adviser-35340 |title=Obama Names Cherokee as Native Policy Adviser |work=Reznet News |access-date=2009-10-29 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20090618065557/http://www.reznetnews.org/article/obama-names-cherokee-native-policy-adviser-35340 |archive-date=2009-06-18 }} She was awarded a Bureau of National Affairs Award.

Career

Teehee served as the first deputy director of Native American Outreach for the Democratic National Committee and director of Native American outreach for President Bill Clinton's 1997 inauguration. Starting in 1998, she then served as Senior Advisor to Democratic Congressman Dale Kildee of Michigan, who was a co-chair of the Native American Caucus in the House of Representatives.

File:Tribal Energy Summit (5693372941).jpg

In the Obama administration she served on the White House Domestic Policy Council.{{cite web | url=http://navajo.nsuok.edu/news/story.php?3346| title=Welcome to Northeastern State University, Tahlequah Campus| access-date=2009-10-29| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://archive.today/20121212060721/http://navajo.nsuok.edu/news/story.php?3346| archive-date=2012-12-12}} Beginning July 2009, she assumed the new position of Senior Policy Advisor for Native American Affairs and advised the president about issues pertaining to Indian country.

In 2012, she accepted "a position with the Mapetsi Policy Group, a small legal and lobbying firm founded by tribal advocate, Debbie Ho, with the aim of preserving tribal sovereignty."{{Cite news | title = President Obama Announces Jodi Gillette Appointment, Replacing Kimberly Teehee| work = Indian Country Today Media Network| access-date = 2013-04-19| date = 2012-04-28| url = http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/article/president-obama-announces-jodi-gillette-appointment%2C-replacing-kimberly-teehee-110569}}

During her tenure at the White House, she played a major role in securing re-authorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). In 2015, after leaving the White House, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians honored her for her work on VAWA, especially as it related to prosecuting non-natives who abuse native women on tribal lands.[http://www.cherokee.org/News/Stories/20150902_Cherokee-Nation-citizen-honored-for-role-in-VAWA-reauthorization "Cherokee Nation Citizen Honored for Role in VAWA Reauthorization"]{{Dead link|date=June 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}; webpage; September 2, 2015; Cherokee Nation online; accessed January 27, 2018.

File:Barack Obama and Kimberly Teehee, 2012-04-27 (cropped).jpg with President Barack Obama in 2012]]

In 2014, Teehee joined Cherokee Nation Businesses, where she served as vice president of special projects for the tribe's holding company.[https://www.indianz.com/News/2014/09/25/cherokee-nation-hires-former-w.asp "Cherokee Nation Hires Former White House Advisor Kim Teehee"]; September 25, 2014; webpage; Indianz.com; accessed January 27, 2018.

=Delegate-nominee to Congress=

In August 2019, Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. appointed Teehee as the Cherokee Nation's first-ever delegate to the United States House of Representatives.{{Cite web|url=http://www.newson6.com/story/40929575/cherokee-nation-seeks-congressional-delegate|title=Cherokee Nation Seeks Congressional Delegate|website=www.newson6.com|language=en|access-date=2019-08-19}} Her appointment was approved by the Cherokee Council on August 29.{{cite news|title=Cherokee Council Approves Congressional Nominee and Others|date=August 30, 2019|author=|work=KWGS Public Radio Tulsa|location=Tulsa, Oklahoma|url=https://www.publicradiotulsa.org/post/cherokee-council-approves-congressional-nominee-and-others|access-date=August 30, 2019}} The Nation's right to send a delegate to Congress was provided for in the Treaty of Hopewell of 1785 and the Treaty of New Echota of 1835;{{cite news|last=Budryk|first=Zack|date=August 25, 2019|access-date=August 25, 2019|newspaper=Roll Call|title=Cherokee Nation moves to appoint congressional delegate|url=https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/458761-cherokee-nation-to-appoint-congressional-delegate?rnd=1566768488}} however, the right was not exercised until 2019. The U.S. House of Representatives will have to vote to seat Teehee as a delegate similar to those representing the U.S. territories.{{cite news|title=Citing treaties, Cherokees call on Congress to seat delegate from tribe|date=August 23, 2019|last=Krehbiel-Burton|first=Lenzy|work=Tulsa World|location=Tulsa, Oklahoma|url=https://www.tulsaworld.com/news/state-and-regional/citing-treaties-cherokees-call-on-congress-to-seat-delegate-from/article_9da9a5d4-69a1-52d8-bad6-beea75a2e17e.html|access-date=August 24, 2019}} If accepted, her role will be non-voting, similar to those of representatives from Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, and the United States Virgin Islands.{{cite web |last1=Katz |first1=Brigit |title=Kimberly Teehee Will Be the Cherokee Nation's First Delegate to Congress |url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/kimberly-teehee-cherokee-nations-first-delegate-congress-180973046/ |website=Smithsonian Magazine |access-date=18 August 2020 |language=en |date=4 September 2019}}

The Cherokee Nation is still attempting to have Teehee seated.{{Cite web|title=A Treaty Right For Cherokee Representation : Code Switch|url=https://www.npr.org/2020/10/06/920935570/a-treaty-right-for-cherokee-representation|access-date=2020-10-29|website=NPR.org|language=en}}{{cite web |last1=Trahant |first1=Mark |title=A 200-year-old promise |url=https://indiancountrytoday.com/newscasts/a-200-year-old-promise-CeZXm-1TQkKiX-LacNJqvw |website=IndianCountryToday.com |access-date=28 January 2021 |language=en}} In February 2021, it was reported that Teehee was among those who advised President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on their campaign promises concerning Native Americans prior to the 2020 United States presidential election and that her seating as a delegate in Congress had been delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, though she expected to be seated sometime in 2021.{{cite news|url=https://www.cherokeephoenix.org/news/bidens-plan-for-tribal-nations-offers-policy-insight/article_35409b67-c76c-50f0-b227-ed3c84067837.html|title=Biden's 'Plan for Tribal Nations' offers policy insight|date=February 12, 2021|access-date=February 23, 2021|first=D. Sean|last=Rowley|newspaper=Cherokee Phoenix}}{{cite web|url=https://www.publicradiotulsa.org/post/cherokee-nation-hopeful-delegate-congress-could-be-seated-year#stream/0|title=Cherokee Nation Hopeful Delegate To Congress Could Be Seated This Year|date=February 12, 2021|access-date=February 23, 2021|first=Chris|last=Polansky|publisher=Public Radio Tulsa}} Teehee remained unseated as of September 2022,{{cite web |last1=Hoskin Jr. |first1=Chuck |title=Cherokee chief: Our ancestors were promised a delegate in the House. Treaties matter. |url=https://news.yahoo.com/cherokee-chief-ancestors-were-promised-120109051.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall |website=news.yahoo.com |access-date=5 September 2022 |date=4 September 2022}} when the Cherokee Nation government reiterated their insistence that Congress seat her.{{Cite web |url=https://www.npr.org/2022/09/24/1124945834/cherokee-nation-delegate-congress |title=The Cherokee Nation is renewing its push for a nonvoting delegate in Congress |language=en-US |date=2022-09-24 |accessdate=2022-09-24 |last=Hernandez |first=Joe |publisher=NPR}}{{cite news|url=https://tulsaworld.com/news/cherokee-nation-seeks-help-urging-congress-to-seat-a-delegate-in-u-s-house/article_ef9181d0-3a94-11ed-b9ec-bbc94317af7b.html|title=Cherokee Nation seeks help urging Congress to seat a delegate in U.S. House|date=September 23, 2022|publisher=Tulsa World}}{{cite web|url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/article/the-historic-treaty-of-new-echota-promised-the-cherokee-a-seat-in-congress|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221005155452/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/article/the-historic-treaty-of-new-echota-promised-the-cherokee-a-seat-in-congress|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 5, 2022|publisher=National Geographic|first=Erin|last=Blakemore|title=In 1835, the Cherokee were promised a seat in Congress. They're still waiting.|date=October 5, 2022}} A formal hearing by the United States House Committee on Rules to discuss the legality and procedure for seating Teehee was scheduled for November 16, 2022.{{cite web|url=https://rules.house.gov/news/announcement/hearing-announcement-legal-and-procedural-factors-related-seating-cherokee-nation|title=Hearing Announcement: Legal and Procedural Factors Related to Seating a Cherokee Nation Delegate in the U.S. House of Representatives|date=9 November 2022 |access-date=November 9, 2022|publisher=United States House Committee on Rules}}{{cite news|url=https://www.wdbj7.com/2022/11/04/house-consider-seating-cherokee-nation-delegate/|title=House to consider seating Cherokee Nation delegate|date=November 4, 2022|publisher=WDBJ}} Hoskin spoke at the event and, afterwards, several members of the House supported a decision to seat Teehee as soon as possible, including by the end of the year, but Teehee was not seated by the end of the 117th Congress.{{Cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/nov/16/cherokee-nation-oklahoma-first-congress-delegate |language=en-GB |title=Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma could get first delegate to Congress in 200 years |date=2022-11-16 |accessdate=2022-11-16 |work=The Guardian }}{{cite news|url=https://19thnews.org/2023/06/kim-teehee-cherokee-congress/|title=The woman who would be the Cherokee voice in Congress|date=June 26, 2023|publisher=The 9th|first=Mel|last=Leonor Barclay}} Teehee was reappointed by Hoskin as the Cherokee Nation delegate-nominee in August 2023.{{cite news|url=https://ktul.com/news/local/kimberly-teehee-poised-for-historic-re-appointment-as-cherokee-nations-delegate-to-us-congress|publisher=KTUL|date=August 29, 2023|title=Cherokee Nation's Kimberly Teehee set for historical re-appointment to U.S. Congress|first=Bethany|last=Henderson}}

While Teehee represents the Cherokee Nation, in 2021, Oklahoma's United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians selected Victoria Holland as a delegate, arguing that she represents the same people as the Cherokee of the Treaty of New Echota.

References

External links

{{sister project links|d=Q6409978|c=Category:Kimberly Teehee|n=no|b=no|v=no|voy=no|m=no|mw=no|wikt=no|s=no|species=no|q=no}}

[https://www.cherokeephoenix.org/Article/index/103477 "Teehee nominated as Cherokee Nation’s delegate to Congress"] from the Cherokee Phoenix
[https://www.cherokee.org/our-government/delegate-to-congress/kimberly-teehee/ Page from the Cherokee Nation's site]
[https://www.cherokeedelegate.com/ Cherokee Delegate campaign site]
{{C-SPAN|56424}}

{{s-ttl|title=Delegate-designate of the U.S. House of Representatives
from the Cherokee Nation|years=2019–present}}

Category:1966 births

Category:20th-century American lawyers

Category:20th-century American women lawyers

Category:20th-century Native American women

Category:20th-century Native American people

Category:21st-century American lawyers

Category:21st-century American legislators

Category:21st-century American women lawyers

Category:21st-century American women politicians

Category:21st-century Native American politicians

Category:21st-century Native American women