Mary Baker Shaw
{{infobox officeholder
| name = Mary Baker Shaw
| image =
| office = Cherokee Nation Tribal Councilor for the at-large district
| term_start = August 14, 2017
| term_end = August 2021
| successor = Johnny Jack Kidwell
| death_date =
| death_place =
| party =
| spouse =
| citizenship = Cherokee Nation
United States
}}
Mary Baker Shaw is a Cherokee politician who served as an at-large tribal councilor for the Cherokee Nation from 2017 to 2021.
Career
Baker Shaw won the Cherokee Nation Tribal Council's At-Large seat in the June 3, 2017 election.{{Cite web |last=Bennett |first=Brittney |date=2017-06-04 |title=Baker Shaw wins At-Large seat |url=https://www.cherokeephoenix.org/news/baker-shaw-wins-at-large-seat/article_e32d4574-e3e7-5492-ada3-446d18fa590a.html |access-date=2024-09-08 |website=cherokeephoenix.org |language=en}} She secured a victory with 56.77% of the vote, receiving 847 votes out of the total cast. This margin was sufficient to avoid a runoff election. Her closest competitors in the election were Shane Jett, who received 19.64% of the vote (293 vote) and Linda Leaf-Bolin, who finished third with 11.33% of the vote (169 votes). Baker Shaw was one of nine Cherokee Nation Tribal Councilors sworn into office on August 14, 2017, at a ceremony held in the Sequoyah High School gymnasium.{{Cite web |date=2017-08-15 |title=Cherokee Nation has swearing-in ceremony for Tribal Councilors |url=https://theonefeather.com/2017/08/15/cherokee-nation-has-swearing-in-ceremony-for-tribal-councilors/ |access-date=2024-09-08 |website=The Cherokee One Feather |language=en-US}} She represented Cherokee citizens living outside the tribe's jurisdictional boundaries as one of two at-large councilors alongside Wanda Hatfield.
Baker Shaw co-sponsored legislation with fellow at-large councilor Julia Coates to provide glasses to at-large Cherokees who have their eyes examined at Cherokee Nation health clinics.{{Cite web |last=Rowley |first=D. Sean |date=2021-07-04 |title=Baker Shaw says ‘much to be done’ for at-large members |url=https://www.cherokeephoenix.org/council/baker-shaw-says-much-to-be-done-for-at-large-members/article_e7bb9d46-db7d-11eb-bf7c-3f932ab2637f.html |access-date=2024-09-08 |website=cherokeephoenix.org |language=en}} She served as chair of the Health Committee, where she addressed the issue of physician turnover. She formed a subgroup that implemented solutions, resulting in a reduction in provider turnover from losing 100 out of 125 physicians in a 5-year period to less than 4% turnover. Baker Shaw supported the launch of cherokeesatlarge.org to provide timely information to the at-large Cherokee population. She did not run for reelection when her four-year term concluded in 2021. She was succeeded by Johnny Jack Kidwell.
References
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Category:Place of birth missing (living people)
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:21st-century American women politicians
Category:21st-century Native American women
Category:Members of the Council of the Cherokee Nation
Category:Women in Oklahoma politics
Category:Cherokee Nation women