Richard Sneed
{{Short description|28th Principal Chief of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name = Richard Sneed
|image = Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Vice Chief Richie Sneed signing the agreement (cropped).jpg
|office = Principal Chief of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians
|term_start = May 26, 2017
|term_end = October 2, 2023
|predecessor = Patrick Lambert
|successor = Michell Hicks
|birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1967|12|20}}
|birth_place =
|death_date =
|death_place =
|nationality = {{nowrap|Eastern Band Cherokee, American}}
|occupation = {{flatlist|
}}
|spouse = {{flatlist|
- {{marriage |Trina Sneed |end=div}}
- Colene Sneed
}}
|parents = Richard and Patricia Sneed
|education = {{unbulleted list|Universal Technical Institute|Southwestern Community College}}
|allegiance = {{flagu|United States}}
|branch = United States Marine Corps
|serviceyears =
|rank =
|unit =
|mawards =
}}
Richard G. Sneed (born December 20, 1967) is a Cherokee politician who served as the 28th Principal Chief of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.{{Cite news|url=https://ebci.com/government/|title=Government - Eastern Band of Cherokee|work=Eastern Band of Cherokee|access-date=October 18, 2017|language=en-US}} Sneed succeeded former Principal Chief Patrick Lambert following Lambert's impeachment, only the second such impeachment since the 19th century.{{Cite web|url=https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/north-carolina/articles/2017-05-26/tribal-council-removes-cherokee-chief-from-office|title=Tribal Council Removes Cherokee Chief From Office|website=U.S. News & World Report|access-date=October 18, 2017}}
Personal life
Richard Sneed is a graduate of Cherokee High School in Cherokee, North Carolina. His family is from the Wolfetown Community of the Qualla Boundary. Sneed is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps, and a graduate of Universal Technical Institute in Phoenix, Arizona, and Southwestern Community College in Sylva, North Carolina. He holds a North Carolina teaching license in industrial arts.
Sneed taught vocational classes at Cherokee High School where he was recognized as National Classroom Teacher of the Year by the National Indian Education Association. Sneed has also served as the senior pastor of the Christ Fellowship Church of Cherokee. Sneed and his ex-wife Trina resided in the Birdtown Community of the Qualla Boundary where they raised their five children.{{cite web|url=https://theonefeather.com/2016/03/vice-chief-visits-scc-agrees-to-serve-as-mentor-in-new-program/|title=Vice Chief visits SCC, agrees to serve as mentor in new program|publisher=Cherokee One Feather|access-date=November 8, 2017}}{{cite web |url=https://www.congress.gov/116/meeting/house/110282/witnesses/HHRG-116-II24-Bio-SneedR-20191204.pdf |title=Richard Sneed, Principal Chief, Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, Biography |publisher=Congress.gov |access-date=August 9, 2021}}
Political career
Sneed began his services as an elected tribal leader for the tribe after winning election as principal vice-chief in September 2015 and assumed office in October 2015.{{Cite web|url=https://theonefeather.com/2015/10/lambert-sneed-take-office/|title=Lambert, Sneed take office |newspaper=The Cherokee One Feather|language=en-US|access-date=October 18, 2017}} Formerly, Patrick Lambert was serving as the 27th Principal Chief but Sneed began service as principal chief on in May 2017 after his predecessor was impeached and removed by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Tribal Council.{{Cite news|url=http://www.citizen-times.com/story/news/local/2017/05/25/tribal-council-votes-impeach-cherokee-chief/345085001/|title=Tribal Council votes to impeach Cherokee chief|work=Citizen Times|access-date=October 18, 2017|language=en}} In September 2017, Yellowhill Tribal Council member Alan B. Ensley assumed the principal vice-chief title left vacant after Sneed became Principal Chief.{{Cite web|url=https://theonefeather.com/2017/09/ensley-chosen-as-vice-chief/|title=Ensley chosen as Vice Chief|author=Scott McKie|date=September 18, 2017|language=en-US|access-date=2017-09-29|newspaper=Cherokee One Feather}} Speaking to WLOS in 2017, Sneed most recently called for community "healing" following Lambert's removal.{{Cite news|url=http://wlos.com/news/local/new-cherokee-chief-calls-for-healing-after-impeachment-of-patrick-lambert|title=New Cherokee chief calls for healing after impeachment of Patrick Lambert|last=Hodge|first=Rex|work=WLOS|access-date=October 18, 2017|language=en-US}} Sneed was re-elected as Principal Chief in 2019 for a full-term, but lost reelection in 2023 to former Chief Michell Hicks.{{Cite news |last=Kays |first=Holly |url=https://smokymountainnews.com/news/item/36344-hicks-wins-fourth-term-as-cherokee-chief |title=Hicks wins fourth term as Cherokee chief |date=September 8, 2023 |newspaper=Smoky Mountain Times |location=Bryson City, NC |access-date=September 8, 2023}}
In April 2023, a law to change the public record status of police bodycam footage to be in line with North Carolina state law was approved unanimously by the Tribal Council and signed by Sneed. Prior to the change, tribal law had given greater access to such recordings.{{Cite web |last=Burgess |first=Joel |title=EBCI Chief signs law making Cherokee Indian Police bodycam videos not open to public |url=https://www.citizen-times.com/story/news/2023/05/11/chief-signs-law-cherokee-indian-police-videos-not-public/70205231007/ |access-date=2025-06-23 |website=The Asheville Citizen Times |language=en-US}}
Electoral history
{{Election box begin no party no change |title=2015 EBCI Vice Chief primary election{{Cite news |url=https://theonefeather.com/2015/06/05/unofficial-2015-ebci-primary-election-results/ |title=Unofficial 2015 EBCI Primary Election Results |date=June 5, 2015 |newspaper=Cherokee One Feather |access-date=September 10, 2023}}}}
{{Election box winning candidate no party no change
|candidate = Richard (Richie) Sneed
|votes = 990
|percentage = 33.88%
|change =
}}
{{Election box winning candidate no party no change
|candidate = Larry Blythe (Incumbent)
|votes = 847
|percentage = 28.99%
|change =
}}
{{Election box candidate no party no change
|candidate = Dan McCoy
|votes = 652
|percentage = 22.31%
|change =
}}
{{Election box candidate no party no change
|candidate = James (Bud) Smith
|votes = 433
|percentage = 14.82%
|change =
}}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin no party no change |title=2015 EBCI Vice Chief general election}}
{{Election box winning candidate no party no change
|candidate = Richard (Richie) Sneed
|votes = 2191
|percentage = 59.06%
|change =
}}
{{Election box candidate no party no change
|candidate = Larry Blythe (Incumbent)
|votes = 1516
|percentage = 40.94%
|change =
}}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin no party no change |title=2019 EBCI Principal Chief primary election{{Cite news |last=Kays |first=Holly |url=https://smokymountainnews.com/archives/item/27074-primary-election-results-return-to-cherokee |title=Primary Election results return to Cherokee |date=June 7, 2019 |newspaper=Smoky Mountain Times |location=Bryson City, NC |access-date=September 10, 2023}}}}
{{Election box winning candidate no party no change
|candidate = Teresa McCoy
|votes = 1132
|percentage = 42.21%
|change =
}}
{{Election box winning candidate no party no change
|candidate = Richard Sneed (Incumbent)
|votes = 1117
|percentage = 41.65%
|change =
}}
{{Election box candidate no party no change
|candidate = Carroll (Peanut) Crowe
|votes = 433
|percentage = 16.14%
|change =
}}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin no party no change |title=2019 EBCI Principal Chief general election{{Cite news |url=https://theonefeather.com/2019/09/06/unofficial-2019-ebci-general-election-results/ |title=Unofficial 2019 EBCI General Election Results |date=September 6, 2019 |newspaper=Cherokee One Feather |access-date=September 10, 2023}}}}
{{Election box winning candidate no party no change
|candidate = Richard Sneed (Incumbent)
|votes = 2131
|percentage = 55.11%
|change =
}}
{{Election box candidate no party no change
|candidate = Teresa McCoy
|votes = 1736
|percentage = 44.89%
|change =
}}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin no party no change |title=2023 EBCI Principal Chief primary election{{Cite news |title=Unofficial results of the 2023 EBCI Primary Election |url=https://theonefeather.com/2023/06/01/unofficial-results-of-the-2023-ebci-primary-election/ |date=June 1, 2023 |newspaper=Cherokee One Feather |access-date=September 10, 2023}}}}
{{Election box winning candidate no party no change
|candidate = Michell Hicks
|votes = 1075
|percentage = 41.73%
|change =
}}
{{Election box winning candidate no party no change
|candidate = Richard Sneed (Incumbent)
|votes = 548
|percentage = 21.27%
|change =
}}
{{Election box candidate no party no change
|candidate = Robert Saunooke
|votes = 441
|percentage = 17.11
|change =
}}
{{Election box candidate no party no change
|candidate = Gary Ledford
|votes = 254
|percentage = 9.86
|change =
}}
{{Election box candidate no party no change
|candidate = Gene Crowe Jr.
|votes = 141
|percentage = 5.47
|change =
}}
{{Election box candidate no party no change
|candidate = Lori Taylor
|votes = 117
|percentage = 4.54
|change =
}}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin no party no change |title=2023 EBCI Principal Chief general election}}
{{Election box winning candidate no party no change
|candidate = Michell Hicks
|votes = 2254
|percentage = 65.03%
|change =
}}
{{Election box candidate no party no change
|candidate = Richard Sneed (Incumbent)
|votes = 1212
|percentage = 34.97%
|change =
}}
{{Election box end}}
References
{{s-start}}
{{succession box | before=Patrick Lambert | title=Chief of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians | after=Michell Hicks | years=2017-2023 }}
{{s-end}}
{{Principal Chiefs of the Cherokee}}
{{Cherokee}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sneed, Richard}}
Category:Principal Chiefs of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians