Meeting at Dover City Park

You are invited to a meeting of the Lost Cherokee on Saturday, October 24, 2009 at the City Park in Dover, Arkansas from 9:00AM to 4:00PM. The park is on the south side of Dover on Highway 7, not far from our office at 281 East Camp Street in Dover.

Hot dogs and hamburgers will be cooked by Council members and provided free of charge. However, we do ask those who attend to please bring a bag of chips, a covered dish, or a dessert to be shared with other tribal members that attend. (And don't forget to bring your lawn chairs.)

This meeting will be used to discuss our current court situation where we are defending ourselves as a council as well as all Lost Cherokee tribal members. This lawsuit was brought against us by Cliff Bishop who is claiming ownership of all Lost Cherokee names, logos, emblems, phrases, and anything else he could think of that refers to "Lost Cherokee."  The lawsuit claims that only Bishop, Curtis Smith, and John Brown have the right to use these things. They claim that they own our tribe, that they should have full control of our files, and that they should have full control of all money collected or inherited on behalf of the Lost Cherokee. 

We will also discuss our recent contact with the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and Office of Federal Acknowledgement concerning our tribal status and the importance of these court hearings.

I realize that we have been quiet for awhile, but it is time for all of us to stand up and be heard. We cannot let our efforts up till now count for nothing. We must win and go forward with our ceremonies and with our recognition process.  Please come and let us know what you think, and that you are still supporting this movement.

I look forward to seeing you there,
Doug Cotter