Stein visits Cherokee as part of gubernatorial campaign
Stein spoke to members of Tribal Council and took a few questions. EBCI Communications Department Facebook photo
North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein spoke to members of Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Tribal Council Monday, during which he touted some of his accomplishments over the last eight years while also laying out a vision for the future of the state.
Stein, a Democrat, is running against Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson in a race to see who will be the state’s next governor. Although North Carolina currently has a Democratic governor in Roy Cooper, the state is still generally considered to lean slightly right, so Stein has been hitting the campaign trail hard as part of his “Real Time with Stein” tour.
During his visit to Cherokee, Stein spoke specifically about issues facing the state and the tribe, including improved access to healthcare and housing, as well as education and equality.
Stein was introduced by Principal Chief Michell Hicks, who highlighted one priority he hopes the prospective governor may focus on should he win, especially a lack of qualified candidates for employment with the tribe in various departments, including law enforcement and social workers.
“We are also keeping Josh updated on where we are with our enterprises,” Hicks said. “We have a lot of moving pieces, and they’re all significant to the region.”
Stein began by explaining that his run for governor reflects how much he loves the state, from the coast all the way to the mountains and everywhere in between, adding that he thinks while there’s a lot going for North Carolina right now, things can continue to improve.
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“We have to build the economy from the bottom up and the middle out, not the top down, because that’s how you grow the middle class,” he said.
Basically, the vision Stein laid out for the state mirrors the vision politicians tend to lay out for the nation as a whole. He said he wants to see more opportunities for future generations than current generations have had. To do that, he said North Carolina should raise the minimum wage, address high housing costs and cut taxes for working families. He also focused on education, not just the standard kindergarten to university pipeline, but also the importance of trade schools.
“We have to expand career and technical education and apprenticeship programs, because while college is right for many people, it is not right for every person, and someone should not have to go to college to provide for his or her family,” he said.
Next, Stein addressed healthcare, saying he thought it was a tremendous victory for the state to have expanded Medicaid, and he also highlighted a recent milestone.
“About two weeks ago, we finally crossed the 500,000-person mark,” he said. “Half a million neighbors have health insurance today who didn’t in December.”
He said that HCA’s acquisition of the Mission health system has created challenges that he has tried to address as attorney general and hopes to continue to address as governor.
Notably, he praised the tribe for its robust health care system.
“You all provide and incredible service to your tribal members,” he said. “I’ve toured the medical facility here on past visits. It is a remarkable institution, and you should take great pride in that.”
When it comes to health care, Stein also mentioned specific items of interest to Native American communities, from combatting the opioid crisis and the $1.5 billion North Carolina received as part of a larger settlement to fighting for families.
Stein receives praise from EBCI Vice Chief Alan B. Ensley. EBCI Communications Department Facebook photo
“We wrote a brief to the United States supreme Court when they were considering whether to reject the protections that the Indian Child Welfare Act afforded to children and native families,” he said.
Stein wrapped up by thanking the tribe for inviting him to speak and noted that he intends to continue to fight for the freedoms of all North Carolinians.
“As attorney general, we’ve always had an open door and welcomed the opportunity to meet with you all, whether it’s up here in Cherokee or in the west or in Raleigh,” he said. “As governor, I want to continue that kind of open communication and open-door relationship with the tribe, and I look forward, God willing, to being able to do that with you in the years to come.”
Following Stein’s remarks, a few folks had comments. First was Council Rep. Perry Shell of Big Cove. Shell, a retired soldier, recalled that when he served, he was always proud not only to represent the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians but also the state of North Carolina. He said he hopes more people can feel that deep pride and that that pride can bring everyone closer together.
“There’s a lot of extremes and division on federal level and the state level and at all levels,” Shell said. “I hope that when you win, hopefully you will work to heal us and bring us back together.”
Shell recalled part of Stein’s remarks to Tribal Council, during which he talked about his father’s law firm, the first integrated firm in the state, and how proud he was of its fight to stand up for civil rights.
“They never shied away from doing what’s right, even when someone firebombed their office and burned it to the ground,” Stein had said proudly.
Shell recalled how tribes were treated prior to the civil rights movement, a time when Native American children couldn’t go to white schools and tribal members couldn’t intermarry.
“It was not that long ago,” Shell said, ultimately offering praise for Stein, his advocacy for civil rights and his acknowledgement of tribal sovereignty.
“I agree with you that there’s too much division, too much hate,” Stein replied. “It’s incumbent upon us to try to heal and bring people together, and part of it is having some humility and realizing that none of us have all the answers. We just don’t. There are too many issues. It’s too complicated. I try to approach issues from the perspective that I have ideas, and you have ideas, now how can we work together?”
Stein highlighted certain areas where he and other Democrats have been able to work across the aisle in the Republican-led General Assembly to get things done, like passing laws to protect victims of child sexual abuse and getting money to address the backlog of untested rape kits.
“We can get things done together, but you have to have an open mind and willingness to work across the aisle and that’s something I’ve demonstrated,” he said.
Along with Council Rep. Tom Wahnetah, of the Yellowhill community, Vice Chief Alan B. Ensley had kind words for Stein.
“I hope our people get behind you come November, because I know how important this is for everything in the state and country,” Ensley said to Stein. “I appreciate your words, and I know you live by them, so thank you.”
Following the brief meeting, Council members met with Stein for lunch.
