Chuck Hoskin: “Today, our enemy is the passage of time and the fragility of human life.”

This is not something we can fail at, and it is not something we can wait to do.

It would be difficult for me, Senator, to come to this Committee and press for treaty rights if I could not say to myself, we are living up to all of our obligations.

If we allow our language to perish, all our accomplishments--what we have done in health care, education, and economic development--will be for naught as these things can only be fully achieved when we save our language.

It is in our oath of office that we will do all within our power to preserve the culture, heritage and traditions of the Cherokee Nation.