UKB mourns passing of Charles Locust

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – The United Keetoowah Band of  Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma mourns the passing of Assistant Chief Charles Locust.  Mr. Locust passed away Saturday, March 22, 2014 at Stilwell Memorial Hospital after a lengthy illness.

Services have been set for the late assistant chief of the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians. Visitation for Charles Locust, 57, will be from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, March 25, at Reed-Culver Funeral Home in Tahlequah, with services taking place at 1 p.m. Wednesday, March 26, at the Cherokee Baptist Association Tabernacle in Briggs.

Charles Locust grew up in Stilwell , Oklahoma. He held a Bachelor’s degree in Social Science with emphasis in Business Administration. He completed twelve hours toward his Masters of Business Administration Degree from Northeastern State University.

Locust always had a heart for the Native American people, and spent most of his professional working life or 30 plus years working with several tribes in Northeastern Oklahoma.

“The passing of Assistant Chief Locust is a great loss to the Keetoowah Cherokee people,” said UKB Chief George Wickliffe. 
“As is the way of the traditional full blood Cherokee people, the UKB will be in mourning for 30 days, and then it will be followed by an additional 30 days of silence. This time is sacred for the tribe and the family.”

“From the time we came into office in 2005, Charlie and I spent countless hours and days in Washington, D.C. meeting with Senators, Representatives and other high officials.  We logged miles and miles flying on airplanes, going to attend meetings with important officials in Washington.  There were times we would fly back to Tulsa after midnight and then we would make it to a meeting in Tahlequah early the next morning.” 

“Charlie was a traditional Keetoowah, involved in the first Keetoowah religion, and had a genuine belief in
 God. He was a leader at many of those traditional religious ceremonies.” 

"He was dedicated to our people, and worked very hard to make lives better for the Keetoowah Cherokees,” said Wickliffe.

Locust was very active in Keetoowah Cherokee traditional ceremonies and was a member of the Redbird Smith Stomp Grounds. 
He learned from the elders, and this was a driving force in his decision making process.

Assistant Chief Locust held positions as Executive Director of Tribal Operations, Executive Director of Housing (HUD), and Executive Director of Social Services, Budget Analyst, Financial Analyst, Construction Liaison, Administrative Officer, General Manager of a Gaming Facility, and Director of Gaming. He was also the Chairman of the Gaming Commission. 

He was also employed by the Gaming Enterprise Corporation and held the positions of President of Gaming Division, Sales and Marketing Director and Vice President of Administration.

Mr. Locust served on the board of the Oklahoma Indian Affairs Commission, served two terms as Vice President Alternate for the Eastern Region of Oklahoma with the NCAI and served as Chairman of the Keetoowah Economic Development Authority Board.

Since his inauguration in January of 2005 as the Assistant Chief of the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma, Mr. Locust was instrumental in helping the tribe get its finances in order, resulting in eight clean audits.  He also spearheaded improvements and services for the Keetoowah Cherokee Casino, which resulted in increased profits.

Working with Chief George Wickliffe and tribal attorneys, they increased the credibility of the United Keetoowah Band, which resulted in regaining Housing and Urban Development funds and self-governance.

Approximately a dozen years ago, the Department of Interior Bureau of Indian Affairs questioned the tribe’s validity.  Today, the Bureau of Indian Affairs in involved in litigation defending the U.S. government’s right to put UKB Lands into Trust.

Under the Wickliffe/Locust administration, several building projects and programs were implemented and completed.   Building projects include completion of the Henry Lee Doublehead Child Development Center, the Jim Proctor Elder Center, the John Hair Cultural Center and Museum, a civil defense station which includes a storm shelter, a pavilion and stomp grounds at the UKB Celebration Grounds, the UKB Tribal Transit Authority Building, and a retail outlet.

In addition, the tribe has built roads and provided infrastructure such as water, sewer and electricity to the UKB Tribal Complex.  The UKB was also the leading partner in the re-widening of West Willis Road that included drainage ditches and sidewalks.  The tribe has also acquired several land parcels, including a 40 acre tract adjoining the UKB tribal complex.

The tribe opened the Keetoowah Cherokee Drug Treatment Center, located in Tulsa, Oklahoma in December 2007 which serves approximately 200 patients at any given time.

Currently, the tribe is already building an addition to the museum, which will double the size of the building, and the tribe has broken ground on the Elder Housing units which will make available a total of 30 units for elders.

Programs that have been created or have had funding increases during the Wickliffe/Locust administration include the Elderly Assistance program, the College Scholarship program, General Assistance Funding, and the UKB language, history and culture department.