Leeds Announces for Principal Chief

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
STACY LEEDS ANNOUNCES CANDIDACY FOR CHEROKEE PRINCIPAL CHIEF

Tahlequah, OK – January 12, 2006

Stacy Leeds has announced her candidacy for Cherokee Nation Principal Chief. She is nationally recognized for her knowledge of tribal law and governance issues and is enthusiastic about the prospect of serving the Cherokee people. The general election is scheduled for June 23, 2007.
Leeds is the first and only woman to serve as a Justice on the Cherokee Nation Supreme Court. She is also a tenured Professor of Law at the University of Kansas where she directs the Tribal Law and Government Center and the Center for Indigenous Nations Studies. On the national level, she serves as Chair of the American Bar Association’s Tribal Courts Council. She is the author of numerous articles and book chapters on tribal governance, property law and economic development and she has clerked for the Native American Rights Fund.
Leeds was raised in Muskogee and was an all-state athlete at Muskogee High School. She received a bachelor’s degree from Washington University and ended her athletic career by setting the NCAA record for the most three-pointers in a championship tournament. She holds a law degree (J.D.) from the University of Tulsa and an advanced law degree (LL.M.) from the University of Wisconsin. Leeds currently resides north of Tahlequah with her husband Michael Stewart, a Choctaw language instructor for the University of Oklahoma.
Leeds is an independent thinker with a vision for a more transparent Cherokee Nation. “The on-going promise of economic growth comes with great responsibility and increased scrutiny.” she says. “It is essential for our future that our citizens and the general public view the Cherokee Nation in the very best light.”
Leeds is uniquely qualified to represent the Cherokee Nation at the local and national level. Her record demonstrates that she has deep respect for the rule of law and a commitment to improving the lives of people throughout Indian country through education and self-governance.

Stacy L. Leeds , Candidate for Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation
stacy@stacyleeds.com; (918) 931-9972; 11177 Hwy 10, Tahlequah, OK 74464