KU News Release

KU law professor hopes to win position as leader of Cherokee Nation

Stacy Leeds

LAWRENCE — University of Kansas law professor Stacy Leeds has announced her candidacy for Cherokee Nation Principal Chief, the top leadership position in the Oklahoma-based tribe that has 260,000 members nationwide.

Leeds, who is the first woman to serve as a justice on the Cherokee Nations Supreme Court, directs KU’s Tribal Law and Government Center and Center for Indigenous Nations Studies.

The principal chief is responsible for the execution of the laws of the Cherokee Nation, establishment of tribal policy and delegation of authority as necessary for the day-to-day operations of all programs and enterprises administered by the Cherokee Nation Tribal Government. Its jurisdictional service area covers about 7,000 square miles, including all or parts of 14 counties in northeastern Oklahoma.

Leeds is nationally recognized for her knowledge of tribal law and governance issues and said she would like the opportunity to help develop a more transparent Cherokee Nation.

“The ongoing promise of economic growth comes with great responsibility and increased scrutiny,” Leeds said. “It is essential for our future that our citizens and the general public view the Cherokee Nation in the very best light.”

Leeds serves nationally 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, Okla., and was an all-state athlete at Muskogee High School. She received a bachelor’s degree from Washington University and ended her basketball career by setting the NCAA record for the most three-pointers in a championship tournament. She has a law degree from the University of Tulsa and an advanced law degree from the University of Wisconsin. Leeds resides north of Tahlequah, Okla., with her husband, Michael Stewart, a Choctaw language instructor for the University of Oklahoma.

The general election is June 23.

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