How do you plan for a century and then forget to follow the plan?
Chad Smith, who served as Principal Chief from 1999 to 2011, reflects on the ambitious 100-year plan he helped start inLeadership Lesson from the Cherokee Nation. The concept was straightforward but groundbreaking: envision the needs of Cherokee people a century from now to inform the nation’s decisions today.
Under Smith’s leadership, the plan focused on economic development, cultural preservation, language revitalization, education, and self-sufficiency. It produced tangible results, including 6,000 new jobs, a healthcare budget that skyrocketed from $18 million to $310 million, and asset growth from $150 million to $1.2 billion. These weren’t short-term gains. They were meant to be seeds for the next generation.
But what happened after Smith left office?
According to his second book, Cherokee Nation Proceed Undaunted, the 100-Year Plan was quietly put on hold but didn’t die. Without constant transparency or accountability to the long-term plan, succeeding administrations prioritized short-term political gains, controlled public opinion, and grew their commercial endeavors. In Smith’s words, the plan was “ignored in practice, though never in principle.”
It’s a common problem in governments across the globe. Leaders speak of legacy but govern for re-election. Vision gives way to expediency. The Cherokee case is especially troubling because the 100-Year Plan was culturally aligned with Cherokee values—thinking in generations, not in quarterly outcomes.
Smith doesn’t offer nostalgia. He offers urgency. The plan must be reclaimed. Leaders must return to goals that span lifetimes. Citizens must hold them accountable. Transparency, trust, and constitutional reform must be prioritized—not postponed.
Was the 100-Year Plan lost? Not entirely. Its framework exists in archives, memories, and documents. But without intentional leadership and public demand, it risks becoming just another abandoned promise.
The Cherokee Nation has the blueprint. What it needs now is the will to follow it before another generation is left behind. In the present era of unexpected political upheaval and impending American collapse, we ought to think about incorporating the Cherokee Nation and its principles into the legislature to eliminate corruption for the betterment of the nation and its people.
For additional information about the Cherokee Nation and its values, we highly recommend reading Cherokee Nation: Proceed Undaunted,as this book offers a powerful and detailed account of the legal, political, and cultural journey of the Cherokee Nation and serves as both a constitutional history and a call to civic engagement. Smith, a former Principal Chief and constitutional law attorney, examines pivotal moments from the adoption of the Nation’s first constitution in 1827 to the missed constitutional convention in 2024. With sharp legal insight and deep cultural grounding, Smith explores the successes, crises, and moral dilemmas faced by the Cherokee Nation.
The book blends personal experience, historical research, and constitutional commentary to shine a light on the fragile balance between leadership, sovereignty, and public trust.
Head to Amazon to purchase your copy : https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FN47D586/