I grew up in rural Cherokee County in Oklahoma. My ancestors have lived in the state since they were moved west on the Trail of Tears, almost 200 years ago. Their forced migration was set into motion by an agreement struck between the Cherokee Nation and the U.S. government called the Treaty of New Echota in 1835. In exchange for the Cherokee land in the east, Cherokee negotiators asked for a non-voting delegate seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. The Cherokee’s priorities were as clear then as they are today—they wanted a voice in this country’s government. While the treaty may have been disliked, particularly among Cherokee people it was imposed upon, it was legally binding on both sides. The Cherokee held up their end of the deal. Now it is time for the U.S. government to do the same.

In 2019, during his first 100 days in office, Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. nominated Kim Teehee to serve as the tribe’s first delegate in the U.S. House of Representatives. Yet, three years later, we are still waiting for her to be seated. Since President Andrew Jackson signed off on the treaty and the Senate ratified it long ago, the ask today for the U.S. House is relatively simple—to vote to seat the Cherokee Nation’s delegate before Congress adjourns in December.

The timing is particularly auspicious. The Cherokee Nation recently launched a nationwide campaign to call for the delegate to be seated this year. November is Native American Heritage month and Congress is planning to hold a hearing on the issue soon. There are more Native voices in the federal government now than at any other time—from the halls of Congress to the departments of Interior and the Treasury. Speaker Nancy Pelosi, let’s get the job done.

While Cherokee Nation’s delegate to Congress won’t vote on the House floor, like other delegates from Washington, D.C. and U.S. territories, she will be able to vote in committee and introduce policies. What’s important here is that a Native voice will be part of policymaking conversations at the highest levels of American government. Rather than being tied to a specific geography, like other House members and delegates, the Cherokee’s delegate will be tied to the tribal government and represent Cherokee Nation’s issues first.

While this treaty-mandated right is unique to the Cherokee Nation, this is also an opportunity for all of Indian Country to have a seat at the table. At its core, this is about lifting up all Native voices because this country is stronger when diverse voices and perspectives are engaged.

This struggle to hold the United States government to the promises it has made is not new. History repeats until you learn its lessons. In 1973, when I joined the American Indian Movement takeover of the Wounded Knee monument, we protested against the United States’ refusal to meet its treaty obligations—the same issue that is now standing in the way of seating Cherokee Nation’s delegate in Congress today. Reflecting on the events at Wounded Knee, the lesson I learned was that we have to go back to our communities, begin to organize, and work together to make our voices heard at the highest levels of government.

Today is no different. As a Cherokee who grew up speaking the Cherokee language, I have always been focused on ensuring that our voices are heard—especially in places where our voices have historically been shut out. In any language, there is a universal truth we all understand and are guided by—promises are made to be kept.

Congress, it is time to do your part and seat Cherokee Nation’s delegate. Wado.

Wes Studi is a champion for Native rights and an Academy-award winning actor and film producer. Learn more about the Cherokee Nation’s efforts to seat the delegate at Cherokeedelegate.com.

The views expressed in this article are the writer’s own.