The tribal council of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians is making plans to mount a copy of the Ten Commandments in the council house where government meetings are held, and possibly display them throughout other public buildings in Cherokee. The idea was introduced by Councilwoman Angela Kephart last month in the weeks leading up to tribal council elections. [...] "We aren't saying you have to abide by the Ten Commandments," Kephart said. "We are simply displaying God's Ten Commandments. That's what He expects from each and every individual. If you break that, it is between you and God. It is not between you and the tribal council; it is between you and God." [Does any of that make sense to you? And which 'Ten Commandments' are they going to display? - Trevor] The move comes following several controversial federal court cases involving governmental displays of the Ten Commandments. The general precedent set by those cases is that new displays of the Ten Commandments hung by a government body with the sole purpose of endorsing or promoting Christianity over other religions violates the U.S. Constitution. But the Constitution does not apply to Cherokee, nor to any other Native American tribe for that matter, according to Cherokee's Attorney General David Nash. "We are a sovereign nation and we can pretty much post anything we want in our council chambers," said Kephart. "For once the federal government is not going to tell us what to do. We can feel good about it because we are standing up for God. The more it becomes controversial, the more we need to stand firm."
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