Something about Joe
Joe Deere, supported by his family, at the 1st inaugural Owasso Pow-wow
Joe's Bio
Joe Deere is the Cherokee Nation Councilor for Gadusi District 13, which includes Tulsa, Catoosa, Collinsville, Skiatook, Sperry, and Owasso. Joe Deere is half Cherokee on his mother’s side, and Muscogee Creek on his father’s side. Joe is Wolf Clan and is related to the Arneechers, Littledaves, Canoes, and Barks, in the first two generations. Joe's Cherokee ancestry comes from the Old Settlers, as well as the Trail of Tears group. His Cherokee family is originally from the Salina, Spavinaw, and Tahlequah area. Joe’s direct Cherokee Ancestry includes two past Council members, Lacey Mouse that was Speaker of the House in 1861, and Daniel Backbone, both of Saline District.
Joe Deere lives in Catoosa, Oklahoma, and grew up in northeast Tulsa. Joe went to east side schools and attended Booker T. Washington High School. After high school, Joe attended Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, where he played soccer. Joe finished his Bachelor’s degree at the University of Oklahoma and most recently finished his Master of Legal Studies in Indigenous Law at the same university.
Joe met his wife, Bobi, playing soccer and attending Booker T. Washington High School. Joe and Bobi have been married over 25 years. They have five adult children, with four spouses, and five grandchildren all living in the Tulsa area.
Joe is a business owner. His business is Cherokee Tribal Employment Rights Office (TERO) certified and includes construction and cultural resource management (CRM). Joe has worked on Cherokee houses, roads and bridges. The CRM division of his business conducts surveys to protect Native cultural heritage.
Joe attends St. Pius X Catholic Church in Tulsa, and is an active member of the local Knights of Columbus Council. Joe uses his time with the Knights to volunteer at a high level for causes such as the Special Olympics, Knights for Autism, and the GoLife Campaign. As the District Deputy of the Knights of Columbus, Joe is proud of his implemented integration policy to create community between all cultures.
Joe likes to spend time with his family, watch sports (and play as much as he is able), and volunteer his time helping others. Joe is highly motivated to bring Cherokees together and create a strong community in Gadusi District 13.
Within his first two years on Council, Joe was appointed to the Greater Tulsa Area Indian Affairs Commission (GTAIAC), as a commissioner. In 2022 Joe was elected as the Chair of the GTAIAC.
Joe sat on the Board of Education for Catoosa Public Schools as the Ward 4 Board Member, and was appointed to the Historic Black Towns and Settlements Alliance. He was also appointed to the boards of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration Society, the Tulsa Area United Way, Tulsa Air and Space Museum, Food on the Move, and Owasso Area YMCA.
Joe was honored to be named one of the Tulsa World’s, “People to Watch 2021”. People to Watch: Joe Deere is showing how the Cherokee Nation can help Tulsans | Local News | tulsaworld.com
Joe’s vision for his district is creating community, which he has diligently worked on by fighting for the citizenship rights of Freedmen (Tribal councilor pushes back on treaty issue | News | tahlequahdailypress.com). Joe sponsored legislation including the Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Domestic Violence Act; the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative; and the Cherokee Environmental Protection Act. Within his district’s boundaries Joe created four new community groups, built a new medical clinic, and added three food distribution sites. During the first year of Covid, Gadusi District 13 had 252 food distributions with Cherokee Nation cooperation with Food on the Move, the Dreamcenter, and Owasso Family YMCA.
Joe believes that in order to help safeguard and strengthen the sovereignty of the Cherokee Nation within its Reservation and beyond, partnerships that create communication and cooperation must be formed with all that live on the Cherokee Reservation, Native and non-Native alike.