Barbara Ann Starr Scott (May 19, 1939 – December 6, 2020) was a Cherokee politician who served on the

Cherokee Nation tribal council The Cherokee Nation tribal council (officially: Council of the Cherokee Nation; ) is the legislative branch of the Cherokee Nation. One councilor is elected to represent each of the 15 districts of the Cherokee Nation in the 14 county tribal jurisd ...

for district 5 from 1983 to 1987 and 1995 to 1999.

Life

Starr Scott was born on May 19, 1939, in

Claremore, Oklahoma Claremore is a city in and the county seat of Rogers County, Oklahoma, Rogers County in northeastern Oklahoma, United States. Its population was 19,580 at the United States Census, 2020, 2020 census, a 5.4% increase over the 18,581 recorded in ...

, to Lacy Fallingpot-Starr and Buelah Benton Hendren Fallingpot-Starr. She was the second of five children and spent her early years in Eucha. In 1952, the construction of Lake Eucha prompted her family to relocate to Rattlesnake Hollow. Starr Scott graduated from Jay High School in 1957. She pursued further education at

Haskell Indian Junior College Haskell Indian Nations University (Haskell or HINU) is a public tribal land-grant university in Lawrence, Kansas, United States. Founded in 1884 as a residential boarding school for Native American children, the school has developed into a univ ...

and Tulsa Junior College. Starr Scott initially worked as a hairdresser, running her own business out of her home in

Bixby, Oklahoma Bixby is a city in Tulsa and Wagoner counties in the U.S. state of Oklahoma; it is a suburb of Tulsa. Its population was 28,609 at the 2020 census and 20,884 in the 2010 census, an increase of 36.99 percent In 2010, Bixby became the 19th lar ...

, for many years. Later, she transitioned into healthcare, becoming a

dental assistant Dental assistants are members of the dental team. They support a dental operator (such as a dentist or other treating dental auxiliary) in providing more efficient dentistry, dental treatment. ''Dental assistants'' are distinguished from other gr ...

for the

Indian Health Service The Indian Health Service (IHS) is an operating division (OPDIV) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). IHS is responsible for providing direct medical and public health services to members of federally recognized Native ...

. In addition to her career in healthcare, Starr Scott and her husband, Arthur Calvin Scott, whom she married on November 13, 1958, started a family business, the "Lil Indian Smoke Shop," in

Jay, Oklahoma Jay is a city and county seat of Delaware County, Oklahoma, Delaware County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 2,448 at the United States Census, 2010, 2010 census, compared to 2,482 at the United States Census, 2000, 2000 census, a de ...

. They ran the shop alongside their son, Calvin Jay, and his wife, Rhonda. Starr Scott's political involvement began with her election to the

. She represented the multi-member district 5 (

Delaware Delaware ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic and South Atlantic states, South Atlantic regions of the United States. It borders Maryland to its south and west, Pennsylvania to its north, New Jersey ...

and Ottawa counties) from 1983 to 1987 and 1995 to 1999. In 1987, Starr Scott ran for deputy chief of Cherokee Nation, placing second to incumbent John Letcher 4,763 votes to 3,906. During her time on the council, she chaired the health committee, co-chaired the executive and finance committee, and contributed to the education, language, rules, and community development committees. She advocated for improving healthcare services for

Cherokee Nation The Cherokee Nation ( or ) is the largest of three list of federally recognized tribes, federally recognized tribes of Cherokees in the United States. It includes people descended from members of the Cherokee Nation (1794–1907), Old Cheroke ...

citizens. In 1997, Starr Scott was part of a

Federal Bureau of Investigation The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and Federal law enforcement in the United States, its principal federal law enforcement ag ...

investigation into illegal

wiretapping Wiretapping, also known as wire tapping or telephone tapping, is the monitoring of telephone and Internet-based conversations by a third party, often by covert means. The wire tap received its name because, historically, the monitoring connecti ...

, where she was asked to identify her voice in recordings tied to potential wiretap violations. The investigation focused on wiretapping among tribal officials rather than the content of the conversations. At the 1999 Cherokee Nation constitutional convention, Starr Scott supported a proposal to create two

at-large At large (''before a noun'': at-large) is a description for members of a governing body who are elected or appointed to represent a whole membership or population (notably a city, county, state, province, nation, club or association), rather tha ...

districts on the tribal council, which became the successful "Starr-Scott proposal" that was included in the 1999 Cherokee Nation constitution. Starr Scott was a collector of

Native American jewelry Native American jewelry refers to items of personal adornment, whether for personal use, sale or as art; examples of which include necklaces, earrings, bracelets, ring (jewellery), rings and pins, as well as ketohs, wampum, and labrets, made by ...

. She died on December 6, 2020, at the age of 81.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Starr Scott, Barbara 1939 births 2020 deaths 20th-century American women politicians 20th-century Native American women Members of the Council of the Cherokee Nation Women in Oklahoma politics Cherokee Nation women 20th-century Native American politicians Native American women in politics Haskell Indian Junior College alumni Tulsa Community College alumni People from Claremore, Oklahoma People from Bixby, Oklahoma People from Delaware County, Oklahoma