Dewey F. Bartlett, a U.S. Senator from Oklahoma, wrote to Nancy Hanks, Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, requesting a copy of her reply to a letter from the Cherokee National Historic Society regarding potential conflicts between their policies and legislation. The letter from the Cherokee National Historic Society outlined their struggles as a small non-profit organization to access Endowment programs due to policies that favored larger, well-funded organizations. The organization cited challenges with deadlines for applications, matching fund requirements, and commitments to artists and experts, which disadvantaged smaller organizations like theirs.