San Diego's Cherokee TV journalist

San Diego Cherokee Nation citizen also TV personality

By Will ChavezAs San Diego Cherokee Community Councilor Phil Konstantin addressed fellow SDCC members during a picnic in October it was obvious he was comfortable with a microphone.

That comfort stems from working at KUSI, a local independent television station. Konstantin recently became the evening assignment editor after being the station’s traffic reporter for more than four years.And:While in San Diego he became active with the SDCC, despite the fact that it took his family 40 years to obtain Cherokee Nation citizenship cards because his maternal Cherokee grandfather left the family when his mother was 7 years old and was not heard from again.

“We had a hard time proving that the person on the rolls was my grandfather. So, it almost became a matter of pride to prove somewhere on paper that I was Cherokee,” he said. “I’m mostly European American, but I grew up with a great and deep respect for being a Cherokee. My mother was very proud of that particular part.”Comment:  For more on the subject, see The Best Indian Movies.

Below:  Phil Konstantin. (Photo by Will Chavez)