[1] Her great-great-grandfather, Rabbit Bunch, served as the Cherokee Nation assistant principal chief from 1880 to 1887.
[5] As an At-Large councilor, Hatfield represented Cherokee Nation citizens living outside the tribe's 14-county jurisdiction in northeastern Oklahoma.
[8] However, her campaign faced controversy when she was disqualified by the Cherokee Nation Election Commission on April 18, 2019.
[8] The disqualification came after a hearing and was related to Hatfield sending checks worth $500 to Cherokee communities in Oregon and California.
[9] Following her disqualification, Coates, who had previously held the At-Large seat, ran for the position again and won, returning to the Tribal Council in August 2019.