Cherokee (tribe)

Cherokee (tribe)
Henry Inman · Public domain · source
Name	Cherokee
Caption	Flag used by the Cherokee Nation
Population	~300,000 enrolled (varies by nation)
Regions	Oklahoma; North Carolina; Arkansas; Tennessee; Georgia
Languages	English; Cherokee
Religions	Traditional Cherokee religion; Christianity
Related	Other Iroquoian peoples; Yuchi; Muscogee (Creek) Nation

Cherokee (tribe) The Cherokee are an Indigenous people of the Southeastern Woodlands historically associated with lands in present-day Georgia (U.S. state), North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, and Kentucky, and later concentrated in Oklahoma and the Qualla Boundary. Tribal identity is maintained through enrollment in federally recognized nations including the Cherokee Nation (1794 treaty) government, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, and the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma, with cultural, political, and legal ties to treaties such as the Treaty of New Echota and litigation in cases like Worcester v. Georgia.

Introduction and identity

The Cherokee trace descent through matrilineal clans such as the Blue (Cherokee) Clan? and maintain kinship systems recognized in documents like the Cherokee Constitution of 1827 and the Cherokee Nation Constitution (1999). Identity markers include enrollment criteria used by the Cherokee Nation (1794 treaty), citizenship rolls produced after the Dawes Act, participation in institutions such as the Sequoyah National Research Center, and cultural expression at events like the Cherokee National Holiday and performances at the Oconaluftee Indian Village. Prominent historical figures associated with Cherokee identity include chiefs and leaders like John Ross (Cherokee chief), Major Ridge, Elias Boudinot (Cherokee) and innovators like Sequoyah.

History

Pre-contact history places ancestral Cherokee communities within the Mississippian cultural network tied to sites such as Etowah Indian Mounds, Cahokia, and Ocmulgee National Monument. Early European contact involved encounters with explorers and colonial entities including Spanish Florida, Sir Walter Raleigh's expeditions, and colonial governments of South Carolina (Province). In the 18th century the Cherokee engaged in conflicts and diplomacy with the British Empire, the French Navy in North America?, and neighboring nations such as the Creek Nation and Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma; notable events include the Anglo-Cherokee War and accommodation during the American Revolutionary War with leaders like Dragging Canoe. In the 19th century, the Cherokee adopted a written syllabary created by Sequoyah, established institutions such as the Cherokee Phoenix, and negotiated treaties culminating in the controversial Treaty of New Echota that precipitated the Trail of Tears removal under the Indian Removal Act and Presidential administration of Andrew Jackson. In the post-removal era, Cherokee communities rebuilt in the Indian Territory with legal battles in cases including Cherokee Nation v. Georgia and Worcester v. Georgia, reformations under the Five Civilized Tribes policies, allotment during the Dawes Act, and reorganization during the Indian Reorganization Act and later self-determination policies exemplified by the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act.

Language and culture

The Cherokee language, an Iroquoian tongue, survives through programs at institutions such as Cherokee Central Schools, immersion schools on the Qualla Boundary, and digital projects archived at the National Museum of the American Indian and the Smithsonian Institution. The syllabary invented by Sequoyah enabled publications like the Cherokee Phoenix and facilitated literacy campaigns modeled after schools like the Tsa La Gi Cultural Project. Cultural practices include stomp dances performed with intertribal guests at gatherings like the Cherokee National Holiday, basketry connected to craft traditions preserved by artisans in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, and ceremonies held at sites such as the Nantahala National Forest and Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Artistic traditions intersect with institutions like the Philbrook Museum of Art and the National Museum of the American Indian, while notable cultural advocates include Will West Long and contemporary artists represented by galleries in Oklahoma City and Asheville, North Carolina.

Government and tribal organizations

Contemporary Cherokee governance is exhibited by sovereign entities including the Cherokee Nation (1794 treaty), the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, and the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma, each with constitutions, elected officials, and judicial systems referencing cases like Cherokee Nation v. Georgia. Tribal governments operate enterprises such as health systems tied to the Indian Health Service, education programs working with the Bureau of Indian Education, and cultural institutions like the Sequoyah Birthplace Museum. Intertribal organizations include the Inter-Tribal Council of the Five Civilized Tribes and partnerships with federal agencies including the National Park Service for site management at historic locations like Fort Loudoun (Tennessee). Leadership roles are held by modern officials elected in nations’ governments and by bodies such as tribal councils, courts, and development authorities.

Economy and contemporary issues

Economic activities encompass gaming enterprises regulated under compacts with states like Oklahoma (state), cultural tourism at attractions such as the Cherokee Heritage Center, agricultural enterprises in regions like the Arkansas River Valley, and federal contracting through entities registered with the Small Business Administration. Contemporary issues include debates over tribal citizenship and the rights of descendants such as those connected to the Freedmen controversy, legal challenges in federal courts including the U.S. Supreme Court, preservation of language revitalization funded by grants from entities like the National Endowment for the Humanities, and public health initiatives collaborating with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention during crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Environmental stewardship projects coordinate with agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency and regional conservation groups managing watersheds feeding into the Tennessee River and Mississippi River.

Demographics and communities

Modern Cherokee populations are concentrated in regions with sovereign lands and urban communities including Tahlequah, Oklahoma, the Qualla Boundary near Cherokee, North Carolina, and diaspora communities in metropolitan areas such as Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, and Los Angeles. Enrollment numbers differ across the Cherokee Nation (1794 treaty), the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, and the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma, with demographic data collected in conjunction with the U.S. Census Bureau and tribal registries originally compiled during policies like the Dawes Rolls. Cultural centers, language immersion schools, and health clinics serve populations across rural reservations, semi-autonomous territories, and urban Indian centers affiliated with the National Congress of American Indians.

Category:Native American tribes in the United States