The Cherokee Nation is the biggest federally acknowledged community in the U.S. It was established in the 20 th century, and its members descended from the Old Cherokee Nation who were initially living in the southeast. Its headquarters are in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. More than 360,000 citizens are enrolled in the Cherokee Nation with over 189,228 people living within Oklahoma (Cherokee Nation, 2019). The Cherokee Freedman and Natchez Nation also institute the Cherokee Nation. The Cherokee Nation occupies an estimated area of about fourteen counties, which include Adair, Cherokee, Craig, Delaware, Mayes, McIntosh, Nowata, Ottawa, Muskogee, Tulsa, Wagoner, Rogers, Sequoyah and Washington ( Smithers, 2016).
The Cherokee Nation was forcibly removed from their native land as they formerly occupied the southeast but relocated due to eminent pressure, and the Cherokee were forced to move on the Trail of Tears (Cherokee Nation, 2019). It involved the mandatory abandonment of the ancestral lands of Native Americans. To effect this, locally hired militia and government authorities initiated the act of moving the Cherokee. Nevertheless, the Cherokee Nation has a reservation today called the Qualla Boundary , which is found in Jackson County (Cherokee Nation, 2019). There are about 15,300 members most of whom live on the reservation (Smithers, 2016). The reservation is approximately 56,000 acres whose trustee is the federal government.
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Nonetheless, the Cherokee have a conflict in their legal standing with the U.S. government. This is because of the laws concerning the legalization of gay marriage, which contradicts their culture and constitution ( Baker, 2016). The Cherokee Nation does not allow marriage of the same gender. On the other hand, the tribe has the three arms of government including the judiciary, legislature and executive. The decision-making power is awarded to the Principal Chief, legislative power is granted to the Tribal Council, while the judicial power is in the Tribal Supreme Court. Moreover, children trace their descent from the mother’s side, matrilineal, and exhibit hereditary nature. They exercise democratic governance, thus, the people elect government officials led by Principal Chief, Deputy Chief, and Tribal Council for a four-year term (Cherokee Nation, 2019). The Tribal Council represents the Cherokee citizens who live beyond the fourteen counties. Both men and women are involved in government as t he principal chief is a man assisted by six female deputy chiefs ( Baker, 2016).
Authentic members of the Cherokee Nation are recognized by their ancestor being on the list on the Dawes Rolls as having been a native of the nation (Cherokee Nation, 2019). Therefore, one does not attain identity for the tribe through race and blood. Conversely, the community has lately integrated Africans, Latinos, Asians, together with Whites. Moreover, Cherokee freedmen have a combination of Africans and Americans. The Cherokee Nation gets involved in a series of activities together with the Eastern Band who are Cherokee Indians. They engage in cultural exchange activities and tribal council meetings, which include all Cherokee Nation tribes and discuss issues affecting them.
The Cherokee Nation has initiated a preservation plan to ensure that its Citizens speak fluent Cherokee language from an early age up to school immersion programs (Cherokee Nation, 2019). This will be aided by the community to ensure that the language is spoken at home. Furthermore, the Cherokee Preservation Foundation is involved in opening schools, curricula development for language education and teachers’ training. It will also initiate community gatherings for the active use of their language. Moreover, institutions of higher education such as Western Carolina University, University of Oklahoma, and Northeastern State University provide Cherokee as their second language.
Therefore, among the federally recognized native groups in the USA, the Cherokee Nation is the largest and one of the most organized. They have a democratic form of government where registered citizens elect leaders. Notably, both men and women participate in governance, which is a clear indication of a mature democracy.
References
Baker, J. (2016). Skiatook Journal: Women Play Important Roles in Cherokee Culture and Government. Retrieved from https://www.tulsaworld.com/communities/skiatook/opinion/women-play-important-roles-in-cherokee-culture-and-government/article_177b9832-5fec-5b62-9362-001c8c6689e9.html
Cherokee Nation. (2019). About the Nation. Retrieved from https://cherokee.org/About-The-Nation
Smithers, G. (2016). The Cherokee Diaspora: An Indigenous History of Migration, Resettlement, and Identity. Journal of American History, 103(3), 762.1–762. Retrieved from https://sci-hub.tw/https://academic.oup.com/jah/article-abstract/103/3/762/2647641?redirectedFrom=fulltext
