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	]		]
	Flag of the Eastern Band Cherokee		Flag of the Eastern Band Cherokee
	\|poptime=~~921~~,~~127~~ (2005)		\|poptime=300,000+ (2005)
	\|popplace=Enrolled members:<br>		\|popplace=Enrolled members:<br>
	Cherokee Nation, Oklahoma (f):<br>    250,000+ <br><br>		Cherokee Nation, Oklahoma (f):<br>    250,000+ <br><br>
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	{{main\|Cherokee language}}		{{main\|Cherokee language}}
	]		]
	The Cherokee speak an ] language which is ], and is written in a ] invented by ] (ᏍᏏᏆᏱ). For years, many people wrote transliterated Cherokee on the Internet or used poorly intercompatible fonts to type out the syllabary. However, since the fairly recent addition of the Cherokee syllables to ], the Cherokee language is experiencing a renaissance in its use on the Internet. As of January 2007, however, the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma still officially uses a non-unicode font for online documents, including online editions of the '']''.		The Cherokee speak an ] language which is ], and is written in a ] invented by ] (ᏍᏏᏆᏱ). For years, many people wrote transliterated Cherokee on the Internet or used poorly intercompatible fonts to type out the syllabary. However, since the fairly recent addition of the Cherokee syllables to ], the Cherokee language is experiencing a renaissance in its use on the Internet. As of January 2007, however, the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma still officially uses a non-unicode font for online documents, including online editions of the '']''.{{fact}}

	]		]

	The Cherokee language does not contain any "r" based sounds, and as such, the word "Cherokee" when spoken in the language is expressed as Tsa-la-gi (pronounced Jah-la-gee, or Cha-la-gee) by native speakers, since these sounds most closely resemble the English language. A Southern Cherokee group did speak a local dialect with a ] "r" sound, after early contact with Europeans of both French and Spanish ancestry in Georgia and Alabama during the early 18th century (This "r" sound spoken in the dialect of the Elati, or Lower, Cherokee area – Georgia and Alabama – became extinct in the 19th century around the time of the ], examples are Tsaragi or Tse-La-gee). The ancient ] (ᎠᏂᎫᏔᏂ) dialect and Oklahoma dialects do not contain any 'r'-based sounds.		The Cherokee language does not contain any "r" based sounds, and as such, the word "Cherokee" when spoken in the language is expressed as Tsa-la-gi (pronounced Jah-la-gee, or Cha-la-gee) by native speakers, since these sounds most closely resemble the English language. A Southern Cherokee group did speak a local dialect with a ] "r" sound, after early contact with Europeans of both French and Spanish ancestry in Georgia and Alabama during the early 18th century (This "r" sound spoken in the dialect of the Elati, or Lower, Cherokee area – Georgia and Alabama – became extinct in the 19th century around the time of the ], examples are Tsaragi or Tse-La-gee). The ancient ] (ᎠᏂᎫᏔᏂ) dialect and Oklahoma dialects do not contain any 'r'-based sounds.

			Due to the polysynthetic nature of the Cherokee Language, new and descriptive words in Cherokee are easily
	Linguists theorized the origin of a high number of Cherokee words or phrases to come from western European and eastern Asian sources, although the modern Cherokee language borrowed English, French, Spanish and even Greek or Latin words over the last four centuries. But the Cherokee language doesn't belong to the ], ] or ], ] or ], and ] families. {{Fact\|date=March 2007}}
			constructed to reflect or express modern concepts. Some good examples are ''di-ti-yo-hi-hi'' (Cherokee:ᏗᏘᏲᎯᎯ) which means "he argues repeatedly and on purpose with a purpose". This is the Cherokee word for ''attorney''. Another example is ''di-da-ni-yi-s-gi'' (Cherokee:ᏗᏓᏂᏱᏍᎩ) which means ''the final catcher'' or "he catches them finally and conclusively". This is the Cherokee word for ''policeman''.

			Many words, however, have been borrowed from the English Language, such as ''gasoline'' which in Cherokee is ''ga-so-li-ne'' (Cherokee:ᎦᏐᎵᏁ). Many other words were borrowed from the languages of tribes who settled in Oklahoma in the early 1900's. One of the more humerous examples relates to a town on Oklahoma named "Nowata". The word "nowata" is a Delaware Indian word for "welcome" (more precisely the Delaware word is "nu-wi-ta" which can mean "welcome" or "friend" in the Delaware Language). The white settlers of the area used the name "nowata" for the township, and local Cherokee's, being unaware the word had its origins in the Delaware Langauge, called the town ''a-ma-di-ka-ni-gv-na-gv-na'' (Cherokee:ᎠᎹᏗᎧᏂᎬᎾᎬᎾ) which means "the water is all gone gone from here" -- i.e. "no water".

			Other examples of borrowed words are ''ka-wi'' (Cherokee:ᎧᏫ) for ''coffee'' and ''wa-tsi'' (Cherokee:ᏩᏥ) for ''watch'' (which led to ''u-ta-na wa-tsi'' (Cherokee:ᎤᏔᎾ ᏩᏥ) or "big watch" for ''clock'').

	==History==		==History==
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	The Cherokee nation was unified from a society of interrelated city-states in the early 18th century under the "Emperor" Moytoy, with the aid of an unofficial English envoy, Sir Alexander Cumming. In 1730, Chief ] of ] was chosen as "Emperor" by the Elector Chiefs of the principal Cherokee towns. Moytoy also agreed to recognize the ] king, ], as the Cherokee protector. A decade prior to this treaty, the Cherokee had fought a war with South Carolina for several years. The title of Cherokee Emperor, however, did not carry much clout among the Cherokee, and the title eventually passed out of Moytoy's direct avuncular lineage.		The Cherokee nation was unified from a society of interrelated city-states in the early 18th century under the "Emperor" Moytoy, with the aid of an unofficial English envoy, Sir Alexander Cumming. In 1730, Chief ] of ] was chosen as "Emperor" by the Elector Chiefs of the principal Cherokee towns. Moytoy also agreed to recognize the ] king, ], as the Cherokee protector. A decade prior to this treaty, the Cherokee had fought a war with South Carolina for several years. The title of Cherokee Emperor, however, did not carry much clout among the Cherokee, and the title eventually passed out of Moytoy's direct avuncular lineage.

	One of the most important trading relations between the early European colonies and the Cherokee was the ], which peaked around 1750. The Cherokee encountered a great deal of European contact since the 16th century when the Spanish under Hernando de Soto first met the tribe, followed by the French and finally, the British in the 21st centuries. What historians are astounded by was the Cherokee's large population at the time, which was above 20,000, and after introduced contagious diseases the Cherokee had low immunity to, the Cherokee tribal population was said to rebounded back to previous population levels by the 18th century. {{Fact\|date=March 2007}}		One of the most important trading relations between the early European colonies and the Cherokee was the ], which peaked around 1750. The Cherokee encountered a great deal of European contact since the 16th century when the Spanish under Hernando de Soto first met the tribe, followed by the French and finally, the British in the 21st centuries.

	Beginning at about the time of the ] in the late 18th century, divisions over continued accommodation of encroachments by white ]s, despite repeated violations of previous treaties, caused some Cherokee to begin to leave the Cherokee Nation. Many of these dissidents became known as the ]. Led by Chief ], the Chickamauga made alliances with the ] and engaged in raids against ] settlements (see ]). Some of these early dissidents eventually moved across the ] to areas that would later become the states of Arkansas and Missouri. Their settlements were established on the St. Francis and the ]s by 1800.		Beginning at about the time of the ] in the late 18th century, divisions over continued accommodation of encroachments by white ]s, despite repeated violations of previous treaties, caused some Cherokee to begin to leave the Cherokee Nation. Many of these dissidents became known as the ]. Led by Chief ], the Chickamauga made alliances with the ] and engaged in raids against ] settlements (see ]). Some of these early dissidents eventually moved across the ] to areas that would later become the states of Arkansas and Missouri. Their settlements were established on the St. Francis and the ]s by 1800.
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	===19th century===		===19th century===
	Eventually, there were such large numbers of Cherokees in these areas, the U.S. Government in 1815 right after the ] in which Cherokees fought on both the British and American armies, established a Cherokee Reservation in Arkansas, with boundaries from north of the ] up to the southern bank of the White River. Cherokee leaders who lived in Arkansas were The Bowl, Sequoyah, Spring Frog and The Dutch. Another band of Cherokee lived in southeast Missouri, western Kentucky and Tennessee in frontier settlements and in European majority communities around the ].		Eventually, there were such large numbers of Cherokees in these areas, the U.S. Government in 1815 right after the ] in which Cherokees fought on both the British and American armies, established a Cherokee Reservation in Arkansas, with boundaries from north of the ] up to the southern bank of the White River. Cherokee leaders who lived in Arkansas were The Bowl, Sequoyah, Spring Frog and The Dutch. Another band of Cherokee lived in southeast Missouri, western Kentucky and Tennessee in frontier settlements and in European majority communities around the ].

	By the late 1820s, the Territory of Arkansas had designs on acquiring the land held by the Arkansas Cherokee. A delegation of Arkansas Cherokees went to Washington, D.C., and were forced to sign a treaty to vacate the Arkansas Reservation. Arkansas Cherokees had two choices: cooperate with the U.S. government and move to Indian Territory (later Oklahoma), or defy the U.S. Government and refuse to leave the Arkansas Reservation area. Around 1828, the tribe split, some going to Indian Territory. Others disobeyed the U.S. government and stayed on the old Reservation lands in Arkansas. Descendants of those who stayed on the old Arkansas Cherokee Reservation lands have lobbied the U.S. Government since the early 20th century to be federally recognized as a Cherokee tribe, but have been unsuccessful. Today, there are thousands of Cherokee living in Arkansas or Southern Missouri who are relatives of these pre-Trail of Tears Cherokee.<ref name=Baker-Northrup_2001>{{cite book \| last = Baker-Northrup \| first = Beverly \| title = We Are Not Yet Conquered: Northern Cherokee Nation \| publisher = Turner Publishing Company \| year = 2001 \| id = ISBN 1563116731}}</ref><ref name=Mails_1996>{{cite book \| last = Mails \| first = Thomas E. \| title = The Cherokee People: The Story of the Cherokees from Earliest Origins to Contemporary Times \| publisher = Council Oak Books \| year = 1996 \| id = ISBN 0933031459 }}</ref><ref name=Mooney_1970>{{cite book \| last = Mooney \| first = James \| title = Myths of the Cherokee \| edition = New Ed edition (May 1, 1996) \| publisher = Dover Publications \| year = 1970 \| id = ISBN 0486289079}}</ref>

	], c. ]]]		], c. ]]]
	] was an important figure in the history of the Cherokee tribe. His father emigrated from ] prior to the Revolutionary War. His mother was a quarter-blood Cherokee woman whose father was also from Scotland. He began his public career in 1809. The Cherokee Nation was founded in 1820, with elected public officials. John Ross became the chief of the tribe in 1828, and remained the chief until his death in 1866.		] was an important figure in the history of the Cherokee tribe. His father emigrated from ] prior to the Revolutionary War. His mother was a quarter-blood Cherokee woman whose father was also from Scotland. He began his public career in 1809. The Cherokee Nation was founded in 1820, with elected public officials. John Ross became the chief of the tribe in 1828, and remained the chief until his death in 1866.

	Cherokees were displaced from their ancestral lands in North Georgia and the Carolinas because of rapidly expanding white population, as well as a ] around ] in the 1830s. Despite a ] in their favor, many in the Cherokee Nation were forcibly relocated West, a migration known as the ] or in Cherokee ''~~tlo-va-sa~~''~~. Modern historic review of the events would be classified as a type of ] or a government-mandated removal of a race or tribe of people, and today the~~ Cherokee ~~are referred to as a ], an ethnocultural identity far from their original homeland.~~		Cherokees were displaced from their ancestral lands in North Georgia and the Carolinas because of rapidly expanding white population, as well as a ] around ] in the 1830s. Despite a ] in their favor, many in the Cherokee Nation were forcibly relocated West, a migration known as the ] or in Cherokee ''nvnadaulatsvyi'' (Cherokee:ᏅᎾᏓᎤᎳᏨᏱ).

	Samuel Carter, author of ''Cherokee Sunset'', writes: "Then… there came the reign of terror. From the jagged-walled ]s the troops fanned out across the Nation, invading every hamlet, every cabin, rooting out the inhabitants at bayonet point. The Cherokees hardly had time to realize what was happening as they were prodded like so many sheep toward the concentration camps, threatened with knives and pistols, beaten with rifle butts if they resisted."<ref name=Carter_1976>{{cite book \| author = Carter (III), Samuel \| title = Cherokee sunset: A nation betrayed : a narrative of travail and triumph, persecution and exile \| pages = p. 232 \| publisher = New York: Doubleday \| year = 1976 \| id = ISBN 0-385-06735-6}}</ref> In the terror of the forced marches, the Cherokee were not always able to give their dead a full burial. Instead, the singing of '']'' had to suffice. Since then, ''Amazing Grace'' is often considered the Cherokee National Anthem, but other Cherokees in the ] and the rise of separatism want a "national anthem" to symbolize a difficult struggle, also calls for Eastern Oklahoma to secede from the United States and become the world's first (or only) Native American republic. {{Fact\|date=March 2007}}		Samuel Carter, author of ''Cherokee Sunset'', writes: "Then… there came the reign of terror. From the jagged-walled ]s the troops fanned out across the Nation, invading every hamlet, every cabin, rooting out the inhabitants at bayonet point. The Cherokees hardly had time to realize what was happening as they were prodded like so many sheep toward the concentration camps, threatened with knives and pistols, beaten with rifle butts if they resisted."<ref name=Carter_1976>{{cite book \| author = Carter (III), Samuel \| title = Cherokee sunset: A nation betrayed : a narrative of travail and triumph, persecution and exile \| pages = p. 232 \| publisher = New York: Doubleday \| year = 1976 \| id = ISBN 0-385-06735-6}}</ref>

	]		]
			On ], ], the prominent signers of the ] were executed, including ], along with ] and ] by Cherokee extremists.
	Once the Cherokees reached ] (now Oklahoma), tensions ran high and the suspension of the Cherokee ] was ignored; any citizen was permitted to execute anyone who signed away Cherokee lands.{{Fact\|date=February 2007}} On ], ], after the adjournment of a tribal meeting, some of the prominent signers of the ] were executed, including the drafter of the law which permitted these executions, ], along with ] and ]. This started 15 years of civil war among the Cherokees. One of the notable survivors was ]. In 1862, during the war, Watie was elected principal chief of the "Southern Cherokee Nation." After his death in 1871, the Southern Cherokee Nation was moved to Kentucky by his Cousin James S. Martin. In 1893, the Southern Cherokee Nation were welcomed to Kentucky and recognized as an Indian tribe by Governor John Y. Brown. (www.southerncherokeenation.net) He <!-- Who? Martin or Brown? -->was also a brigadier ] general during the ]. The Cherokees were one of the "Five Civilized Tribes" that concluded treaties with, and were recognized by the ]. However, Chief Ross had planned to not support the Confederacy, and fled to ] and on to ] to talk with President Lincoln, where he explained the Cherokee Nation's strategy during the Civil War. Most of the Nation abandoned the South and become members of John Drew's regiment in support of the North.{{Fact\|date=February 2007}}

	In ], a group of Cherokee set out on an expedition to California, looking for new settlement lands. The expedition followed the ] upstream to ] in present-day ], then followed the base of mountains northward into present-day ], before turning westward. The route become known as the ] that also extended northward to ] and ]. The group, which undertook gold prospecting in California, returned along the same route the following year, noticing ] gold deposits in tributaries of the ]. The discovery went unnoticed for a decade, but eventually became one of the primary sources of the ] of 1859 and other gold rushes across the western U.S. in the 1860s.		In ], a group of Cherokee set out on an expedition to California, looking for new settlement lands. The expedition followed the ] upstream to ] in present-day ], then followed the base of mountains northward into present-day ], before turning westward. The route become known as the ] that also extended northward to ] and ]. The group, which undertook gold prospecting in California, returned along the same route the following year, noticing ] gold deposits in tributaries of the ]. The discovery went unnoticed for a decade, but eventually became one of the primary sources of the ] of 1859 and other gold rushes across the western U.S. in the 1860s.

	Not all of the eastern Cherokees were removed on the ]. William Holland Thomas, a white store owner and state legislator from ], helped over 600 Cherokee from Qualla Town (the site of modern-day ]) obtain North Carolina citizenship. As citizens, they were exempt from forced removal to the west. In addition, over 400 other Cherokee hid from Federal troops in the remote Snowbird Mountains of neighboring ], under the leadership of ] (ᏣᎵ)<ref name=Tsali>{{cite web \| title = Tsali \| work = History and culture of the Cherokee (North Carolina Indians) \| url = http://www.cherokee-nc.com/history.php?Name=Tsali \| accessdate = 2007-03-10}}</ref> (the subject of the outdoor drama '']'' held in ]). Together, these groups were the basis for what is now known as the Eastern Band of Cherokees. Out of gratitude to Thomas, these Western North Carolina Cherokees served in the ] as part of Thomas's Legion. Thomas's Legion consisted of infantry, cavalry, and artillery. The legion mustered approximately 2,000 men of both Cherokee and white origin, fighting primarily in Virginia, where their battle record was outstanding.<ref name=Will_Thomas>{{cite web \| title = Will Thomas \| work = History and culture of the Cherokee (North Carolina Indians) \| url = http://www.cherokee-nc.com/history.php?Name=Will%20Thomas \| accessdate = 2007-03-10}}</ref> Thomas's Legion was the last Confederate unit in the eastern theater of the war to surrender after capturing ] on ], ]. They agreed to cease hostilities on the condition of being allowed to retain their arms for hunting. This, together with ]'s surrender of western forces on July 23, 1865, gave the Cherokees the distinction of being the very last Confederates to capitulate in both theaters of the Civil War. In Oklahoma, the ] of 1887 broke up the tribal land base. Under the Curtis Act of ], Cherokee courts and governmental systems were abolished by the U.S. Federal Government.		Not all of the eastern Cherokees were removed on the ]. William Holland Thomas, a white store owner and state legislator from ], helped over 600 Cherokee from Qualla Town (the site of modern-day ]) obtain North Carolina citizenship. As citizens, they were exempt from forced removal to the west. In addition, over 400 other Cherokee hid from Federal troops in the remote Snowbird Mountains of neighboring ], under the leadership of ] (ᏣᎵ)<ref name=Tsali>{{cite web \| title = Tsali \| work = History and culture of the Cherokee (North Carolina Indians) \| url = http://www.cherokee-nc.com/history.php?Name=Tsali \| accessdate = 2007-03-10}}</ref> (the subject of the outdoor drama '']'' held in ]). Together, these groups were the basis for what is now known as the Eastern Band of Cherokees. Out of gratitude to Thomas, these Western North Carolina Cherokees served in the ] as part of Thomas's Legion. Thomas's Legion consisted of infantry, cavalry, and artillery. The legion mustered approximately 2,000 men of both Cherokee and white origin, fighting primarily in Virginia, where their battle record was outstanding.<ref name=Will_Thomas>{{cite web \| title = Will Thomas \| work = History and culture of the Cherokee (North Carolina Indians) \| url = http://www.cherokee-nc.com/history.php?Name=Will%20Thomas \| accessdate = 2007-03-10}}</ref> Thomas's Legion was the last Confederate unit in the eastern theater of the war to surrender after capturing ] on ], ]. They agreed to cease hostilities on the condition of being allowed to retain their arms for hunting. This, together with ]'s surrender of western forces on July 23, 1865, gave the Cherokees the distinction of being the very last Confederates to capitulate in both theaters of the Civil War. In Oklahoma, the ] of 1887 broke up the tribal land base. Under the Curtis Act of ], Cherokee courts and governmental systems were abolished by the U.S. Federal Government.
	] ~~The Southern Cherokee are still in ] today, and about 10,000 people belong to the tribe.~~		]

	Cherokee descendants might live in large, but unspecified numbers in Mexico, ] and sparsely in ] and other continents, because the Cherokee are held as distant travelers, outpost traders, expert farmers, business managers and even some Cherokees were sold into ] by the Spanish, Portuguese and other Europeans in the 16th to early 19th centuries. One possible Cherokee descendant, ] was a ] land noble who became a bandit against US rule of ] after the ]. Murrieta was either ] and ]an descent, but was alleged his mother has Cherokee ancestry. {{Fact\|date=March 2007}}

	Today, a few countries like ], ], the ], ], ], the ], ], ], ] and ] until the ] have certified Cherokee ancestry and therefore eligible as tribal members, often are children or grand-children of US armed service men of Cherokee descent whom married European and/or Asian women. Or in the case of descendants, the majority are wealthy farmowners but includes farm hands under agreements with the United States and other nations, invited to settle in ] in the late 19th century. {{Fact\|date=March 2007}}

	===20th century===		===20th century===
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	]		]
	W. W. Keeler was appointed chief in ], but as the federal government adopted the self-determination policy, the Cherokee Nation was able to rebuild its government and W. W. Keeler was elected chief by the people, via a Congressional Act signed by President ]. Keeler, who was also the President of ] was succeeded by Ross Swimmer, ], Joe Byrd, and ], who is currently the chief of the Nation (2007).~~{{Fact\|date=February 2007}}~~		W. W. Keeler was appointed chief in ], but as the federal government adopted the self-determination policy, the Cherokee Nation was able to rebuild its government and W. W. Keeler was elected chief by the people, via a Congressional Act signed by President ]. Keeler, who was also the President of ] was succeeded by Ross Swimmer, ], Joe Byrd, and ], who is currently the chief of the Nation (2007).

	The United Keetoowah Band took a different track than the Cherokee Nation, and received federal recognition after the ] of ]. They are descended from the Old Settlers or Cherokees that moved west before Removal, and the tribe requires a quarter blood quantum for enrollment. The UKB members must descend from an ancestor on the Final Dawes Roll of the Cherokee. In recent years, it has become the contention of the band that they are descendants of Old Settlers; however, genealogically most do not, but are descendants of those who came on the Trail of Tears.		The United Keetoowah Band took a different track than the Cherokee Nation, and received federal recognition after the ] of ]. They are descended from the Old Settlers or Cherokees that moved west before Removal, and the tribe requires a quarter blood quantum for enrollment. The UKB members must descend from an ancestor on the Final Dawes Roll of the Cherokee. In recent years, it has become the contention of the band that they are descendants of Old Settlers; however, genealogically most do not, but are descendants of those who came on the Trail of Tears.
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	==Famous Cherokees==		==Famous Cherokees==
	There were several famous Cherokees in American history, including ], who invented the Cherokee writing system. Sequoyah is one of few people in history to invent a widely used ] singlehandedly. Sequoyah never learned to speak, read or write the English language. ~~] was a "Beloved Woman" of the Cherokees and a major political figure. ] or~~ ],statesman, orator, and editor, wrote ''Poor Sarah'', the first Native-American novel. ], Buck's younger brother, was a famous frontiersman and as a commander of ] forces, the last to surrender in the American ]. ] was a Cherokee patriot and subject of many books and magazine articles including a novel of fiction by Pulitzer-Prize-winning author, ], ''Zeke and Ned,'' and ''Ned Christie's War'', a Western novel by Cherokee author ].		There were several famous Cherokees in American history, including ], who invented the Cherokee writing system. Sequoyah is one of few people in history to invent a widely used ] singlehandedly. Sequoyah never learned to speak, read or write the English language.

			],statesman, orator, and editor, wrote ''Poor Sarah'', the first Native-American novel. ], Buck's younger brother, was a famous frontiersman and as a commander of ] forces, the last to surrender in the American ].

			] was a Cherokee patriot and subject of many books and magazine articles including a novel of fiction by Pulitzer-Prize-winning author, ], ''Zeke and Ned,'' and ''Ned Christie's War'', a Western novel by Cherokee author ].

	Many famous entertainers have been Cherokee, including ].<ref name=Carter>{{cite web \| title = Father and Cherokee Tradition Molded Will Rogers \| author = Carter JH \| url = http://www.willrogers.com/stories/stories/molded/Molded.html \| accessdate = 2007-03-10}}</ref>		Many famous entertainers have been Cherokee, including ].<ref name=Carter>{{cite web \| title = Father and Cherokee Tradition Molded Will Rogers \| author = Carter JH \| url = http://www.willrogers.com/stories/stories/molded/Molded.html \| accessdate = 2007-03-10}}</ref>
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	*		*
	* (official site)		* (official site)
	*
	*
	*		*
	* (nota bene: not a recognized tribe)
	* Arkansas Genealogy And History

	=== Historical documents ===		=== Historical documents ===

Revision as of 05:14, 6 May 2007

This article contains special characters. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols. Ethnic group

Cherokee
Regions with significant populations
Flag of the Cherokee Nation Flag of the United Keetoowah Band. File:Easternbandcherokeeflag.png Flag of the Eastern Band Cherokee
Enrolled members: Cherokee Nation, Oklahoma (f): 250,000+ United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians, Oklahoma (f): 10,000 Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, North Carolina (f): 10,000+ (f) = federally recognized
Languages
English, Cherokee
Religion
Christianity (Southern Baptist and Methodist), Traditional Ah-ni-yv-wi-ya, other small Christian groups, Islam.
Related ethnic groups
American Indians, Five Civilized Tribes, Tuscarora, other Iroquoians.

For other uses, see Cherokee (disambiguation).

The Cherokee ( ah-ni-yv-wi-ya {Unicode: ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯ} in the Cherokee language) are a people from North America, who at the time of European contact in the 1600's, inhabited what is now the Eastern and Southeastern United States. Most were forcibly moved westward to the Ozark Plateau. They were one of the tribes referred to as the Five Civilized Tribes. According to the 2000 U.S. Census, they are the most numerous of the 563 federally recognized Native American tribes in the United States.

Bands and naming

Several Cherokee Nations and Bands recognized by the U.S. government and representing 6 Cherokees have headquarters in Tahlequah, Oklahoma (the Cherokee Nation and United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians) and at Cherokee, North Carolina (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians).

A 1984 KJRH-TV documentary, Spirit of the Fire, explored the history of the Keetoowah Nighthawk Society, and their preservation of traditional ceremonies and rituals practiced and maintained by the Cherokee after their arrival in Oklahoma. Redbird Smith was an influential Nighthawk member, and the group revitalized traditional spirituality among Cherokees, beginning in the early 20th century. Today there are 7 ceremonial dance grounds in Oklahoma, and these belong either to the Keetoowah tradition or the Four Mothers Society.

The spelling "Cherokee" was once believed to be from the Cherokee language's name, "Tsalagi" (ᏣᎳᎩ) — this then may have been rendered phonetically in Portuguese (or more likely a Barranquenho dialect, since Hernando de Soto was Extremaduran) as chalaque, then in French as cheraqui, and then by the English as cherokee.

The word "Cherokee" is a derived word which came originally from the Choctaw trade language. It was derived from the Choctaw word "Cha-la-kee" which means "those who live in the mountains" – or (also Choctaw) "Chi-luk-ik-bi" meaning "those who live in the caves." The name which the Cherokee originally used for themselves, and some still use to this day is Ah-ni-yv-wi-ya (literal translation: "these are all the human people". Most American Indian tribes' names for themselves mean approximately the same thing. However, modern Cherokee call themselves Cherokee, or Tsalagi.

Language and writing system

Main article: Cherokee language

The Cherokee speak an Iroquoian language which is polysynthetic, and is written in a syllabary invented by Sequoyah (ᏍᏏᏆᏱ). For years, many people wrote transliterated Cherokee on the Internet or used poorly intercompatible fonts to type out the syllabary. However, since the fairly recent addition of the Cherokee syllables to Unicode, the Cherokee language is experiencing a renaissance in its use on the Internet. As of January 2007, however, the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma still officially uses a non-unicode font for online documents, including online editions of the Cherokee Phoenix.

File:Cherokee Syllabary.png

Cherokee Syllabary

The Cherokee language does not contain any "r" based sounds, and as such, the word "Cherokee" when spoken in the language is expressed as Tsa-la-gi (pronounced Jah-la-gee, or Cha-la-gee) by native speakers, since these sounds most closely resemble the English language. A Southern Cherokee group did speak a local dialect with a trill consonant "r" sound, after early contact with Europeans of both French and Spanish ancestry in Georgia and Alabama during the early 18th century (This "r" sound spoken in the dialect of the Elati, or Lower, Cherokee area – Georgia and Alabama – became extinct in the 19th century around the time of the Trail of Tears, examples are Tsaragi or Tse-La-gee). The ancient Ani-kutani (ᎠᏂᎫᏔᏂ) dialect and Oklahoma dialects do not contain any 'r'-based sounds.

Due to the polysynthetic nature of the Cherokee Language, new and descriptive words in Cherokee are easily constructed to reflect or express modern concepts. Some good examples are di-ti-yo-hi-hi (Cherokee:ᏗᏘᏲᎯᎯ) which means "he argues repeatedly and on purpose with a purpose". This is the Cherokee word for attorney. Another example is di-da-ni-yi-s-gi (Cherokee:ᏗᏓᏂᏱᏍᎩ) which means the final catcher or "he catches them finally and conclusively". This is the Cherokee word for policeman.

Many words, however, have been borrowed from the English Language, such as gasoline which in Cherokee is ga-so-li-ne (Cherokee:ᎦᏐᎵᏁ). Many other words were borrowed from the languages of tribes who settled in Oklahoma in the early 1900's. One of the more humerous examples relates to a town on Oklahoma named "Nowata". The word "nowata" is a Delaware Indian word for "welcome" (more precisely the Delaware word is "nu-wi-ta" which can mean "welcome" or "friend" in the Delaware Language). The white settlers of the area used the name "nowata" for the township, and local Cherokee's, being unaware the word had its origins in the Delaware Langauge, called the town a-ma-di-ka-ni-gv-na-gv-na (Cherokee:ᎠᎹᏗᎧᏂᎬᎾᎬᎾ) which means "the water is all gone gone from here" -- i.e. "no water".

Other examples of borrowed words are ka-wi (Cherokee:ᎧᏫ) for coffee and wa-tsi (Cherokee:ᏩᏥ) for watch (which led to u-ta-na wa-tsi (Cherokee:ᎤᏔᎾ ᏩᏥ) or "big watch" for clock).

History

18th century

The Cherokee nation was unified from a society of interrelated city-states in the early 18th century under the "Emperor" Moytoy, with the aid of an unofficial English envoy, Sir Alexander Cumming. In 1730, Chief Moytoy II of Tellico was chosen as "Emperor" by the Elector Chiefs of the principal Cherokee towns. Moytoy also agreed to recognize the British king, George II, as the Cherokee protector. A decade prior to this treaty, the Cherokee had fought a war with South Carolina for several years. The title of Cherokee Emperor, however, did not carry much clout among the Cherokee, and the title eventually passed out of Moytoy's direct avuncular lineage.

One of the most important trading relations between the early European colonies and the Cherokee was the deerskin trade, which peaked around 1750. The Cherokee encountered a great deal of European contact since the 16th century when the Spanish under Hernando de Soto first met the tribe, followed by the French and finally, the British in the 21st centuries.

Beginning at about the time of the American Revolutionary War in the late 18th century, divisions over continued accommodation of encroachments by white settlers, despite repeated violations of previous treaties, caused some Cherokee to begin to leave the Cherokee Nation. Many of these dissidents became known as the Chickamauga. Led by Chief Dragging Canoe, the Chickamauga made alliances with the Shawnee and engaged in raids against colonial settlements (see Chickamauga Wars). Some of these early dissidents eventually moved across the Mississippi River to areas that would later become the states of Arkansas and Missouri. Their settlements were established on the St. Francis and the White Rivers by 1800.

19th century

Eventually, there were such large numbers of Cherokees in these areas, the U.S. Government in 1815 right after the War of 1812 in which Cherokees fought on both the British and American armies, established a Cherokee Reservation in Arkansas, with boundaries from north of the Arkansas River up to the southern bank of the White River. Cherokee leaders who lived in Arkansas were The Bowl, Sequoyah, Spring Frog and The Dutch. Another band of Cherokee lived in southeast Missouri, western Kentucky and Tennessee in frontier settlements and in European majority communities around the Mississippi River.

John Ross was an important figure in the history of the Cherokee tribe. His father emigrated from Scotland prior to the Revolutionary War. His mother was a quarter-blood Cherokee woman whose father was also from Scotland. He began his public career in 1809. The Cherokee Nation was founded in 1820, with elected public officials. John Ross became the chief of the tribe in 1828, and remained the chief until his death in 1866.

Cherokees were displaced from their ancestral lands in North Georgia and the Carolinas because of rapidly expanding white population, as well as a gold rush around Dahlonega, Georgia in the 1830s. Despite a Supreme Court ruling in their favor, many in the Cherokee Nation were forcibly relocated West, a migration known as the Trail of Tears or in Cherokee nvnadaulatsvyi (Cherokee:ᏅᎾᏓᎤᎳᏨᏱ).

Samuel Carter, author of Cherokee Sunset, writes: "Then… there came the reign of terror. From the jagged-walled stockades the troops fanned out across the Nation, invading every hamlet, every cabin, rooting out the inhabitants at bayonet point. The Cherokees hardly had time to realize what was happening as they were prodded like so many sheep toward the concentration camps, threatened with knives and pistols, beaten with rifle butts if they resisted."

Cherokee Nation Courthouse, mid-19th century

On June 22, 1839, the prominent signers of the Treaty of New Echota were executed, including Major Ridge, along with John Ridge and Elias Boudinot by Cherokee extremists.

In 1848, a group of Cherokee set out on an expedition to California, looking for new settlement lands. The expedition followed the Arkansas River upstream to Rocky Mountains in present-day Colorado, then followed the base of mountains northward into present-day Wyoming, before turning westward. The route become known as the Cherokee Trail that also extended northward to Wyoming and Montana. The group, which undertook gold prospecting in California, returned along the same route the following year, noticing placer gold deposits in tributaries of the South Platte. The discovery went unnoticed for a decade, but eventually became one of the primary sources of the Pike's Peak Gold Rush of 1859 and other gold rushes across the western U.S. in the 1860s.

Not all of the eastern Cherokees were removed on the Trail of Tears. William Holland Thomas, a white store owner and state legislator from Jackson County, North Carolina, helped over 600 Cherokee from Qualla Town (the site of modern-day Cherokee, North Carolina) obtain North Carolina citizenship. As citizens, they were exempt from forced removal to the west. In addition, over 400 other Cherokee hid from Federal troops in the remote Snowbird Mountains of neighboring Graham County, North Carolina, under the leadership of Tsali (ᏣᎵ) (the subject of the outdoor drama Unto These Hills held in Cherokee, North Carolina). Together, these groups were the basis for what is now known as the Eastern Band of Cherokees. Out of gratitude to Thomas, these Western North Carolina Cherokees served in the American Civil War as part of Thomas's Legion. Thomas's Legion consisted of infantry, cavalry, and artillery. The legion mustered approximately 2,000 men of both Cherokee and white origin, fighting primarily in Virginia, where their battle record was outstanding. Thomas's Legion was the last Confederate unit in the eastern theater of the war to surrender after capturing Waynesville, North Carolina on May 9, 1865. They agreed to cease hostilities on the condition of being allowed to retain their arms for hunting. This, together with Stand Watie's surrender of western forces on July 23, 1865, gave the Cherokees the distinction of being the very last Confederates to capitulate in both theaters of the Civil War. In Oklahoma, the Dawes Act of 1887 broke up the tribal land base. Under the Curtis Act of 1898, Cherokee courts and governmental systems were abolished by the U.S. Federal Government.

Map of the present-day Cherokee Nation Tribal Statistical Area

20th century

These and other acts were designed to end tribal sovereignty to pave the way for Oklahoma Statehood in 1907. The Federal government appointed chiefs to the Cherokee Nation, often just long enough to sign a treaty. However, the Cherokee Nation recognized that it needed leadership and a general convention was convened in 1938 to elect a Chief. They choose J. B. Milam as principal chief, and as a goodwill gesture Franklin Delano Roosevelt confirmed the election in 1941.

File:CNCourthouse1913.jpg

Cherokee Nation Courthouse in Oklahoma, 1913

W. W. Keeler was appointed chief in 1949, but as the federal government adopted the self-determination policy, the Cherokee Nation was able to rebuild its government and W. W. Keeler was elected chief by the people, via a Congressional Act signed by President Richard Nixon. Keeler, who was also the President of Phillips Petroleum was succeeded by Ross Swimmer, Wilma Mankiller, Joe Byrd, and Chad Smith, who is currently the chief of the Nation (2007).

The United Keetoowah Band took a different track than the Cherokee Nation, and received federal recognition after the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934. They are descended from the Old Settlers or Cherokees that moved west before Removal, and the tribe requires a quarter blood quantum for enrollment. The UKB members must descend from an ancestor on the Final Dawes Roll of the Cherokee. In recent years, it has become the contention of the band that they are descendants of Old Settlers; however, genealogically most do not, but are descendants of those who came on the Trail of Tears.

It has been suggested that this article be merged into Cherokee society. (Discuss) Proposed since April 2007.

The Cherokee system of law was based more on responsibility for wrongful actions than on the notion of "justice" in the Western sense. Rather than justice, the Cherokee system strove for keeping balance and harmony in the spiritual and social worlds. Any killing created an imbalance which required revenge to restore harmony. The clan of the perpetrator of the homicide was to admit and accept responsibility for the wrongful killing. Then the clan was expected to pay the cost. Blood called for blood.

The creation of imbalance was tied to the Cherokee religion. When a delict was committed, it created imbalance and tension on the jurisdictional unit. It was believed that the murdered "soul" or ghost would be forced to wander the earth, unable to go to the next world. This created imbalance. The acceptance of responsibility and the death of the killer or one of his clansmen restored balance by freeing the innocent ghost, allowing him to go to the next world. That is why it did not matter who paid the cost for the delict of the wrongful killing. Any death from the responsible clan would suffice to free the innocent man's ghost from this world. An enemy scalp might suffice as well. Once the balance was restored, the relationship between the jurisdictional units or clans continued as if nothing happened. There were to be no hard feelings expressed between family members of the victim or killer. Balance had been restored.

Modern Cherokee Nation

File:CNCourthouse.jpg

Cherokee Nation Historic Courthouse in Tahlequah, Oklahoma.

The modern Cherokee Nation in recent times has excelled and has experienced an unprecedented expansion in economic growth, equality, and prosperity for its citizens under the leadership of Principal Chief Chad Smith, with significant business, corporate, real estate, and agricultural interests, including numerous highly profitable casino operations. The Cherokee Nation controls Cherokee Nation Enterprises, and Cherokee Nation Industries, and Cherokee Nation Businesses. CNI is a very large Defense contractor that creates thousands of jobs in Eastern Oklahoma for Cherokee Citizens.

The Nation has constructed health clinics throughout Oklahoma, contributed to community development programs, built roads and bridges, constructed learning facilities and universities for its citizens, instilled the practice of Gadugi and self-reliance in its citizens, revitalized language immersion programs for its children and youth, and is a powerful and positive economic and political force in Eastern Oklahoma.

File:CherokeeWarriorsMemorial.jpg

The Cherokee Nation Warriors Memorial and Pavalion in Tahlequah, Oklahoma.

The Cherokee Nation hosts the Cherokee National Holiday on Labor Day weekend each year and 80,000 to 90,000 Cherokee Citizens travel to Tahlequah, Oklahoma for the festivities. The Cherokee Nation also publishes the Cherokee Phoenix, a tribal newspaper which has operated continuously since 1828, publishing editions in both English and the Sequoyah Syllabary. The Cherokee Nation council appropriates money for historic foundations concerned with the preservation of Cherokee Culture, including the Cherokee Heritage Center which hosts a reproduction of an ancient Cherokee Village, Adams Rural Village (a turn-of-the-century village), Nofire Farms and the Cherokee Family Research Center (genealogy), which is open to the public. The Cherokee Heritage Center is home to the Cherokee National Museum, which has numerous exhibitions also open to the public. The CHC is the repository for the Cherokee Nation as its National Archives. The CHC operates under the Cherokee National Historical Society, Inc., and is governed by a Board of Trustees with an executive committee. Current President of the board is Mary Ellen Meredith. Director Carey Tilley sees over the daily operations.

The Cherokee Nation also supports the Sundance and Cherokee Film Festivals in Tahlequah, Oklahoma and Park City, Utah Many famous American Indian actors are members of the Cherokee Nation, such as Wes Studi.

Environment

Today the Cherokee Nation is one of America's biggest proponents of ecological protection. Since 1992, the Nation has served as the lead for the Inter-Tribal Environmental Council. The mission of ITEC is to protect the health of American Indians, their natural resources and their environment as it relates to air, land and water. To accomplish this mission, ITEC provides technical support, training and environmental services in a variety of environmental disciplines. Currently, there are thirty-nine (39) ITEC member tribes in Oklahoma, California, New Mexico, and Texas.

Cherokee Freedmen

File:CNSeal.jpg

On March 7, 2006, the Cherokee Nation Judicial Appeal Tribunal had announced that the Cherokee Freedmen, the descendants of African American (typically former slaves) who had been made citizens of the tribe by a post-Civil War treaty between the United States and the Cherokee, were eligible for membership as Cherokee Citizens because they were classified by the Federal Government as Indians by being entered on the Dawes Commission Lands rolls during the early 1900s.

However, the Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation recently announced that because of issues raised by the Cherokee People, the issue of the membership of the Freedmen was being considered for a vote regarding proposed amendments to the Cherokee Nation Constitution. These amendments are intended to restrict tribal membership exclusively to Cherokees by blood descent, thus excluding the freedmen from tribal membership. Currently, the Cherokee Nation Constitution restricts who may serve as an elected official to persons of Cherokee blood.

The tribe voted on March 3, 2007 whether to reject the 1866 treaty or to allow the 2006 decision to stand. With 76.6% of the votes cast by those who participated, the tribal citizenship for descendants of black slaves was revoked.

Relationship with the Eastern Band

File:Easternbandcherokeeflag.png

The Cherokee Nation participates in numerous joint programs with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. It also participates in cultural exchange programs and joint Tribal Council meetings involving councillors from both Cherokee Tribes which address issues affecting all of the Cherokee People. Unlike the adversarial relationship between the administrations of the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians and the Cherokee Nation, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians interactions with the Cherokee Nation presents a unified spirit of Gadugi with the leaders and citizens of the Eastern Band.

Marriage Law controversy

On June 14 2004, the Cherokee Nation Tribal Council voted to officially define marriage as a union between man and woman, thereby outlawing same-sex marriage. This decision came in response to an application for a union of a lesbian couple submitted on May 13. The decision kept Cherokee law in line with Oklahoma state law, which outlawed gay marriage as the result of a popular referendum on a constitutional amendment in 2004.

Famous Cherokees

There were several famous Cherokees in American history, including Sequoyah, who invented the Cherokee writing system. Sequoyah is one of few people in history to invent a widely used writing system singlehandedly. Sequoyah never learned to speak, read or write the English language.

Elias Boudinot (Cherokee),statesman, orator, and editor, wrote Poor Sarah, the first Native-American novel. Stand Watie, Buck's younger brother, was a famous frontiersman and as a commander of Confederate forces, the last to surrender in the American Civil War.

Ned Christie was a Cherokee patriot and subject of many books and magazine articles including a novel of fiction by Pulitzer-Prize-winning author, Larry McMurtry, Zeke and Ned, and Ned Christie's War, a Western novel by Cherokee author Robert J. Conley.

Many famous entertainers have been Cherokee, including Will Rogers.

Notes

"The American Indian and Alaska Native Population: 2000" (PDF). Census 2000 Brief. 2002-02-01. Retrieved 2007-03-10.
Carter (III), Samuel (1976). Cherokee sunset: A nation betrayed : a narrative of travail and triumph, persecution and exile. New York: Doubleday. pp. p. 232. ISBN 0-385-06735-6. {{cite book}}: |pages= has extra text (help)
"Tsali". History and culture of the Cherokee (North Carolina Indians). Retrieved 2007-03-10.
"Will Thomas". History and culture of the Cherokee (North Carolina Indians). Retrieved 2007-03-10.
"Cherokee Heritage Center". Retrieved 2007-03-10.
"Inter-Tribal Environmental Council". Retrieved 2007-03-10.
"Freedman Decision" (PDF). Retrieved 2007-03-10.
"Citizen Views Fall on Both Sides of Freedmen Issue". Cherokee Nation News Release. 2006-03-13. Retrieved 2007-03-10.
Morris, Frank (2007-02-21). "Cherokee Tribe Faces Decision on Freedmen". National Public Radio. Retrieved 2007-03-11.
"Cherokees eject slave descendants". BBC News. 2007-03-04. Retrieved 2007-03-10.
Carter JH. "Father and Cherokee Tradition Molded Will Rogers". Retrieved 2007-03-10.

References

Duvall, Deborah L (2000). Tahlequah: And the Cherokee Nation. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 0-7385-0782-2.

Ehle, John (1988). Trail of Tears: The Rise and Fall of the Cherokee Nation. Anchor Books. ISBN 0-385-23954-8.

Finger, John R (1993). Cherokee Americans: The Eastern Band of Cherokees in the Twentieth Century. University of Nebraska Press. ISBN 0-8032-6879-3.

Hill, Sarah H (1997). Weaving New Worlds: Southeastern Cherokee Women and Their Basketry. University of North Carolina Press. ISBN 0-8078-4650-3.

Kilpatrick, Jack (1995). Friends of Thunder: Folktales of the Oklahoma Cherokees. University of Oklahoma Press. ISBN 0-8061-2722-8. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)

Mankiller, Wilma (1999). Mankiller: A Chief and Her People. St. Martin's Griffin. ISBN 0-312-20662-3. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)

Meredith, Howard (2003). Reflection on Cherokee Literary Expression. Edwin Mellon Press. ISBN 0-7734-6763-7. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)

Strickland, Rennard (1982). Fire and the Spirits: Cherokee Law from Clan to Court. University of Oklahoma Press. ISBN 0-8061-1619-6.

Vickers, Paul T (2005). Chiefs of Nations First Edition: The Cherokee Nation 1730 to 1839: 109 Years of Political Dialogue and Treaties. iUniverse, Inc. ISBN 0-595-36984-7.

Robert Conley, a novelist and short story writer who is a member of the UKB. Recommended titles: Mountain Windsong, The Witch of Goingsnake and Other Stories, and Ned Christie's War.

External links

Organizations

The Cherokee Nation
Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (official site)
United Keetoowah Band

Historical documents

Annual report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution (1885/86), Contains The "Midê'wiwin, or Grand Medicine Society of the Ojibwa, by W. J. Hoffman and: The Sacred formulas of the Cherokee, by James Mooney
Annual report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution (1897/98: pt.1), Contains The Myths of The Cherokee, by James Mooney

Famous Smith Supreme Court Case

Other

v t e Cherokee
Tribes	Cherokee Nation Eastern Band United Keetoowah Band
Culture	Society National holiday Calendar Clans Chiefs Gadugi Ghigau Green Corn Ceremony Language history syllabary Cherokee (Unicode block) Cherokee Supplement (Unicode block) Cherokee Immersion School New Kituwah Academy Marbles Spiritual beliefs Moon-eyed people Ethnobotany Black drink Kanuchi Stomp dance Booger dance Flag of the Cherokee Nation
Legends	Ani Hyuntikwalaski Deer Woman Horned Serpent Moon-eyed people Nun'Yunu'Wi Nûñnë'hï Kâ'lanû Ahkyeli'skï U'tlun'ta Tsul 'Kalu
History	History timeline military Treaties Kituwa Ani-kutani skiagusta (rank) outacite (rank) Raven of Chota Wars Tribal Wars Battle of Taliwa Anglo-Cherokee War Siege of Fort Loudoun Battle of Echoee Cherokee War of 1776 Cherokee–American wars Battle of Hightower Battle of Lindley's Fort Nickajack Expedition American Civil War 1st Cherokee Mounted Rifles Cherokee treaties Treaty of New Echota Treaty of Tellico Treaty of Turkeytown Treaty of Dewitt's Corner Treaty of Hard Labour Treaty of Lochaber Treaty of Hopewell Treaty of Holston Jackson and McMinn Treaty Transylvania Purchase Chickamauga Cherokee Overhill Cherokee Cherokee Phoenix Cherokee Nation (1794–1907) Removal Trail of Tears Indian Removal Act Cherokee descent Jacob Brown Grant Deeds Texas Cherokees
Organizations	Heritage Center Cherokee Preservation Foundation Warriors Society Original Keetoowah Society Keetoowah Nighthawk Society Youth Choir Heritage groups Cherokee Southwest Township Oconaluftee Indian Village Unto These Hills Education Female Seminary Male Seminary Cherokee Central Schools Cherokee High School Sequoyah Schools Sequoyah High School
Politics and law	Principal Chiefs Blood Law Slavery 1842 revolt freedmen controversy Cherokee Nation v. Georgia (1831) Worcester v. Georgia (1832) The Cherokee Tobacco case (1871) Cherokee Nation v. Leavitt (2005) Cherokee Commission Cherokee Strip in Kansas Sequoyah Constitutional Convention
Towns and villages	Cherokee Towns (pre-Removal) Amoyeligunahita Brasstown Chatuga Chilhowee Chota Conasauga Cowee Coyotee Crowtown Dirt town Ducktown Etowah Frogtown Hiwassee Hiwassee Island Island town Isunigu Joara Keowee Kituwa Kulsetsiyi Long Swamp Mialoquo Nacoochee Nantahala New Echota Nickajack Nikwasi Nununyi Ocoee Oconee Oostanaula Red Clay Settico Spike Bucktown Talisi Talulah Tanasi Tellico Tomassee Tomotley Toqua Toxoway Tsatanugi Tuckasegee Tugaloo Turkeytown Turtletown Tuskegee Running Water Titsohili Cherokee Nations Western Cherokee Nation Cherokee Nation Tahlequah Tahlonteeskee Eastern Band Cherokee Qualla Boundary
Landmarks and memorial sites	Cherokee National Capitol Cherokee Removal Memorial Park Chieftains Museum First Cherokee Female Seminary Site Judaculla Rock Long Island John Ross House Ross's Landing Sequoyah's Cabin Tellico Blockhouse Trail of Tears State Park Brainerd Mission Rattlesnake Springs Fort Cass Red Clay State Historic Park Hair Conrad Cabin Nancy Ward Tomb Blythe Ferry Bussell Island Chief Vann House Historic Site Mantle Rock Museum of the Cherokee People Untokiasdiyi Standing Stone Stick Ball Grounds Cullasaja River Tuckasegee River Oconaluftee valley Oconaluftee River Abrams Creek Sycamore Shoals The Great Trading Path The Great War Path Hiwassee River Heritage Center Chatata Tuckaleechee Fort Smith Historic Site Port Royal State Park Five Civilized Tribes Museum Tlanusiyi Cherokee Path
People	Early leaders Moytoy of Tellico Attakullakulla Amouskositte Old Hop Moytoy of Citico Standing Turkey Outacite of Keowee Oconostota Savanukah Old Tassel Little Turkey Dragging Canoe Kunokeski Incalatanga Tagwadihi Cherokee Nation East (1794–1839) Enola Pathkiller Big Tiger Charles R. Hicks William Hicks John Ross Cherokee Nation West (1810–1839) The Bowl Degadoga Tahlonteeskee John Jolly Sam Houston John Looney John Rogers Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (1824–present) Yonaguska William Holland Thomas Tsaladihi Gerard Parker Joyce Dugan Patrick Lambert Richard Sneed Cherokee Nation in Indian Territory (1839–1907) Lewis Downing Degataga William P. Ross Utselata Dennis Bushyhead Joel B. Mayes Johnson Harris Samuel Houston Mayes Thomas Buffington William Charles Rogers Cherokee Nation (1975–present) J. B. Milam W. W. Keeler Ross Swimmer Wilma Mankiller Joe Byrd Chadwick "Corntassel" Smith Bill John Baker Chuck Hoskin Jr. United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians (1939–present) James L. Gordon John W. Hair Other notable Cherokee Nancy Ward Tsali Tahlonteeskee (warrior) Turtle-at-Home Junaluska Goingsnake Elias Boudinot Wauhatchie James Vann David Vann Joseph Vann Bob Benge Nunnahitsunega Ned Christie John Martin Markwayne Mullin Yvette Herrell Sequoya Major Ridge Jenny McIntosh Sam Sixkiller Clement V. Rogers Redbird Smith Durbin Feeling Hastings Shade Kimberly Teehee Shawna Baker
See also: Cherokee-language Misplaced Pages

v t e Indian Removal
Battles and military incidents (chronologically)	Battle of Burnt Corn (1813) Fort Mims massacre (1813) Battle of Horseshoe Bend (1814) Battle of Negro Fort (1816) Battle of Fowltown (1817) Scott Massacre (1817) Attack at Fort Hughes (1817) Battle of Ocheesee (1817–1818) Seminole Wars
Policies and laws	Removal Act Georgia Land Lotteries Manifest destiny Worcester v. Georgia
Removals (chronologically)	Indian removals in Indiana Choctaw Trail of Tears (1831–1833) Trail of Tears (1831–1838) Cherokee removal (1836–1839) Potawatomi Trail of Death (1838) Sandy Lake Tragedy (1850) Nome Cult Trail (1863) Long Walk of the Navajo (1864) Burt Lake burn-out (1900)
American politicians and military officials	John C. Calhoun Lewis Cass James Gadsden George Rockingham Gilmer Andrew Jackson Thomas Jefferson James Monroe Winfield Scott John Tipton David Wallace
People who helped Indians or documented removals	Robert C. Ambrister George Arbuthnot Benjamin Hawkins Edward Nicolls Benjamin Marie Petit George Winter
Land cession treaties (chronologically)	Fort Stanwix (1st) (1768) Fort Stanwix (2nd) (1784) Fort McIntosh (1785) Buffalo Creek (1st) (1788) New York (1st) (1790) Greenville (1795) New York (2nd) (1796) Forbes Purchase (1804–1811) Fort Jackson (1814) Creek Agency (1818) Doak's Stand (1820) Indian Springs (1821) Prairie du Chien (1st) (1825) Prairie du Chien (2nd) (1829) Prairie du Chien (3rd) (1829) Dancing Rabbit Creek (1830) Prairie du Chien (4th) (1831) Cusseta (1832) Payne's Landing (1832) Pontotoc Creek (1832) New Echota (1835) Buffalo Creek (2nd) (1838) La Pointe (1st) (1842) Buffalo Creek (3rd) (1842) La Pointe (2nd) (1854) Buffalo Creek (4th) (1857)
Landbases	Former reservations in Oklahoma Indian Territory Indian barrier state (proposed) Indian Reserve (1763) Unassigned Lands
Related topics	Aboriginal title in the Thirteen Colonies Land claims settlements Native American genocide in the United States Reservation checkerboarding Reservation diminishment Reservation politics Treaty of Nicolls' Outpost

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