The Cherokee Indian Nation is a large Native American tribe based in Oklahoma, made up of Cherokee people, African-American slaves, and the Natchez people. They have a democratic government with autonomous authority and determine citizenship through the 1893 Dawes Rolls. The government has a three-branch system and has faced political crises in the past.
The Cherokee Indian Nation is one of the largest Native American tribes in the United States. It is based in Tahlequah, Oklahoma and is made up of the Cherokee people who were forced to relocate to Indian Territory in the 19th century; African-American slaves once belonging to the tribe; and the Natchez people, a Southeastern tribe that happened to be in the same area. Today it runs a democratic government with autonomous authority over the Cherokee Indian nation.
The Cherokee who were forced to move to the area had to march from their homelands to Indian Territory via the Trail of Tears. An estimated 4,000 people died along the way. Today, nearly 300,000 people live within the Cherokee Indian Nation.
One of the most important facts about the Cherokee Indian nation is its determination of who is eligible for citizenship. The 1893 Dawes Rolls determine who was a Native American at the time and are the central reference point for people who may qualify for membership. The one exception was a 2006 decision that allowed some African Americans with traditional ties to the tribe to be considered citizens despite evidence of blood ties.
The government of the Cherokee Indian Nation is based on the same principles as the United States Constitution. It has a three branch system with executive, legislative and judicial bodies. The executive is controlled by a principal chief and his deputy, the legislative branch is managed by 16 members of the Tribal Council, and a district court and judicial appeals court make up the judicial branch. All representatives are elected for four-year terms by those over 18 years of age. Judges are appointed by the Chief Chief and approved by Tribal Council.
In modern times, the Cherokee Indian Nation has faced a series of political crises between the executive and judicial branches. Notably, in 1997 Major Chief Joe Byrd helped destabilize the Cherokee constitution by taking control of the courthouse with his private army. Federal authorities could not intervene due to tribal sovereignty. Eventually, he agreed to hand power back to the courts. Byrd was later removed from office.
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