Cherokee Nation is the sovereign government of the Cherokee people. We are the largest of three federally recognized Cherokee tribes and are based in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, the capital of the Cherokee Nation. Our headquarters are located in the historic W.W. Keeler Tribal Complex, with sub-offices and service sites throughout Cherokee Nations 14-county reservation area.
Originally located in the southeastern United States in parts of Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, and North Carolina, the Cherokee Nation was forced to relocate to Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma) in 1838 after gold was discovered in our homelands. The thousand-mile forced removal became known as the Trail of Tears and came at a cost of nearly 4,000 Cherokee lives through sickness and harsh travel conditions.
Today, Cherokee Nation is one of the largest employers in northeast Oklahoma and is the largest tribal nation in the country. As the governing body of the Cherokee people, the Cherokee Nation has the right to structure its own government and constitution; make and enforce its own laws; regulate business, land, environment, and wildlife; and impose taxes within the Cherokee Nations jurisdiction.
The Cherokee Nation also provides for the safety of its citizens, other residents and visitors through its law enforcement agency, the Cherokee Nation Marshal Service. The Marshal Service has jurisdiction throughout the tribes 14-county reservation and is cross-deputized with more than 90 federal, state, county and city law enforcement offices to provide seamless services to everyone in the area.
Anadisgoi is the official online newsroom of the Cherokee Nation. Updated daily, you can view the tribes latest news here, plus read Anadisgoi Magazine online. Youll also find news archives, videos, photos, behind the scenes info, links to social media and much more!
The 70th Annual Cherokee National Holiday will feature a return to in-person activities when the celebration is held over Labor Day weekend in September, including a new fishing tournament, cornhole competitions, the return of traditional games, an inter-tribal powwow, softball tournaments and other long-time favorites.
Traditionally, the Cherokee National Holiday draws more than 100,000 visitors from across the country. The annual celebration was adapted in 2020 and 2021 to include a number of virtual and limited in-person events in the interest of public health.
This year, most Holiday activities will be held in-person Sept. 1-4 in and around Tahlequah, Okla., the capital city of the Cherokee Nation. The Cherokee National Holiday will also continue to provide a number of virtual elements so Cherokee citizens who cannot attend the in-person activities can participate in the celebration online atwww.thecherokeeholiday.com.
Deputy Chief Bryan Warner and I are looking forward to our planned return to in-person fellowship during this years 70th Annual Cherokee National Holiday in September, said Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. As we join friends and family to commemorate this years celebration, we will focus not only on the legacy that the Cherokee people have forged throughout our history, but we will look ahead to the opportunities that are before us as Cherokee people. If you are a Cherokee citizen and have the chance to join us either in person or through our virtual streaming of activities this September, the 70th Annual Cherokee National Holiday will be a gathering you wont want to miss.
Chief Hoskin and Deputy Chief Warner will also join members of the Council of the Cherokee Nation for the annual State of the Nation Address in downtown Tahlequah as part of this years Holiday activities.
The 70th Annual Cherokee National Holiday theme is Forging a Legacy: Seven Decades of Cherokee Fellowship. The theme and art were designed to honor the 70 years of Cherokee fellowship during the annual Holiday gathering.
The center of the Holiday design features the official Cherokee Nation seal surrounded by traditional Southeastern design elements. The Southeastern design elements feature an expansion of the inner four directions and symbolize Chief Hoskin and Deputy Chief Warners first four years in office. A circle with 11 arrows represents Chief Hoskin and Deputy Chief Warners 11 key initiatives put into effect since taking office in 2019, including the Housing, Jobs and Sustainable Communities Act; the Career Readiness Act; the Durbin Feeling Language Preservation Act; the Historic Registry Act; the Cherokee Heritage Center Act; the Park, Wildlands, Fishing and Hunting Preserve Act; the Public Health and Wellness Act; the Verna D. Thompson Early Childhood Education Act; the Wilma P. Mankiller & Charlie Soap Water Act; the Respond, Recover and Rebuild initiative; and the Cherokee Nation Justice System expansion initiative.
Other elements reflect a Mississippian ceremonial design and symbolize the Cherokee communities being interwoven with the Cherokee Nation and tribal government. Vertical and horizontal rectangles inside the circle reflect the 70 years of the Cherokee National Holiday.
The Cherokee National Holiday commemorates the signing of the Cherokee Nation Constitution in 1839, which re-established the tribes government in Indian Territory after forced removal from the Cherokees original homelands in the Southeast.
Vendors interested in arts and crafts or food booth space can now register on the Cherokee National Holiday website atwww.thecherokeeholiday.com. The public is also invited to join the Holiday conversation early by participating in the online community accessible from the Holiday website.
Cherokee Vote began in 2013 to encourage citizen participation in tribal, city, county and federal elections. Similar to the nationwide Native Vote campaign, Cherokee Vote goes to local communities to assist Cherokee Nation citizens with voter registration and education. Since we began, we have registered over 13,000 voters in elections at all levels.