Tribal Issues

Like all governments, the Cherokee Nation is faced with government-to-government relationships with the Federal government, state and local governments as well as other tribal governments.  Today, tribal governments are faced with protecting their rights to function as an independent government.  This page is a resource of current tribal issues faced by Cherokee Nation.

House Passes Cobell Settlement

The $3.4 billion settlement to the Indian trust fund lawsuit passed the House on Thursday, July 1, after being included in an appropriations measure. Section 5003 of H.R.4899 authorizes the settlement. It provides $1.412 billion in payments to individual Indians and creates a $2 billion land consolidation fund. Here's the latest development:

House Passes Cobell Settlement

 Citizenship Status of Non-Indians

The Cherokee Nation voted on March 3, 2007 to amend our Constitution to clarify eligibility for Cherokee citizenship. An overwhelming majority voted that to be a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, you must be able to trace your lineage to one Indian ancestor listed on the base roll of our people, also known as the Dawes Roll. Our Constitution has been amended accordingly.  For more information visit http://freedmen.cherokee.org

Recognition of Fraudulent Tribes

Fraudulent groups passing themselves off as tribes have become big business over the past two decades, with more than two hundred that claim to be some sort of Cherokee tribe. There are only three federally-recognized Cherokee tribes, two in Oklahoma and one in North Carolina.  Many of the would-be Cherokee “tribes” are cultural societies or history clubs, whose members may or may not belong to any federally-recognized tribes.  Still others are more harmful and some are even created for criminal purposes.  For more information visit http://tribalrecognition.cherokee.org.