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Visit Cherokee Nation
Frequently Asked Questions

COMMON QUESTIONS

There are a variety of ways to learn the Cherokee language. We offer live online classes as well as community-based classes. We also operate an immersion Cherokee language school for K through 6th grade. Additionally, there are numerous language resources on our website and in our Gift Shop.

HISTORY

The first recorded encounters with the Europeans were with Spanish explorer Hernando DeSoto in 1540. DeSoto and his conquistadors were on an expedition seeking gold which took them across much of the "new world," including trekking through what is now Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas, Tennessee, Alabama, Arkansas, and Mississippi.
Cherokees are thought to have descended from southeastern mound-building cultures and for centuries inhabited what became the southeastern U.S. in parts of northern Georgia and Alabama, along with southern Tennessee and western North Carolina. Our hunting areas extended into Kentucky and Virginia. Neighboring tribes included the Muscogee, Yuchi, Chickasaw, and others.
The Dawes Act of February 8, 1887, was a turning point in determining tribal citizenship. The Act developed a Federal commission tasked with creating Final Rolls for the Cherokees, Chickasaws, Choctaws, Creeks, and Seminoles in Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma). The Commission prepared new citizenship rolls for each tribe, incorporating names of approved applicants while simultaneously documenting those who were considered doubtful and ultimately rejected. Upon approval of the Rolls, the Dawes Commission allotted a share of communal land to the approved individual citizens of these Tribes in preparation for Oklahoma statehood (1907). The Dawes Commission required that the individual or family reside in Indian Territory to be considered for approval. While the official process started with the 1896 Applications, these were eventually declared null and void. Two years later, the Curtis Act amended the process and required applicants to re-apply even if they had filed under the original 1896 process. With new guidelines in place, the Commission continued to accept applications from 1898 through 1907, with a handful accepted in 1914. The list of approved applications created the "Final Rolls of the Citizens and Freedmen of the Five Civilized Tribes in Indian Territory." –source archives.gov

Today the Dawes Rolls of the Cherokee Nation is used as the base roll for citizenship in our tribe.
There are many wonderful history books, but we are especially partial to our newest published book “Cherokee Nation: A History of Survival, Self Determination, and Identity.” (Authors Bob Blackburn, Duane King, and Neil Morton) The book takes readers through the challenges and opportunities that have shaped our tribe.

CULTURE

Cherokees have long enjoyed games and gaming. The origins of some of our oldest games, such as Cherokee marbles, are lost to time. Many of our popular games were originally a means to teach skills that would translate over to accuracy for hunting or warfare. Examples of that include blow gun contests, cornstalk shoots, and chunkey, a sport where players throw spears at a rolling chunkey stone. The player with the nearest spear when the stone stops receives a point. Anitsodi (stickball) was historically used in place of war to settle disagreements. Modern-day stickball is similar to Lacrosse and consists of two teams battling for control of a small leather ball in order to score points by striking it against a target at the top of a tall pole. Cherokee marbles is a more strategic game, played by throwing stone or billiard ball marbles across an L-shaped course. Cherokees have also adopted horseshoes and hatchet throwing as part of the traditional games lexicon. Traditional games competitions are held throughout the spring and summer in Cherokee communities.
The seal of the Cherokee Nation was created by an executive Act under Chief Lewis Downing in 1869. The Act calls for the seal to contain a seven-pointed star inside of a wreath of oak leaves, symbolizing the eternal flame of the Cherokee people. The star is not designated to point a specific direction, but in the original version from 1869, it rests on a single downward point. The points of the star represent the seven traditional Cherokee clans. Within the rings of the seal, the words Cherokee Nation, September 6, 1839, are included, recognizing the date of the signing of the first Cherokee Nation Constitution after relocation to Indian Territory, as well as the date of the Act of Union, uniting the Old Settlers and Eastern Immigrant Cherokees into a single Cherokee Nation government once again.
The Cherokee Flag contains the Cherokee Nation seal (see the question above for the full symbolism of the seal) in the middle with seven stars in the outer field along with a single, black star. The seven stars in the outer field represent the seven clans, and the one additional star, which is black, is to remember those who died as a result of the Trail of Tears.
The food palate has changed over time but Cherokees still enjoy traditional foods at family get-togethers and other special occasions. Some Cherokee favorites include cornmeal-dredged fried crawdads, wild onions cooked with eggs, fried hog meat, fried fish, brown beans, bean bread, greens such as kochani, poke sallet and watercress, and desserts such as grape dumplings and kanutsi. While fry bread and Indian tacos are enjoyed by many, they are not considered true traditional foods.
Traditional Cherokees may consult with medicine people for help with medical problems, dilemmas in their lives or other problems. There are fewer medicine people alive and practicing today, but those few are still known by traditionalists and others in Cherokee communities. If you are a Cherokee who believes in and practices the traditional Cherokee way, you will already be familiar with who these people are or will know others who can lead you to one. Additionally, Cherokee acquaintances, family or friends may refer you if they are aware of your need. We are not at liberty to suggest such an individual.

We also caution you about the many fraudulent people now online and elsewhere who claim to be a traditional Cherokee medicine man/woman or a "shaman" (Shamanism is not a part of the Cherokee traditional belief system). Many offer to provide or teach ceremonies for a fee, a dead giveaway that they are not legitimate.

Our traditional beliefs and traditional people are highly respected; you can show great respect by not asking traditional people to share ceremony or beliefs if they do not wish to. The proper way to find a medicine person is to be part of a Cherokee community, ceremonial ground or family and to come to know this person through those connections. Please do not contact Cherokee Nation asking to be put into contact with a medicine man or woman, or asking us to help you become one.
Marriage licenses can be obtained by tribal citizens through the Cherokee Nation court, where there is also a list maintained of those who are licensed to perform weddings under Cherokee Nation law. The type of ceremony is up to the couple, although traditional weddings are more appropriate for couples who follow traditional Cherokee practices. Similarly, funeral services or burial ceremonies are best aligned with how a person lived their life. If they were part of a traditional community while living, a traditional Cherokee ceremony may be held. Otherwise, a more mainstream funeral service is typically adhered to.
Cherokees have long enjoyed games and gaming. The origins of some of our oldest games, such as Cherokee marbles, are lost to time. Many of our popular games were originally a means to teach skills that would translate over to accuracy for hunting or warfare. Examples of that include blow gun contests, cornstalk shoots, and chunkey, a sport where players throw spears at a rolling chunkey stone. The player with the nearest spear when the stone stops receives a point. Anitsodi (stickball) was historically used in place of war to settle disagreements. Modern-day stickball is similar to Lacrosse and consists of two teams battling for control of a small leather ball in order to score points by striking it against a target at the top of a tall pole. Cherokee marbles is a more strategic game, played by throwing stone or billiard ball marbles across an L-shaped course. Cherokees have also adopted horseshoes and hatchet throwing as part of the traditional games lexicon. Traditional games competitions are held throughout the spring and summer in Cherokee communities.
Many people have the impression that the Cherokee historically had princesses. In fact, the title of "princess" in Cherokee culture never existed. There is the possibility that a chief’s daughter may have been thought of as a princess by other visiting cultures, in much the same way that a king's daughter would have been called a princess. This position or title, however, was never used by the Cherokee. Today, “Miss Cherokee” is the winner of an academic competition for a scholarship. She holds her title for one year, acting as an ambassador of goodwill on behalf of the Cherokee Nation. Many people undoubtedly confuse this honor with being a "Cherokee Princess."
Cherokee attire, just like everyone else’s, has changed through the years. Prior to European contact, Cherokees typically wore buckskin clothing, decorated with beads and shells, including traditional pucker-toe moccasins. As trade between Cherokees and Europeans became common, the clothing style began to reflect that, with a combination of trade cloth shirts and buckskin leggings and skirts often seen towards the late 1700s-early 1800s. Copper and silver jewelry and accessories also became commonly worn items. Earrings were common among both men and women. By the mid-1800s, the majority of Cherokees had adopted European fashions. Today’s Cherokees wear modern clothing reflecting the fashion of our times, but when they wish to wear traditional clothing for a special occasion, women will typically wear a tear dress and men a ribbon shirt. Tear dresses are a modern interpretation of 19th-century dresses and are colorfully made with calico cloth adorned with intricate piecework and ribbons.
In general, Cherokee clans have not been written down and recorded anywhere. Clans can be very difficult to determine if you do not have an elder in your family who is traditional enough to know the clan system and what clan your family may have belonged to. A Cherokee person's clan comes through their mother, so if their mother is/was not Cherokee, the person is usually considered to be without a clan.
Frenchman Christian Priber, who is said to have claimed to be a member of the Jesuit order, established himself among the Cherokee in 1736. Priber learned our language and promoted Christian principles as well as a vision for a "utopian society." Priber's work along with that of other missionaries eventually brought about the conversion of some Cherokees from their own religious ceremonialism and rituals to Christianity. The first known Cherokee conversion to Christianity was 1773. In 1801, the first permanent Christian mission in the Cherokee Nation was established, providing education as well as religious training. Called the Moravian Mission, it was located at Springplace, in present-day Georgia. Cherokees embraced the educational aspects of these mission schools, sometimes more than the spiritual aspects, feeling it helped them and their children be competitive among the dominant culture.

Today the majority of Cherokees practice some denomination of Christianity, with Baptist and Methodist the most common. However, a significant number of Cherokees still observe and practice older traditions, meeting at stomp grounds in local communities to hold stomp dances and other ceremonies. The stomp grounds are private; participation is almost always restricted to those who already practice traditional ceremonies and are part of those communities. They are by invitation only.

MISCELLANEOUS

The amount of Cherokee or other tribe that a person carries from their ancestry is called a blood quantum. Blood quantum is expressed in fractions, with 4/4 often being referred to as a “full blood” person. Each successive generation combines the blood quantum of two parents, then divides in half. Blood quantum is only assigned to those who have verified, legal documentation of their ancestry, through the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Upon tribal citizenship in the Cherokee Nation, a Certificate Degree of Indian Blood card is issued through the BIA, stating the person’s blood quantum. For Cherokee Nation citizens, a blood quantum is computed from the nearest direct ancestor on the Dawes Rolls. Blood quantum listings on the Dawes Rolls of Cherokee Nation range from 4/4 down to 1/256.
The Cherokee Nation doesn't do genealogy or family history research for the public. However, there are many places that will. Many other locations for information on genealogical research may be found on the internet. The Cherokee Heritage Center also has genealogists available to assist people in researching their Cherokee ancestry for a fee. You can reach them at 918-456-6007 or by visiting their website at www.cherokeeheritage.org.
No. However, a tribal citizen may receive tribal services paid for by federal funds, federal grants or Cherokee Nation-generated dollars. While there are a few Native American tribes across the United States that have chosen to disburse business revenue directly to their citizens, Cherokee Nation has chosen instead to invest our revenue to help educate, employ and assist Cherokee Nation citizens. This assistance is available through a multitude of avenues including tribal health care, housing, water and sanitation, roads, law enforcement, jobs, elder services, scholarships, and many other programs.
Yes. The Cherokee Nation Marshal Service is a full-fledged, certified law enforcement agency with jurisdiction throughout the Cherokee Nation. The Marshal Service is cross-deputized with 50 municipal, county, state and federal agencies. With more than 30 deputy marshals, the agency focuses on prevention and justice in matters concerning criminal activities in Cherokee communities.
Strictly speaking, there is no unclaimed or unaccounted for Cherokee allotment land from the Dawes era. If your ancestor received an allotment, there are a number of reasons why it might no longer be in your family. The land varied in acreage size and in location. Sometimes an allottee received land in up to four different counties, but most commonly in at least in two. It is possible that your ancestor's land could still be in the name of the original allottee. The land could have been sold by the original allottee, just as each of us may buy or sell land today. The land may have been lost to adverse possession as provided by state law.

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