Cherokee heritage groups
Encyclopedia
Cherokee heritage groups are associations, societies and other organizations located across the United States
and in other countries that seek to preserve key Cherokee
concepts of ceremonial, cultural and natural value. They incorporate genealogy, language, social interaction and sharing of information between members. Some heritage groups sponsor and support protection of geographic areas, buildings, plants, documents, relics or spiritually related information. While many modern groups are liberal in their membership and focus on powwows and other festivals which have not historically been a part of Cherokee culture, others such as the Original Keetoowah Society
are restrictive in membership and meet in secret. The Cherokee Nation encourages people of Cherokee heritage to take pride in their heritage and become active in heritage groups even if they are not eligible for citizenship.
in what is the present-day state of Oklahoma
, the Cherokee, Creek (Muskogee) and Natchez formed the "Four Mothers Society" to resist the federal government's attempts of forced assimilation
and break up of the five civilized tribes.
Other heritage groups and associations are not entities that have existed from historical times. While some are steadfast in their desire to be historically and culturally accurate, others may incorporate non-traditional elements such as powwows or Plains Indian dress. Heritage Groups whose goals are based on language preservation typically focused on either the Eastern or Western dialects.
Recognized tribes have encouraged the federal government to hold to a system of "Tribal" recognition rather than "Indian" or individual recognition, and an origin benchmark of 1871.
. Cherokee Nation spokesman Mike Miller said that some Heritage groups are encouraged (Glenn 2006). Former Eastern Band Chief Jones said "There are non-recognized Indian tribes in the United States that absolutely should have been previously recognized and through unfortunate historical twists of fate have not been."
Cherokee Nation spokesman Mike Miller has discussed that some groups, which he calls Cherokee Heritage Groups
, are encouraged. Others, however, are controversial for their attempts to gain economically through their claims to be Cherokee, a claim which is disputed by two of the federally recognized Tribes, who assert themselves as the only groups having the legal right to present themselves as Cherokee Indian Tribes.
While heritage groups may base their membership on cultural and genealogical requirements, tribal recognition is more complex in its adherence to academic, legal, historic, sociological, anthropological and genealogical principles.
In the census for the year 2000, there were 729,533 people who self identified as Cherokee and only about 250,000 people who were enrolled at the time in one of the three Federally Recognized Cherokee Tribes. Many people with genuine Cherokee heritage will never meet the qualifications to become citizens in a federally recognized tribe. The Cherokee Nation does not question anyone's claim of heritage or ancestry.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and in other countries that seek to preserve key Cherokee
Cherokee
The Cherokee are a Native American people historically settled in the Southeastern United States . Linguistically, they are part of the Iroquoian language family...
concepts of ceremonial, cultural and natural value. They incorporate genealogy, language, social interaction and sharing of information between members. Some heritage groups sponsor and support protection of geographic areas, buildings, plants, documents, relics or spiritually related information. While many modern groups are liberal in their membership and focus on powwows and other festivals which have not historically been a part of Cherokee culture, others such as the Original Keetoowah Society
Original Keetoowah Society
The Original Keetoowah Society is a Cherokee religious organization that preserves the culture and teachings of the Keetoowah Nighthawk Society in Oklahoma....
are restrictive in membership and meet in secret. The Cherokee Nation encourages people of Cherokee heritage to take pride in their heritage and become active in heritage groups even if they are not eligible for citizenship.
Origins
The origins of these groups can sometimes be found in those opposing certain treaties, allotment of lands, the Cherokee Civil War and abandonment of spiritual beliefs in the late 1800s. In the Indian TerritoryIndian Territory
The Indian Territory, also known as the Indian Territories and the Indian Country, was land set aside within the United States for the settlement of American Indians...
in what is the present-day state of Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
, the Cherokee, Creek (Muskogee) and Natchez formed the "Four Mothers Society" to resist the federal government's attempts of forced assimilation
Forced assimilation
Forced assimilation is a process of forced cultural assimilation of religious or ethnic minority groups, into an established and generally larger community...
and break up of the five civilized tribes.
Other heritage groups and associations are not entities that have existed from historical times. While some are steadfast in their desire to be historically and culturally accurate, others may incorporate non-traditional elements such as powwows or Plains Indian dress. Heritage Groups whose goals are based on language preservation typically focused on either the Eastern or Western dialects.
Individual recognition
Some people who are ineligible for tribal membership join Heritage groups to identify with the Cherokee. The majority of Heritage groups are formed by those who rally around a cause such as "Save Kituwah", language preservation, or to maintain cultural art forms such as basket weaving. Both the Eastern and Western Cherokee have master teachers in these art forms with large followings. The rise of Social Media has helped connect individuals with interests in genealogy and heritage. Members of "I am Cherokee and I can prove it" meet only on Facebook and have "virtual hog fries". Eastern European heritage groups use the social media to connect with Cherokee in the U.S. and share information.Recognized tribes have encouraged the federal government to hold to a system of "Tribal" recognition rather than "Indian" or individual recognition, and an origin benchmark of 1871.
Tribal recognition
Heritage groups have sometimes sought recognition as Cherokee tribes. The politically active "Keetowah Society" and the spiritual "Nighthawk Keetowah Society" later influenced the formation of the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in 1946. The United Keetoowah Band is recognized by the U.S. government and is located north of Tahlequah, OklahomaTahlequah, Oklahoma
Tahlequah is a city in Cherokee County, Oklahoma, United States located at the foothills of the Ozark Mountains. It was founded as a capital of the original Cherokee Nation in 1838 to welcome those Cherokee forced west on the Trail of Tears. The city's population was 15,753 at the 2010 census. It...
. Cherokee Nation spokesman Mike Miller said that some Heritage groups are encouraged (Glenn 2006). Former Eastern Band Chief Jones said "There are non-recognized Indian tribes in the United States that absolutely should have been previously recognized and through unfortunate historical twists of fate have not been."
Cherokee Nation spokesman Mike Miller has discussed that some groups, which he calls Cherokee Heritage Groups
Cherokee heritage groups
Cherokee heritage groups are associations, societies and other organizations located across the United States and in other countries that seek to preserve key Cherokee concepts of ceremonial, cultural and natural value. They incorporate genealogy, language, social interaction and sharing of...
, are encouraged. Others, however, are controversial for their attempts to gain economically through their claims to be Cherokee, a claim which is disputed by two of the federally recognized Tribes, who assert themselves as the only groups having the legal right to present themselves as Cherokee Indian Tribes.
While heritage groups may base their membership on cultural and genealogical requirements, tribal recognition is more complex in its adherence to academic, legal, historic, sociological, anthropological and genealogical principles.
In the census for the year 2000, there were 729,533 people who self identified as Cherokee and only about 250,000 people who were enrolled at the time in one of the three Federally Recognized Cherokee Tribes. Many people with genuine Cherokee heritage will never meet the qualifications to become citizens in a federally recognized tribe. The Cherokee Nation does not question anyone's claim of heritage or ancestry.
Listing of Cherokee Heritage Groups
- Albuquerque Cherokee Nation Township (Cherokee Nation)Albuquerque Cherokee Nation Township (Cherokee Nation)The Cherokee Southwest Township in Albuquerque, New Mexico, is a large group of Cherokee families from the Cherokee Nation.The township incorporated under the Cherokee Nation as a Cherokee Township for Cherokee Nation citizens who migrated to New Mexico during the Oklahoma dust bowl in the 1930s...
- Cherokee Cultural Society (Houston, TexasHouston, TexasHouston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
) - Kentucky Cherokee Heritage group (Henderson County, KentuckyHenderson County, KentuckyHenderson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It was formed in 1799. As the latest census data update of 2010, the population was counted 46,250. The county seat is the City of Henderson. The county was named for Colonel Richard Henderson who originally purchased of land...
)
See also
- CherokeeCherokeeThe Cherokee are a Native American people historically settled in the Southeastern United States . Linguistically, they are part of the Iroquoian language family...
- DiasporaDiasporaA diaspora is "the movement, migration, or scattering of people away from an established or ancestral homeland" or "people dispersed by whatever cause to more than one location", or "people settled far from their ancestral homelands".The word has come to refer to historical mass-dispersions of...
- Ethnic groupEthnic groupAn ethnic group is a group of people whose members identify with each other, through a common heritage, often consisting of a common language, a common culture and/or an ideology that stresses common ancestry or endogamy...
- List of Native American Tribal Entities
- List of unrecognized tribes
- Native Americans in the United StatesNative Americans in the United StatesNative Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...