The Cherokee Nation

The Cherokee Nation states on its website that it is a federally recognised government with inherent sovereign status which has been recognised by treaty and law. By stating this, The Cherokee Nation immediately reinforces its importance to the Cherokee people. Furthermore, they also make note of the significance they have to the United States.

With more than 300,000 citizens, over 8,000 employees and a variety of tribal enterprises ranging from aerospace and defense contracts to entertainment venues, Cherokee Nation’s economic impact in Oklahoma and surrounding areas is more than $1.5 billion annually. We are one of the largest employers in northeastern Oklahoma. We are the largest tribal nation in the United States.

Especially in this time of recession, it is clear to see that The Cherokee Nation is valuable to the citizens of Oklahoma, but also that they are significant to the contribution of Native Americans in the United States as a whole. By stating that they are the largest tribe reinforces the fact that they are keeping their culture alive in today's modern world.

On the website, The Cherokee Nation offers many services not only to its citizens but to other Native Americans throughout its tribal jurisdiction also. The website offers help in areas such as housing, community, education, career services and many more. They also state that these services are often there to help citizens to help themselves, reinforcing their values of education in order to further enrich people's lives. Interestingly, they state that:

The Cherokee Nation dedicates resources through federal funding and tribal revenue to provide these and other services to the citizens who need them most.

This federal funding could be seen as reparations for the way the Cherokees were treated, as The Cherokee Nation has a full history on their website, including first hand accounts of the Trail of Tears, showing that they will never forget.

There is also an issues section of the website which, interestingly, has fraudulent groups as one of their main concerns. Many fake Indian groups have tried to pass themselves off as real in order to make money as they apply for and receive aid from the historic treaty-based obligations that was intended for Indians. Another main concern is the distortion of the true Indian history in order to make the fake group seem credible. This thus helps to reinforce the fact that the Cherokee Nation if an affluent organisation so much so that fraudsters are trying their hardest to reap the benefits intended for them.

By studying The Cherokee Nation's website it's clear to see that this is a strongly established group that has strength in numbers but also in passion for their culture. Their main concerns are that people will forget their rich history, and that's why the website is set up to educate with such detailed accounts of their history. Furthermore, their sense of community is strong throughout the website, offering support to others and events such as Remember the Removal which reiterates the tragedy of the Trail of Tears and what the Cherokee members can do to remember those Native Americans that were slaughtered.