Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation
Encyclopedia
Principal Chief is today the title of the chief executives of the Cherokee Nation
, of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians
, and of the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians
, the three federally recognized tribes of Cherokee
. In the eighteenth century, when the people were organized by clans and towns, they would appoint a leader for negotiations with the Europeans. They called him Uku, or First Beloved Man.
The title of "Principal Chief" was created in 1794 when the Cherokee began to formalize a centralized political structure, forming the original Cherokee Nation
. The Cherokee Nation–East adopted a written constitution in 1827, creating a government with three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial. The Principal Chief was elected by the National Council, which was the legislature of the Nation. The Cherokee Nation–West adopted a similar constitution in 1833. The reunited nation adopted one constitution in 1839. In 1868, the Eastern Band created a separate and distinct constitution and formalized the position of Principal Chief. The position had existed in the east since the time of Yonaguska
.
In 1906, the US government dismantled the Cherokee Nation
's governmental structure under the Dawes Act
(except for allowing the tribe to retain limited authority to deal with remaining land issues, which lasted until June 1914). Following passage of the federal Indian Reorganization Act
of 1934 and the Oklahoma Indian Welfare Act
of 1936, the Keetoowah Nighthawk Society
organized in 1939 as the United Keetoowah Band. The Bureau of Indian Affairs
approved their constitution in 1940.
The president began appointing a Principal Chief for the non-UKB Cherokee in 1941. In 1975, these Cherokee drafted their constitution as the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, which was ratified on June 26, 1976. In 1999, they approved several changes to the constitution, including the removal of the qualifying phrase "of Oklahoma" from their name, leaving it simply "Cherokee Nation".
. They migrated first to the Chickamauga (now Chattanooga, Tennessee
) region, then to the "Five Lower Towns" area —further west and southwest of there —in order to continue fighting (see Chickamauga Wars). In time, their numbers became a majority of the nation, due to both sympathy with their cause and the destruction of the homes of the other Cherokee who later joined them. The separation ended at a reunification council with the Cherokee Nation in 1809.
Chiefs:
) in the aftermath of the assassination by frontiersmen of Corntassel (also called Cornsilk) and several other leaders. Hanging Maw of Coyatee, listed above, claimed the title as his right by tradition, as he was the headman of the Upper Towns. Many Cherokee and the US government recognized him as Principal Chief. Little Turkey was finally recognized as "Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation" by all the towns after the end of the Chickamauga Wars when the Cherokee established their first nominal national government.
and White River
s in what was first Spanish Louisiana and later Arkansas Territory
, the Western Cherokee eventually migrated to Indian Territory
after the Treaty of Washington in 1828. They named their capital there Tahlontiskee. John Jolly died while the Latecomers were arriving and John Looney succeeded automatically. Looney was deposed by the council and replaced with Brown with a view toward putting the Cherokee Nation West in a better position vis-a-vis the Ross party. After the murders of Major Ridge
, John Ridge
, and Elias Boudinot
(Treaty party members who supported the Old Settlers) in June 1839, the council had a change of heart about resisting Ross' autocratic demands and desposed Brown, replacing him with Looney. A sizable faction of the Old Settlers refused to recognize Looney and elected Rogers in his stead, but their efforts to maintain autonomy petered out the next year.
After removal to the Indian Territory
, on the Trail of Tears
, a new constitution was put into place, unifying the former Eastern Cherokee with the Western Cherokee, which allowed for direct election of the Principal Chief. Though a holdout minority of the Old Settlers elected John Rogers
as their principal chief, his government never gained any further support and soon faded away. The Ross faction also abandoned the established capital of Tahlontiskee and built Tahlequah
instead. During the Civil War, the Nation voted to support the Confederacy, and Ross acquiesed for a time. In 1862, however, he and many of his supporters fled to Washington, upon which Stand Watie was elected Principal Chief by a majority of the Nation. The remaining Ross group never supported Watie's election, though, and lived apart under their own officials.
. In 1971 an election was held. Principal Chief and incumbent, W.W. Keeler, who had been appointed by President Harry Truman in 1949, was elected. The constitution of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma
was drafted in 1975 and ratified on 26 June 1976. A new constitution was ratified in 2003 with the name of the tribe changed to simply "Cherokee Nation".
Cherokee Nation
The Cherokee Nation is the largest of three Cherokee federally recognized tribes in the United States. It was established in the 20th century, and includes people descended from members of the old Cherokee Nation who relocated voluntarily from the Southeast to Indian Territory and Cherokees who...
, of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians
Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians , is a federally recognized Native American tribe in the United States of America, who are descended from Cherokee who remained in the Eastern United States while others moved, or were forced to relocate, to the west in the 19th century. The history of the...
, and of the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians
United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians
The United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma is a federally recognized tribe of Cherokee Indians headquartered in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. The United Keetoowah are also referred to as the UKB...
, the three federally recognized tribes of 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...
. In the eighteenth century, when the people were organized by clans and towns, they would appoint a leader for negotiations with the Europeans. They called him Uku, or First Beloved Man.
The title of "Principal Chief" was created in 1794 when the Cherokee began to formalize a centralized political structure, forming the original Cherokee Nation
Cherokee Nation (19th century)
The Cherokee Nation of the 19th century —an historic entity —was a legal, autonomous, tribal government in North America existing from 1794–1906. Often referred to simply as The Nation by its inhabitants, it should not be confused with what is known today as the "modern" Cherokee Nation...
. The Cherokee Nation–East adopted a written constitution in 1827, creating a government with three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial. The Principal Chief was elected by the National Council, which was the legislature of the Nation. The Cherokee Nation–West adopted a similar constitution in 1833. The reunited nation adopted one constitution in 1839. In 1868, the Eastern Band created a separate and distinct constitution and formalized the position of Principal Chief. The position had existed in the east since the time of Yonaguska
Yonaguska
Yonaguska, who was also known as Drowning Bear , was a figure of persistence and endurance in the story of the Cherokee. He was a reformer who banished alcoholic drinks from his land and his people after receiving a vision warning him to do so. Yonaguska challenged Rev...
.
In 1906, the US government dismantled the Cherokee Nation
Cherokee Nation (19th century)
The Cherokee Nation of the 19th century —an historic entity —was a legal, autonomous, tribal government in North America existing from 1794–1906. Often referred to simply as The Nation by its inhabitants, it should not be confused with what is known today as the "modern" Cherokee Nation...
's governmental structure under the Dawes Act
Dawes Act
The Dawes Act, adopted by Congress in 1887, authorized the President of the United States to survey Indian tribal land and divide the land into allotments for individual Indians. The Act was named for its sponsor, Senator Henry L. Dawes of Massachusetts. The Dawes Act was amended in 1891 and again...
(except for allowing the tribe to retain limited authority to deal with remaining land issues, which lasted until June 1914). Following passage of the federal Indian Reorganization Act
Indian Reorganization Act
The Indian Reorganization Act of June 18, 1934 the Indian New Deal, was U.S. federal legislation that secured certain rights to Native Americans, including Alaska Natives...
of 1934 and the Oklahoma Indian Welfare Act
Oklahoma Indian Welfare Act
The Oklahoma Indian Welfare Act of 1936, also known as the Thomas-Rogers Act, is a United States federal law that extended the US Indian Reorganization Act of 1934. It sought to return some form of tribal government to the many tribes in former Indian Territory...
of 1936, the Keetoowah Nighthawk Society
Keetoowah Nighthawk Society
The Keetoowah Society were the spiritual core of the Cherokee people during their early years in Oklahoma Cherokee Culture, namely the early 1900s...
organized in 1939 as the United Keetoowah Band. The Bureau of Indian Affairs
Bureau of Indian Affairs
The Bureau of Indian Affairs is an agency of the federal government of the United States within the US Department of the Interior. It is responsible for the administration and management of of land held in trust by the United States for Native Americans in the United States, Native American...
approved their constitution in 1940.
The president began appointing a Principal Chief for the non-UKB Cherokee in 1941. In 1975, these Cherokee drafted their constitution as the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, which was ratified on June 26, 1976. In 1999, they approved several changes to the constitution, including the removal of the qualifying phrase "of Oklahoma" from their name, leaving it simply "Cherokee Nation".
Early leaders
Before 1794, the Cherokee had no standing national government. Their structure was based on clans and towns, which had chiefs. The clans had functions within each town and the tribe. The towns appointed some leaders to represent the nation to British, sometimes French, and later American authorities. The Cherokee first used the title Uku,, "First Beloved Man," which the English adapted as "Chief." His function was as the focal point for negotiations with Europeans.- Charitey Hagey of Tugaloo (1716–1721)
- Wrosetasatow of KeoweeKeoweeKeowee was a Cherokee town in the north of present-day South Carolina. It was settled in what is present day Oconee County, the westernmost county of South Carolina, at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains, just north of Clemson...
(1721–1729) - Long Warrior of TanasiTanasiTanasi is a historic Overhill Cherokee village site in Monroe County, Tennessee, in the southeastern United States. The village is best known as the namesake for the state of Tennessee...
(1729–1730) - Moytoy of Great TellicoGreat TellicoGreat Tellico was a Cherokee town at the site of present-day Tellico Plains, Tennessee, where the Tellico River emerges from the Appalachian Mountains. Great Tellico was one of the largest Cherokee towns in the region, and had a sister town nearby named Chatuga. Its name in Cherokee is more...
(1730–1741) - AmouskositteAmouskositteAmouskositte, or Amo-sgiasite, Prince of Chota , of Great Tellico was the son of Moytoy of Tellico and attempted to succeed him as "Emperor of the Cherokee", a title given his father by Alexander Cuming. Few Cherokee recognized him as their First Beloved Man, and by 1753 both he and Tellico had...
of Great Tellico (1741–1753) - Kanagatucko (Stalking Turkey) of ChotaChota (Cherokee town)Chota is a historic Overhill Cherokee site in Monroe County, Tennessee, in the southeastern United States. For much of its history, Chota was the most important of the Overhill towns, serving as the de facto capital of the Cherokee people from the late 1740s until 1788...
(1753–1760) - Standing TurkeyStanding TurkeyStanding Turkey — also known as Cunne Shote or Kunagadoga — succeeded his uncle, Kanagatucko, or Old Hop, as First Beloved Man of the Cherokee upon the latter's death in 1760...
of Chota (1760–1761) - Attakullakulla of TanasiTanasiTanasi is a historic Overhill Cherokee village site in Monroe County, Tennessee, in the southeastern United States. The village is best known as the namesake for the state of Tennessee...
(1761–1775) - OconostotaOconostotaOconostota was the Warrior of Chota and the First Beloved Man of the Cherokee from 1775 to 1781.-Meaning of the name:...
of Chota (1775–1781) - SavanukahSavanukahSavanukah was the Raven of Chota in the late 18th century. The nephew of Oconostota, he became First Beloved Man of the Cherokee in the fall of 1781. He was ousted by the elders of the Overhill towns in 1783 in favor of the more pacifist Old Tassel...
of Chota (1781–1783) - CorntasselOld TasselUtsi'dsata, or Corntassel, known to history as Old Tassel, became First Beloved Man, at least of the Overhill and other non-belligerent Cherokee, in 1783 after the elders removed his predecessor, The Raven of Chota...
of Chota (1783–1788) - Little TurkeyLittle TurkeyLittle Turkey was elected First Beloved Man by the general council of the Cherokee upon the move of the council's seat to Ustanali on the Conasauga River following the murder of Corntassel in 1788...
(1788–1794)- opposed by Hanging MawHanging MawHanging Maw, or Uskwa'li-gu'ta in Cherokee, was the leading chief of the Overhill Cherokee from 1788 to 1794. They were located in present-day Tennessee...
(1788–1794)
- opposed by Hanging Maw
Chickamauga/Lower Cherokee (1777–1809)
In 1777, Dragging Canoe and a large body of Cherokee seceded from the tribes which had signed treaties of peace with the Americans during the American RevolutionAmerican Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
. They migrated first to the Chickamauga (now Chattanooga, Tennessee
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Chattanooga is the fourth-largest city in the US state of Tennessee , with a population of 169,887. It is the seat of Hamilton County...
) region, then to the "Five Lower Towns" area —further west and southwest of there —in order to continue fighting (see Chickamauga Wars). In time, their numbers became a majority of the nation, due to both sympathy with their cause and the destruction of the homes of the other Cherokee who later joined them. The separation ended at a reunification council with the Cherokee Nation in 1809.
Chiefs:
- Dragging CanoeDragging CanoeTsiyu Gansini , "He is dragging his canoe", known to whites as Dragging Canoe, was a Cherokee war chief who led a band of Cherokee against colonists and United States settlers...
(1777–1792) - John WattsJohn Watts (Cherokee chief)John Watts, or Kunokeski, also known as Young Tassel, was one of the leaders of the Chickamauga during the Chickamauga Wars, particularly after the murder of his uncle, Old Tassel, by marauding frontiersmen firing upon delegates at a peace conference in 1788...
(1792–1802) - DoubleheadDoubleheadDoublehead or Incalatanga , was one of the most feared warriors of the Cherokee during the Chickamauga Wars. In 1788, his brother, Old Tassel, was chief of the Cherokee people, but was killed under a truce by frontier rangers. In 1791 Doublehead was among a delegation of Cherokees who visited U.S...
(1802–1807) - The GlassThe Glass (Cherokee chief)Tagwadihi , better known as The Glass, was a leading chief of the Cherokee in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, eventually becoming the last principal chief of the Lower Cherokee...
, or Ta'gwadihi (1807–1809)
Cherokee Nation East (1794–1839)
Little Turkey was elected First Beloved Man of the Cherokee (the council seat of which was shifted south to Ustanali near what is now Calhoun, GeorgiaCalhoun, Georgia
Calhoun is a city in Gordon County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 15,650. The city is the county seat of Gordon County.-Geography:Calhoun is located at , along the Oostanaula River....
) in the aftermath of the assassination by frontiersmen of Corntassel (also called Cornsilk) and several other leaders. Hanging Maw of Coyatee, listed above, claimed the title as his right by tradition, as he was the headman of the Upper Towns. Many Cherokee and the US government recognized him as Principal Chief. Little Turkey was finally recognized as "Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation" by all the towns after the end of the Chickamauga Wars when the Cherokee established their first nominal national government.
- Little TurkeyLittle TurkeyLittle Turkey was elected First Beloved Man by the general council of the Cherokee upon the move of the council's seat to Ustanali on the Conasauga River following the murder of Corntassel in 1788...
(1794–1801) - Black FoxBlack Fox (chief)Black Fox was a brother-in-law of Dragging Canoe. He was a signatory of the Holston Treaty . Black Fox was chief of Ustanali town and was the Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation from 1801 to 1811. He was the leading negotiator for the Cherokee with the United States federal government during...
(1801–1811) - PathkillerPathkillerPathkiller, , fought in the Revolutionary War for Britain, then in the Chickamauga Wars against American frontiersmen . He was the Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation from 1811-1827. Pathkiller, a fullblood, "unacculturated" Cherokee, was the last individual from a conservative background to...
(1811–1827)- Big TigerBig TigerBig Tiger was Principal Chief of the council of a dissident group of Cherokee who followed the teachings of Whitepath , a full-blood traditionalist leader and member of the Cherokee National Council who lived at Turnip Town , on the Large Ellijay .-Background:Influenced by the teachings of the...
(1824–1828); principal chief of the faction of those in the Nation following WhitepathWhitepathNunnahitsunega, or "Whitepath", was a full-blood traditionalist leader and member of the Cherokee National Council who lived at Turnip Town , near the large Ellijay in the early 19th century...
's teachings inspired by the SenecaSeneca nationThe Seneca are a group of indigenous people native to North America. They were the nation located farthest to the west within the Six Nations or Iroquois League in New York before the American Revolution. While exact population figures are unknown, approximately 15,000 to 25,000 Seneca live in...
prophet Handsome LakeHandsome LakeHandsome Lake was a Seneca religious leader of the Iroquois people. He was also half-brother to Cornplanter....
.
- Big Tiger
- Charles R. HicksCharles R. HicksCharles Renatus Hicks was one of the most important Cherokee leaders in the early 19th century; together with James Vann and Major Ridge, he was one of a triumvirate of younger chiefs urging the tribe to acculturate to European-American ways and supported a Moravian mission school to educate the...
(1827), de facto head of government from 1813 - William HicksWilliam Hicks (Cherokee chief)William Abraham Hicks became Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation in 1827 after being elected to succeed his older brother, Charles R. Hicks, the longtime Second Principal Chief who died on 20 January 1827, just two weeks after assuming office as Principal Chief...
(1827–1828) - John RossJohn Ross (Cherokee chief)John Ross , also known as Guwisguwi , was Principal Chief of the Cherokee Native American Nation from 1828–1866...
(1828–1839)- William HicksWilliam Hicks (Cherokee chief)William Abraham Hicks became Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation in 1827 after being elected to succeed his older brother, Charles R. Hicks, the longtime Second Principal Chief who died on 20 January 1827, just two weeks after assuming office as Principal Chief...
(1833–1835), elected principal chief of the faction supporting emigration to the west.
- William Hicks
Cherokee Nation West (1810–1839)
Originally along the St. FrancisSt. Francis River
The Saint Francis River is a tributary of the Mississippi River, about long, in southeastern Missouri and northeastern Arkansas in the United States...
and White River
White River (Arkansas)
The White River is a 722-mile long river that flows through the U.S. states of Arkansas and Missouri.-Course:The source of the White River is in the Boston Mountains of northwest Arkansas, in the Ozark-St. Francis National Forest southeast of Fayetteville...
s in what was first Spanish Louisiana and later Arkansas Territory
Arkansas Territory
The Territory of Arkansas, initially organized as the Territory of Arkansaw, was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 4, 1819 until June 15, 1836, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Arkansas.-History:The...
, the Western Cherokee eventually migrated to Indian Territory
Indian 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...
after the Treaty of Washington in 1828. They named their capital there Tahlontiskee. John Jolly died while the Latecomers were arriving and John Looney succeeded automatically. Looney was deposed by the council and replaced with Brown with a view toward putting the Cherokee Nation West in a better position vis-a-vis the Ross party. After the murders of Major Ridge
Major Ridge
Major Ridge, The Ridge was a Cherokee Indian member of the tribal council, a lawmaker, and a leader. He was a veteran of the Chickamauga Wars, the Creek War, and the First Seminole War.Along with Charles R...
, John Ridge
John Ridge
John Ridge, born Skah-tle-loh-skee , was from a prominent family of the Cherokee Nation, then located in present-day Georgia. He married Sarah Bird Northup, of a New England family, whom he had met while studying at the Foreign Mission School in Cornwall, Connecticut...
, and Elias Boudinot
Elias Boudinot (Cherokee)
Elias Boudinot , was a member of an important Cherokee family in present-day Georgia. They believed that rapid acculturation was critical to Cherokee survival. In 1828 Boudinot became the editor of the Cherokee Phoenix, which was published in Cherokee and English...
(Treaty party members who supported the Old Settlers) in June 1839, the council had a change of heart about resisting Ross' autocratic demands and desposed Brown, replacing him with Looney. A sizable faction of the Old Settlers refused to recognize Looney and elected Rogers in his stead, but their efforts to maintain autonomy petered out the next year.
- The Bowl (1810–1813)
- Degadoga (1813–1817)
- TahlonteeskeeTahlonteeskeeTahlonteeskee, is the name of several Cherokee, and one Creek Indian, during the period of the Chickamauga Wars. The name, , has been translated as "The Disturber" or "The Upsetter"....
(1817–1819) - John JollyJohn JollyJohn Jolly, ; , was Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation—West when the 1828 constitution was adopted...
(1819–1838) - John LooneyJohn Looney (Cherokee chief)John Looney was the last person elected Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation West by the whole tribe, and that was his second election to that office...
(1838–1839) - John BrownJohn Brown (Cherokee chief)John Brown, formerly judge of the Chickamauga District of the Cherokee Nation East, was elected Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation West 22 April 1839, after the Old Settlers decided to elect new officers to strengthen their position vis-a-vis the Latecomers under John Ross, in place of then...
(1839) - John LooneyJohn Looney (Cherokee chief)John Looney was the last person elected Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation West by the whole tribe, and that was his second election to that office...
(1839) - John RogersJohn Rogers (Cherokee chief)John Rogers was the last elected Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation West, elected 11 October 1839 by the faction of Old Settlers who rejected the unity constitution of September 1839. The rejectionist faction gained no further adherents and the effort died the next year. Rogers was the nephew...
(1839–1840)
Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (1824–present)
- YonaguskaYonaguskaYonaguska, who was also known as Drowning Bear , was a figure of persistence and endurance in the story of the Cherokee. He was a reformer who banished alcoholic drinks from his land and his people after receiving a vision warning him to do so. Yonaguska challenged Rev...
(1824–1839) - William Holland ThomasWilliam Holland ThomasWilliam Holland Thomas was Principal Chief of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and an officer in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War....
(1838–1869) - Salonitah, or Flying Squirrel (1870–1875)
- Lloyd R. Welch (1875–1880)
- Nimrod Jarrett Smith (1880–1891)
- Stillwell SaunookeStillwell SaunookeStillwell Saunooke was a professional football player who played in the National Football League during the 1922 season. That season he joined the NFL's Oorang Indians. The Indians were a team based in LaRue, Ohio, composed only of Native Americans, and coached by Jim Thorpe...
(1891–1895) - Andy Standing Deer (1895–1899)
- Jesse Reed (1899–1903)
- Bird Saloloneeta, or Young Squirrel (1903–1907)
- John Goins Welch (1907–1911)
- Joseph A. Saunooke (1911–1915)
- David Blythe (1915–1919)
- Joseph A. Saunooke (1919–1923)
- Sampson Owl (1923–1927)
- John A. Tahquette (1927–1931)
- Jarret Blythe (1931–1947)
- Henry Bradley (1947–1951)
- Jarret Blythe (1955–1959)
- Osley Bird Saunooke (1951–1955)
- Jarret Blythe (1955–1959)
- Olsey Bird Saunooke (1959–1963)
- Jarret Blythe (1963–1967)
- Walter Jackson (1967–1971)
- Noah Powell (1971–1973)
- John A. Crowe (1973–1983)
- Robert S. Youngdeer (1983–1987)
- Jonathan L. Taylor (1987–1995)
- Gerard Parker (1995)
- Joyce DuganJoyce DuganJoyce Dugan is the former Principal Chief of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. She became Principal Chief in 1995, and was the first woman to be elected to the office. She is half Cherokee and half-white. She is the author of a book entitled The Cherokee which describes the history and cultural...
(1995–1999) - Leon Jones (1999–2003)
- Michell Hicks (2003–present)
Cherokee Nation in Indian Territory (1839–1907)
Indian 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...
, on the Trail of Tears
Trail of Tears
The Trail of Tears is a name given to the forced relocation and movement of Native American nations from southeastern parts of the United States following the Indian Removal Act of 1830...
, a new constitution was put into place, unifying the former Eastern Cherokee with the Western Cherokee, which allowed for direct election of the Principal Chief. Though a holdout minority of the Old Settlers elected John Rogers
John Rogers (Cherokee chief)
John Rogers was the last elected Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation West, elected 11 October 1839 by the faction of Old Settlers who rejected the unity constitution of September 1839. The rejectionist faction gained no further adherents and the effort died the next year. Rogers was the nephew...
as their principal chief, his government never gained any further support and soon faded away. The Ross faction also abandoned the established capital of Tahlontiskee and built Tahlequah
Tahlequah, 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...
instead. During the Civil War, the Nation voted to support the Confederacy, and Ross acquiesed for a time. In 1862, however, he and many of his supporters fled to Washington, upon which Stand Watie was elected Principal Chief by a majority of the Nation. The remaining Ross group never supported Watie's election, though, and lived apart under their own officials.
- John RossJohn Ross (Cherokee chief)John Ross , also known as Guwisguwi , was Principal Chief of the Cherokee Native American Nation from 1828–1866...
(1839–1862)- Thomas Pegg, acting principal chief of the Union Cherokee (1862–1863)
- Smith Christie, acting principal chief of the Union Cherokee (1863)
- Lewis DowningLewis DowningLewis Downing served as Chief of the Cherokee Nation from 1867 to 1872. After the death of John Ross, he was a compromise candidate who worked to heal divisions in the tribe following removal to the Indian Territory and the American Civil War.-Background:...
, acting principal chief of the Union Cherokee (1864–1866)
- Stand WatieStand WatieStand Watie , also known as Standhope Uwatie, Degataga , meaning “stand firm”), and Isaac S. Watie, was a leader of the Cherokee Nation and a brigadier general of the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War...
, (1862–1866) - John Ross (1866)
- William P.RossWilliam P.RossWilliam Potter Ross was the Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation. He was chosen by the National Council on October 19, 1866 and served for several months until the election in 1867. He was later elected to succeed Lewis Downing, and served from 1872 to 1875.-References:**, Discoverkingsport.com...
(1866–1867) - Lewis Downing (1867–1872)
- William P. Ross (1872–1875)
- Charles ThompsonCharles Thompson (Cherokee Chief)Charles Thompson lived near the present-day site of Lake Spavinaw, following the Trail of Tears. He served in Drew's Regiment of the Army of the Confederate States of America and then in the Union Army....
(1875–1879) - Dennis BushyheadDennis BushyheadDennis Bushyhead was the Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation. He served from 1879 to 1887.-Biography:Bushyhead was born in the state of Tennessee, the oldest son of Rev. Jesse Bushyhead and Miss Eliza Wilkinson, who was from Georgian and of partial Cherokee ancestry...
(1879–1887) - Joel B. MayesJoel B. MayesJoel Bryan Mayes was Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation.-Early life and education:He was born in present-day Bartow County, Georgia on October 2, 1833, of mixed Cherokee and white ancestry...
(1887–1891) - C. J. HarrisC. J. HarrisC. J. Harris was born April 19, 1856. His father was White and his mother was Cherokee. Harris' public life began with his election to the Cherokee senate in 1881. On the death of J.B...
(1891–1895) - Samuel Houston MayesSamuel Houston MayesSamuel Houston Mayes was Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation from 1895 to 1899.-Background:He was born May 11, 1845, near Stilwell, Oklahoma and was named for Samuel Houston, a friend of his father, Samuel Mayes. He was brother of Joel B. Mayes...
(1895–1899) - Thomas BuffingtonThomas BuffingtonThomas Mitchell Buffington was born in 1855, in Indian Territory. He served as Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation from the 14th to the 23rd of December, 1891, upon the deaths of the Principal Chief Joel B. Mayes and the Second Chief Henry Chambers, as he had right of succession, being president...
(1899–1903) - William RogersWilliam Charles RogersWilliam Charles Rogers was born near Claremore, Oklahoma on the 13th of December 1847. A successful farmer, he entered local politics in 1881.A member of the Downing Party, he was elected Principal Chief in 1903, defeating E. L. Cookson of the National Party...
(1903–1905); deposed by the council - Frank J. Boudinot (1905–1906); also president of the Keetoowah Nighthawk SocietyKeetoowah Nighthawk SocietyThe Keetoowah Society were the spiritual core of the Cherokee people during their early years in Oklahoma Cherokee Culture, namely the early 1900s...
- William Rogers (1906–1914); reinstated by the federal government
United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians (1939–present)
- John Hitcher (1939–1946)
- Jim Pickup (1946–1954)
- Jeff Tindle (1954–1960)
- Jim Pickup (1960–1967)
- William Glory (1967–1979)
- James L. Gordon (1979–1983)
- John Hair (1983–1991)
- John Ross (1991–1995)
- Jim Henson (1996–2000)
- Dallas Proctor 2000 – 2004
- George Wickliffe 2005 – present
Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma/Cherokee Nation (1941–Present)
In preparation for Oklahoma statehood, the original Cherokee Nation's governmental authority was dismantled by the United States in 1906, except for limited authority to deal with land issues until 1914, and the office of Principal Chief was appointed by the US federal governmentFederal government of the United States
The federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and...
. In 1971 an election was held. Principal Chief and incumbent, W.W. Keeler, who had been appointed by President Harry Truman in 1949, was elected. The constitution of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma
Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma
The Cherokee Nation is the largest of three Cherokee federally recognized tribes in the United States. It was established in the 20th century, and includes people descended from members of the old Cherokee Nation who relocated voluntarily from the Southeast to Indian Territory and Cherokees who...
was drafted in 1975 and ratified on 26 June 1976. A new constitution was ratified in 2003 with the name of the tribe changed to simply "Cherokee Nation".
Elected
- W.W. Keeler (1971–1975)
- Ross SwimmerRoss SwimmerRoss O. Swimmer is the Special Trustee for American Indians at the U.S. Department of the Interior. Swimmer attended the University of Oklahoma, where he received both his Bachelor of Arts and Juris Doctor degrees...
(1975–1985) - Wilma MankillerWilma MankillerWilma Pearl Mankiller was the first female Chief of the Cherokee Nation. She served as principal chief for ten years from 1985 to 1995.-Early life:...
(1985–1995) - Joe ByrdJoe Byrd (Cherokee Chief)Joe Byrd was the Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation from 1995 to 1999. Byrd is bilingual, with an ability to communicate in both Cherokee and English. He ran for re-election in 1999, but lost to Chad Smith. He ran again in 2003, but again lost to the incumbent Smith.-Biography:Byrd was born...
(1995–1999) - Chad "Corntassel" Smith (1999–2011)
- S. Joe Crittenden (acting, 2011)
- Bill John BakerBill John BakerBill John Baker is a Cherokee Nation councilperson, businessman, and Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation.-Background:Bill John Baker was born in Cherokee County, Oklahoma. He is 1/32 Cherokee by blood. He graduated from Tahlequah High School...
(2011—present)
Sources
- Brown, John P. Old Frontiers. (Kingsport: Southern Publishers, 1938).
- Conley, Robert J. The Cherokee Nation: A History. (Albuquerque: University of New Mexico PressUniversity of New Mexico PressThe University of New Mexico Press, founded in 1929, is a university press that is part of the University of New Mexico. Its administrative offices are in the Office of Research , on the campus of UNM in Albuquerque....
, 2008). - Hoig, Stanley. The Cherokees and Their Chiefs: In the Wake of Empire. (Fayeteeville: University of Arkansas PressUniversity of Arkansas PressThe University of Arkansas Press is a university press that is part of the University of Arkansas. It was established in 1980, and the press issues an average of twenty titles per year. The press is a member of the Association of American University Presses....
, 1998) - McLoughlin, William G.William G. McLoughlinWilliam Gerald McLoughlin was an historian and prominent member of the history department at Brown University from 1954 to 1992. His subject areas were the history of religion in the United States, revivalism, the Cherokee, missionaries to Native Americans, abolitionism, and Rhode Island.Born in...
Cherokee Renascence in the New Republic. (Princeton: Princeton University PressPrinceton University Press-Further reading:* "". Artforum International, 2005.-External links:* * * * *...
, 1992). - Mooney, James. Myths of the Cherokee and Sacred Formulas of the Cherokee. (Nashville: Charles and Randy Elder-Booksellers, 1982).
- Moore, John Trotwood and Austin P. Foster. Tennessee, The Volunteer State, 1769–1923, Vol. 1. (Chicago: S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1923).
- Wilkins, Thurman. Cherokee Tragedy: The Ridge Family and the Decimation of a People. (New York: Macmillan Company, 1970).