Southern Cherokee Nation of Kentucky
Encyclopedia
The Southern Cherokee Nation of Kentucky (SCNK) claim descent from the 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...

 forcibly removed 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...

 in 1838, and to have first emerged as a distinct political faction
Political faction
A political faction is a grouping of individuals, such as a political party, a trade union, or other group with a political purpose. A faction or political party may include fragmented sub-factions, “parties within a party," which may be referred to as power blocs, or voting blocs. The individuals...

 known as the Treaty Party
Treaty of New Echota
The Treaty of New Echota was a treaty signed on December 29, 1835, in New Echota, Georgia by officials of the United States government and representatives of a minority Cherokee political faction, known as the Treaty Party...

 before 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...

, circa 1835. They report having fled Indian territory, after the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...

, circa 1871 for Kentucky to escape Reconstruction era violence. They have been headquartered at Henderson, Kentucky
Henderson, Kentucky
Henderson is a city in Henderson County, Kentucky, United States, along the Ohio River in the western part of the state. The population was 27,952 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Evansville Metropolitan Area often referred to as "Kentuckiana", although "Tri-State Area" or "Tri-State" are more...

 since the late 19th century, and, according to the State-Journal of Frankfort, Kentucky
Frankfort, Kentucky
Frankfort is a city in Kentucky that serves as the state capital and the county seat of Franklin County. The population was 27,741 at the 2000 census; by population it is the 5th smallest state capital in the United States...

, they are assumed to be the oldest Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native 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...

 presence in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The SCNK states it had an estimated one thousand members as of 2009, living in several US states, and that it is "not affiliated with any other group calling themselves Southern Cherokee".

Constitutional government

According to the official website of the Southern Cherokee Nation of Kentucky, they adhere to the constitution
Constitution
A constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. These rules together make up, i.e. constitute, what the entity is...

 established in 1835 by 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...

, leader of the “Treaty Party”, and it is the basis for their constitutional government
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...

. They have amended it five times since 1835, and markedly revised it in 1960 when Chief William H. Buley allowed marginalized Cherokees to gain Southern Cherokee citizenship
Citizenship
Citizenship is the state of being a citizen of a particular social, political, national, or human resource community. Citizenship status, under social contract theory, carries with it both rights and responsibilities...

. In 2008, the constitution was revised again to forbid the establishment of any casinos
Casino
In modern English, a casino is a facility which houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. Casinos are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships or other tourist attractions...

. The constitution allows for free worship, but in order to hold public office one must believe in God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....

. The Government of the SCNK has been divided into three independent branches namely the Executive
Executive
Executive may refer to:* Executive , branch of government that has sole authority and responsibility for the daily administration of the state bureaucracy* Executive , monthly news magazine established in 1999...

, the Legislative and the Judicial so that no one branch has all the power. The Legislature is bicameral in nature consisting of a National Committee
Committee
A committee is a type of small deliberative assembly that is usually intended to remain subordinate to another, larger deliberative assembly—which when organized so that action on committee requires a vote by all its entitled members, is called the "Committee of the Whole"...

 and a Council
Council
-In politics:* Borough council, a form of local government* City council, a form of local government* Community council, the most local official representative bodies in Scotland and Wales...

 which together comprise the National Council. Southern Cherokee citizens must be 18 years old to vote, and Chiefs must be at least 21 years old to hold office.

Executive declarations

The Southern Cherokee Nation of Kentucky was recognized by Governor John Young Brown on December 26, 1893, and then acclaimed by Governor Ernie Fletcher
Ernie Fletcher
Ernest Lee "Ernie" Fletcher is a Republican politician from the U.S. state of Kentucky. In 1999, he was elected to the first of three consecutive terms in the United States House of Representatives; he resigned in 2003 after being elected the 60th governor of Kentucky and served in that office...

, on November 20, 2006. Although Gov. Brown's executive letter specifically states: "We regonize[sic] the Southern Cherokee Nation, as an Indian tribe...", the 2006 proclamation
Proclamation
A proclamation is an official declaration.-England and Wales:In English law, a proclamation is a formal announcement , made under the great seal, of some matter which the King in Council or Queen in Council desires to make known to his or her subjects: e.g., the declaration of war, or state of...

 from Gov. Fletcher makes no such statement. However, within the proclamation the Governor does state: "Whereas, on December 26, 1893, the Southern Cherokee were welcomed to Kentucky and recognized as an Indian tribe by Governor John Y. Brown...". The City of Henderson, Kentucky also issued a proclamation paying tribute to the Southern Cherokee Nation of Kentucky on February 24, 2009, and it also acknowledges Gov. Brown's 1893 recognition.

State recognition status

Although the Southern Cherokee Nation of Kentucky is recognized by the Executive Branch
Governor of Kentucky
The Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky is the head of the executive branch of government in the U.S. state of Kentucky. Fifty-six men and one woman have served as Governor of Kentucky. The governor's term is four years in length; since 1992, incumbents have been able to seek re-election once...

 in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, the state has no formal legislative criteria for the recognition of Indian tribes. However, Rep. Reginald Meeks
Reginald Meeks
Reginald K. Meeks is a Democratic Party member of the Kentucky House of Representatives, representing District 42 since 2000.-External links:* official KY Senate website* profile*Follow the Money - Reginald K Meeks** campaign contributions...

, D-Louisville, as of January 24, 2011 introduced a bill
Bill (proposed law)
A bill is a proposed law under consideration by a legislature. A bill does not become law until it is passed by the legislature and, in most cases, approved by the executive. Once a bill has been enacted into law, it is called an act or a statute....

 (HB 50) in the Kentucky House of Representatives
Kentucky House of Representatives
The Kentucky House of Representatives is the lower house of the Kentucky General Assembly. It is composed of 100 Representatives elected from single-member districts throughout the Commonwealth. Not more than two counties can be joined to form a House district, except when necessary to preserve...

 to establish a formal process for state recognition of American Indian tribes. On Feb 23-3rd reading the bill passed 60-37, and on Feb 24 it was received in the Kentucky Senate
Kentucky Senate
The Kentucky Senate is the upper house of the Kentucky General Assembly. The Kentucky Senate is composed of 38 members elected from single-member districts throughout the Commonwealth. There are no term limits for Kentucky Senators...

. Rep. Meeks filed the same bill in the House twice before, and seen it passed there only to see it then locked in the "Senate State and Local Government Committee". Thus far the bill has not made it to the Senate Floor for a vote.

See also

  • State recognized tribes
  • Scuffletown, Kentucky
    Scuffletown, Kentucky
    Scuffletown is a ghost town in Henderson County in the western part of the U.S. state of Kentucky. Located on the Ohio River just above the mouth of Green River, it was a city for barely 100 years but is legendary in the area because of activities there during the American Civil War and its rough...

  • Green River (Kentucky)
    Green River (Kentucky)
    The Green River is a tributary of the Ohio River that rises in Lincoln County in south-central Kentucky. Tributaries of the Green River include the Barren River, the Nolin River, the Pond River and the Rough River...

  • Cherokee in the American Civil War
    Cherokee in the American Civil War
    Cherokee in the American Civil War were active in two major regions. In the east, Confederate Cherokee led by William Holland Thomas hindered Union forces trying to use the Appalachian mountain passes of western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee...

  • Native Americans in the American Civil War
    Native Americans in the American Civil War
    Native Americans in the American Civil War composed various Native American bands, tribes, and nations. Native Americans served in both the Union and Confederate military during the American Civil War. At the outbreak of the war, for example, the minority party of the Cherokees gave its allegiance...

  • Indian Territory in the American Civil War
    Indian Territory in the American Civil War
    During the American Civil War, Indian Territory occupied most of what is now the U.S. state of Oklahoma and served as an unorganized region set aside for Native American tribes of the Southeastern United States; they had been removed from their lands...

  • Henderson County, Kentucky
    Henderson County, Kentucky
    Henderson 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...

  • Kentucky
    Kentucky
    The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...


External links

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