Thomas Mitchell Buffington was born in 1855, in 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...

. He served as Principal Chief of 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...

 from the 14th to the 23rd of December, 1891, upon the deaths of the Principal Chief Joel B. Mayes

Joel B. Mayes

Joel 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...

 and the Second Chief Henry Chambers, as he had right of succession, being president of the Senate.

He later served as mayor of Vinita

Vinita, Oklahoma

Vinita is a city in south-central Craig County, Oklahoma. As of 2009, the population estimate was 6,057. It is the county seat of Craig County.-Geography:...

. In 1899 he resigned as mayor and ran for the office of Principal Chief and won, serving until 1903.

After serving as Principal Chief

Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation

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...

 for the second time, Buffington served as mayor of Vinita till 1917. He lived until 1938.