For centuries, the American natives have been an integral part of the American history. Among these indigenous Americans is the popular Native tribe of Cherokee. The Cherokee tribe is a North American indigenous Indian tribe originating from the Iroquoian lineage. About two centuries ago, the tribe inhabited mostly the Appalachian Mountains, western North Carolina and South Carolina. In the modern-day, Cherokee resides in northeastern Oklahoma, and a section is in North Carolina. The tribe has a population of over three hundred thousand, making it the largest indigenous tribe in America. This memo’s purpose is to analyze the Cherokee indigenous tribe through the lens of its interaction, relocation, leadership, membership, and politics and to determine whether the tribe fits to be a nation.

1. Interaction. Cherokee’s first interaction with non-natives was contact with European explorers in the mid-16^th century. (The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica par.3). This was during Hernando De Soto’s expedition in 1540 Spanish explorer. Their first non-native interaction was peaceful, as disputes following European colonization had not started.
2. Relocation. Akin to other indigenous tribes, Cherokee experienced relocation in the 1800s. Accordingly, “during the 1830’s and 1840’s, the period covered by the Indian Removal Act, many Cherokees were moved west to a territory that is now the State of Oklahoma” (U.S. Department of the Interior par.1). The event is popularly regarded as “the Trail of Tears.” The movement was not voluntary as it was a forced relocation by the government. The reason was to provide arable land for cotton growing and gold discovery in Cherokee lands, Georgia.
3. Leadership. The tribe has a democratically elected form of government containing a principal chief, deputy chief and tribal council. Evidently, “the principal chief and deputy principal chief are elected every four years by a popular vote of Cherokee Nation citizens” (Oklahoma Historical Society par.5). Similarly, the indigenous tribe has been granted jurisdictions over their territory and have the authority to rule and enact law within their tribal lands.
4. Membership. Membership in the tribe is determined by lineage and blood quantum. For one to be a member, one has to have an ancestor listed in the Dawes Rolls. Crawford affirms, “Cherokee Nation citizenship is a legal determination based on a person’s ability to trace his or her ancestry back to the Dawes Rolls” (Crawford par.3). Fundamentally, a person has to show that they have at least Cherokee blood to be considered a member.
5. Political. For decades, the Cherokee tribe has been actively involved with political issues. For example, they are engaged with issues like tribal sovereignty, protection of the environment and human rights. Evidently, “today, Native Americans continue to advocate for their indigenous sovereign rights and to be treated with the same dignity awarded to all Americans” (Department of Justice par.7). They have also been advocating for the protection of tribal sacred sites and natural resources.

As per the lecture and readings definition, the Cherokee tribe is fit to be defined as a “nation.” Fundamentally, a nation contains many people united by various factors like common ancestry, history, culture, language and similar territory. Thus, the Cherokee tribe fits as a nation because its people share similar cultures, live in a similar territory and have a common language. Similarly, a “nation” also refers to the Indigenous Indian tribes federally recognized by the American government. Fundamentally, the Cherokee tribe is among the indigenous tribes recognized by the federal government as a sovereign nation. The lands they occupy are recognized as sovereign tribal lands and are protected by the Constitution. Also, “the tribe forged itself into a strong national political state, created their own native alphabet, adopted a written constitution, and ultimately provided political, social, and economic leadership not only for the tribe but also for the nation” (Oklahoma Historical Society par.6). This political organization makes it fit for the tribe to be referred to a nation.

On the other hand, Meza’s article fits into this context because it explores a critical issue affecting Native tribes’ sovereignty, whereby the Cherokee tribe is also affected and mentioned. Generally, the article discusses the adopted Indian education policy threatening tribal sovereignty as it is causing Native languages and cultures to become extinct. This is also an issue experienced by the Cherokee tribe in its efforts to advocate for tribal sovereignty. The article also provides solutions like language preservation to enhance tribal sovereignty. For example, “North Carolina recently passed a bill that allows the Cherokee language to satisfy its state-mandated high school foreign language requirements” (Meza 14). With this example, the article fits into this context as it talks about the preservation of the Cherokee language to secure tribal sovereignty and Cherokee’s future generation. The article also uses the 1931 Cherokee Nation v. Georgia court ruling to demonstrate that “tribes are domestic dependent nations” (Meza 5). This fits into this context as it explains how Cherokee fit the definition of a “nation” in the preceding discussion.

To conclude, it is evident that Cherokee is powerful and the largest Native American tribe in Oklahoma and North Carolina. Despite its population dropping following the 19^th-century relocation, the tribe’s population is currently over three hundred thousand. It is also apparent that Cherokee’s first interaction was with a Spanish explorer in 1540; it had powerful leadership, was active politically, and the Dawes Rolls determined membership into the tribe. Similarly, it is also clear that the tribe fits to be a nation fueled by its political organization and federal recognition of the tribe’s sovereignty. Also, Meza’s article fits the context as it discusses tribal issues threatening their sovereignty, touching on the discussed tribe. Moving forward, Cherokee may be faced with cultural erosion. This can be addressed through initiatives and policies that enhance cultural preservation.