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History of Atlanta Area

The Eastern Band of the Cherokee Nation

History

The Cherokee People historically occupied parts of seven southeastern states in the continental United States. The Cherokee Nation was comprised of towns and villages situated along the broad river valleys which comprise this region of the southern Appalachian and Blue Ridge Mountains. Cherokees also controlled hunting grounds in the rugged highlands and maintained hunting camps there throughout the year. Headmen and chiefs, who were chosen through a matrilineal social system controlled by the women, governed villages and towns. This social structure consisted of seven clans of familial organization. The clans, Bird, Deer, Wolf, Blue, Long Hair, Wild Potato and Paint, lived in extended family homes constructed from waddle and daub, an adobe like clay, applied to wooden frames. The women controlled marriage and property and the matrilineal uncles principally reared children.
At the time of European contact, first by Desoto in 1540, the Cherokee were governed by two distinct administrations, one for war and one for peace. These administrations were kept separate and reflected the religious beliefs of the tribe. Religion was not seen as a separate entity but rather an important philosophical base for their life ways.
The Cherokee viewed acculturation to the new European lifestyle as a means of survival and this was reflected primarily through education. The Cherokee invited religious missionaries into the Nation to develop schools. The disparities in language within this new educational system lead to the development of the Cherokee Syllabary or alphabet by a Cherokee named George Guess, better known as Sequoyah.
By the beginning of the nineteenth century, the Cherokee Nation had adopted a written constitution as well as a bilingual newspaper. The new constitutional government fundamentally changed the social structure of the Cherokee from matrilineal to a paternalistic system.
During the 1830’s the state of Georgia wanted to expand state jurisdiction to include the Cherokee Nation and moved to do so through a series of legislative actions. The Cherokee Nation opposed these actions through the court system. The United States Supreme Court upheld Tribal Sovereignty through decisions in Cherokee Nation v. Georgia and Worchester v. Georgia but those two decisions were not supported by the administration. Subsequently, the Removal Act of 1830 was ratified by Congress and signed into law by President Andrew Jackson.
The Cherokee Nation was removed from their traditional territory during the winter and spring of 1838-1839 to Oklahoma. Nearly, 20,000 Cherokees were removed; however, only 16,000 survived the trip west. The Cherokee Nation reorganized under their original constitution and continues to live in Oklahoma today.
In North Carolina, those Cherokees who escaped removal either through a North Carolina provision called the Reservation Act of 1819 or by evading the United States Army remained behind in a land less state. By law, Native Americans were neither citizens of the United States nor the state where they resided therefore none could hold property. An adopted Cherokee named Will Thomas bought land with the Cherokees money, held the deeds in his name and allowed the fugitive Cherokees to live on and work the land. This ambiguous status continued until after the Civil War when the Cherokee question surfaced again. After several years of legal wrangling, the Cherokee formed a corporation. As a business, the Cherokee could hold the land and the land, which was to become known as the Qualla Boundary again, was in Cherokee control.
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians obtained a corporate charter from the state of North Carolina in 1870. The Cherokee decided to re-organize their government and adopted a Constitution written by Lloyd Welch. The EBCI continues to operate under the duality of a Constitution and corporate charter.
Today, the 12,500 members of the EBCI live principally on the Qualla Boundary in Western North Carolina commonly called the Cherokee Reservation. Their democratic government is controlled through the Corporate Charter and through legislation developed jointly from North Carolina codes, federal codes and through legislation written and implemented by a popularly elected Tribal Council. The Tribal Council is elected from six voting districts to serve two-year terms. The chief executive officer is the Principal Chief who along with the Vice Chief is elected every four years. Tribal government provides services for Boundary residents and operated similarly to county governments. Tribal government also controls a tribal court system to hear both criminal and civil complaints. Funding for tribal government comes from a variety of sources including grants, taxable income from a tribal levy and casino profits.
Contemporary initiatives for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians include the opening of the Ginger Lynn Welch Wellness Center, renovation of the Cherokee Indian Fair Grounds and the John Crowe Recreation Park. The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians continues to operate as a sovereign nation in providing for the prosperity of Tribal members.

To reach the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Nation tribal offices
PO Box 455
Cherokee, North Carolina 28719
(828) 497-2771
www.cherokee-nc.com

Invited Local/Original Tribes

Traditional Seminole Community

Muscogee Creek Community Members

Eastern Band of the Cherokee Nation Community Members

Invitation for Opening March

We are calling to action, all Relatives of the Four Directions of our Indigenous/Native communities to participate in the Opening March of the U.S. Social Forum on June 27th at 2pm Eastern Time zone. The National Planning Committee of the USSF is recognizing the right of our original peoples of these lands to stand first in the line up of the March. Our traditional territories and sacred lands lie within the colonial government called the United States. Please come out, bring your issues, drums, songs, Native staffs and flags, and banners to represent the great diversity of our Indigenous Nations in the historical march. Leading our Indigenous procession in the larger US Social Forum Opening March will be the Native traditional keepers of the Southeastern region surrounding Atlanta. For more information on the March please refer to this link:

Tentative Workshops
• Water
• Sacred Sites
• Energy
• Climate Change
• Direct Action Training
• De-Colonization
• Community Organizing Models
• Community-Based Sustainable Development
• Renewable Energy
• Youth
• Indigenous Women
• Indigenous Sovereignty and Treaty Rights
• Alaska Native Communities
• Southeastern History and Impacts
• Reparation, Protection and Land Reclamation
• Criminal Justice in Native Territories

For more information on how to submit a workshop or activity please go here.
For contacts to participate in a listed workshop please email: heather@USSF2007.org.

If you missed the April 27th deadline or May 11 deadline for workshop proposals please contact Heather Milton-Lightening directly at (218) 760-2022.

INDIGENOUS VOICES: A PLENARY FROM THE HEART OF MOTHER EARTH

The Indigenous Peoples plenary will provide an understanding of the Indigenous identity as developed by their history, culture, spiritual relationship, treaties and inherent rights to their land. Speakers from Alaska, Hawaii and other areas of Turtle Island including the southeastern region, will provide an understanding of the impacts of colonization and neo-colonialism in the United States, and how these impacts are manifested in today’s organizing work in and outside of Indigenous Nations, communities, organizations and individuals. The plenary will have a presentation of the road of destruction related to U.S. dependence on a fossil fuel regime and its link to climate justice and human rights. The plenary will provide models of organizing strategies and how they facilitate movement building and collaboration between Indigenous and non-Indigenous organizing.

Friday, June 29th
6 – 7:30 PM

· Cultural: Inter-Tribal Drum Group -TBA(3 min.)
· Music: Julian B., Muscogee Hip Hop Artist (3 min.)
· Co-Moderator Opens and Provides Context – Tom Goldtooth (5 min.)
· 1st Panelist: Historical Trauma experienced by the Eastern Cherokee of the Qualla Boundary of the Southeast Region of the U.S. – Patty Grant(15 min.)
· 2nd Panelist: Treaty Rights and Sovereignty of Indigenous Peoples – Tonya Gonnella Frischner (Invited) (15 min.)
· 3rd Panelist: Alaska Native Sovereignty and Protection of Land & Health (with emphasis on the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act and oil exploration) – Faith Gemmill- REDOIL (15 min.)
· 4th Panelist: Self-Determination and Struggles of Hawaiian Natives – Milillani Trask (Invited) (15 min.)
· 5th Panelist: Energy and Climate Justice – Wahleah Johns (15 min.)
· Co-Moderator Summarizes the Session – Co-Moderator TBA (5 min.)
· Cultural/Music: Indigenous Woman Singer finalizes the plenary session- TBA (3 min.)

For more information on the Plenaries, please contact: heather@USSF2007.org.

Indigenous Tent

We will have a Native American Tent for the USSF!!! This tent will be space for our folks to meet, de-brief, present and celebrate. The tent will be located at the Civic Center in close proximity to the main venues of the US Social Forum. The tent doesn't have a formal agenda but we will be creating a daily agenda in the tent for folks to perform, speak, ect. There is space for organizations and campaigners to put out information. Please contact Heather for information space.

For more information or to schedule events in the tent, please contact heather@USSF2007.org.

Tentative Indigenous Sacred Space

We are still working on protocol issues during the USSF. We are working on identifying a space for those that would like to pray together.

For more information please contact: heather@USSF2007.org.

Confirmed Organizations

REDOIL
Native Movement
Black Mesa Water Coalition
Indigenous Environmental Network
Four Directions Solidarity Network
IP3
SAGE Council
Indigenous Women’s Network
SHAWL Society
Dine CARE
White Earth Land Recovery Project
Indigenous Womens Network
Shelter of Safety
Western Shoshone Defense Project
Tonatierra

National Native Advisory Committee

Brett Ramey – Native Movement Collective & Black Mesa Water Coalition
Naomi Archer (Supporter) - Four Directions Solidarity Network
Tom Goldtooth- Indigenous Environmental Network
Twale Abrahamson- SHAWL Society
Amalia Anderson & Priscilla Settee-Indigenous Women’s Network
Carl Wassilie- REDOIL & Big Village Network
Faith Gemille- REDOIL
Cindy Domingo-USSF National Planning Committee

The Advisory meets weekly on Fridays via conference calls to give guidance and direction to Indigenous organizing and make recommendations to the US Social Forum. If you are interested in being on the calls we need more voices. Please contact Heather for more information.

National Native Organizer

Heather Milton-Lightening
heather@USSF2007.org.

FUNDING TO PARTICIPATE

For those trying to get to the US Social Forum please see the fund-raising section on this site. For additional information or leads on funding please contact Heather Milton-Lightening!!!

We want as many Native people to attend as possible!! We are fund-raising to raise funds for travel scholarships. If you can donate please do! Contact Heather Milton-Lightening for more information!

We are accepting AIRMILES too. We wanted to be creative about how we find ways to bring as many Native people to the Social Forum!!! If you have airmiles please email heather@ussf2007.org and we will match you with an Indigenous delegate!