At least 300 years prior to the passage of the United States Constitution, North American democracy began with the Iroquois Confederacy's Law of the Great Peace. The Cherokee belong to the Iroquois language family of eastern North America.

The representative democracy of the Iroquois was extensively studied and praised by Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson, who proposed it as the basis for the United States Constitution. In a backhanded compliment at the Albany Congress in 1754, Franklin said he found it hard to believe that the 13 colonies could not agree to a political union when "Six Nations of ignorant savages" had formed one.

Today, the Cherokee Nation Consitution established a blueprint for our tribal government and allowed us to construct a set of laws to effectively govern the second largest indian tribe in the United States.

1999/2003 Constitution - The 1999 constitution convention created this new constitution which was voted and approved by the people during the 2003 tribal elections and enacted by Cherokee Nation in 2006.

Gakusdvdi - July 2006 in pdf format

Cherokee Constitution Education Forums Schedule

A review and comparison between the 1976 and 1999 Constitutions of the Cherokee Nation in preparation for the Ratification Vote on July 26, 2003

Comparison of the 1976 and 1999 Cherokee Nation Constitutions, in pdf format

Constitutional Forum - Taped April 14, 2003, includes video and audio.

Audio only version, this may work better for those us who have a slow internet connection.

Cherokee Constitution Education Forums To Be Held
The Constitution Convention Commission of the Cherokee Nation will host a series of Education Forums throughout the Cherokee Nation and across the United States in preparation for the upcoming Constitution amendment and ratification vote in May and July.

Comparison of the 1976 and 1999 Constitutions of the Cherokee Nation
A review and comparison between the 1976 and 1999 Constitutions of the Cherokee Nation in preparation for the Ratification Vote on July 26, 2003

Feb. 2000 Letter from D. Jay Hannah, Chairman - 1999 Constitution Convention
On December 14,1999 Principal Chief Chad Smith received the Bureau of Indian Affairs response to the Constitution Commission’s nine-month effort to receive approval of the New Constitution we adopted on March 6, 1999.

LEGISLATIVE ACT NO. 10-98
AN ACT CREATING A CONSTITUTION CONVENTION COMMISSION

1975 - Constitution of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma
APPROVED FOR REFERENDUM BY THE COMMISSIONER MORRIS THOMPSON ON SEPTEMBER 5, 1975. SECOND BY THE PRINCIPAL CHIEF OF THE CHEROKEE NATION, ROSS 0. SWIMMER ON OCTOBER 2, 1975

(Part 1 of 2) Proposed Constitution to delegates
A proposed new constitution which the Constitution Convention Committee has approved to be recommended to the delegates of the 1999 Cherokee Nation Constitution Convention.

(Part 2 of 2) Proposed Constitution to delegates
A proposed new constitution which the Constitution Convention Committee has approved to be recommended to the delegates of the 1999 Cherokee Nation Constitution Convention.

ADOPTED Constitution DRAFT - Before undergoing Style Committee
(3-6-99, 7:04pm) Constitution Convention is over and the Adopted Draft of the Constitution of the Cherokee Nation as submitted by the Constitution Convention is here.