Tribal Council
In the early 1600's the basic political unit of the Cherokee was the town. A town consisted of all the people who used a single ceremonial center. Within each town, a council handled political affairs. The Cherokee tribe consisted of a number of politically independent towns held together by a common culture, language and history. No formal political mechanism existed on the tribal level.
The Cherokee national capitol was located at Echota in what is now Tennessee. It was situated on a high mound and was a huge heptagon-shaped building where all festivals were celebrated, major war parties assembled before going off to war, and from where a measure of control was dispensed to the entire nation.
The Cherokee council was comprised of a representative body of the clan system or social order. In effect, it gave everyone in the community a voice in the national government. When needed, the local council representatives served on the national council, also giving the local community a voice in the national government.
Today, the Legislative Branch consists of a 17-member Tribal Council. The Tribal Council is elected by popular vote to four year terms. There are 15-members elected to represent the districts within the Cherokee Nation jurisdictional boundaries and 2-members At-Large elected to represent those citizens who live outside the boundaries. The Tribal Council initiates legislation and conducts other business which will further the interests of the Cherokee Nation and its citizenship. An elected Speaker presides over the Council as its president.
Click here to print off the FAQs.
The Cherokee Nation Tribal Council uses the Legislative Research Center to file and research legislation and meetings. This on-line service features full text search of legislation, status, dates, actions, and attachments. There is also a calendar of Council and Committee meetings, with agendas and action summaries attached.
Note: This on-line service is best viewed with Internet Explorer (Version 5.5 or later). Please contact the Council House at council-public@cherokee.org if you need assistance.
1. Go to the Legislative Research Center.
2. Type in the complete File ID (ie. LA-00-00 or R-00-00) or any key words.
3. Specify what year in the date field or select All.
4. Specify what type (ie. Act, Resolution, etc,) or select All then click Search Legislation.
5. Once the file opens click the "Text" tab in the middle of the page to view the body of the item.
6. When you open the file of all passed legislation, you will see attachments listed showing the PDF version of the final legislation.
1. Go to the Legislative Research Center.
2. Click advanced search
3. In the Final Action Date field enter the specific **Council meeting date using mm/dd/yy (for example: 06/15/09).
4. Then click on Search Legislation.
5. A list of legislation adopted on a specific date will appear on your screen. You can then click on the File ID link to go to each file.
6. In the file, you will see Attachments listed. Select the attachment with the same name as the enactment #. Open and print.
** Council meetings are held on the first Monday following the second Saturday of each month.
Note: The final versions of adopted legislation are available in Legistar 7-10 days following each Council meeting when approved.
Please note that Official Copies must still be obtained from the Council House.
1. Go to the Legislative Research Center.
2. Type in the complete File ID (ie. LA-00-00 or R-00-00) or any key words.
3. Specify what year in the date field or select All.
4. Specify what type (ie. Act, Resolution, etc,) or select All then click Search Legislation.
5. Once you have found the item, click on the File # link to go to the file.
6. On this page, you will see the legislative history (Hint make sure the "history" tab is clicked in the middle of the page).
7. To view voting details click on the action details link.
1. Go to the Legislative Research Center or Council Calendar.
2. Click on the Calendar tab.
3. Select the Time criteria then select Committee type or All, then click Search Calendar.
4. When you see the meeting you would like to view, look to the right of the page for meeting details, agendas and/or minutes.
Note: Meeting agendas are posted at least ten (10) days prior to the meeting date.
REPORT DISCLAIMER:
This page is a public resource of general information. The Cherokee Nation Tribal Council
makes no warranty, representation or guaranty as to the content, sequence, accuracy,
timeliness or completeness of any of the database information provided herein. The reader
should not rely on the data provided herein for any reason. The Cherokee Nation Tribal
Council explicitly disclaims any representations and warranties, including, without
limitation, the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose.
The Cherokee Nation Tribal Council shall assume no liability for: 1) Any errors, omissions,
or inaccuracies in the information provided regardless of how caused; and 2) any missing or
incomplete agenda reports. [Certified Copies of Legislative Acts and Resolutions must be
obtained in person from the Council of the Cherokee Nation]; or 3) any decision made or
action taken or not taken by reader in reliance upon any information for data furnished hereunder...
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