The Cherokee Nation is a sovereign tribal government. Upon settling in Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma) after the Indian Removal Act, the Cherokee people established a new government in what is now the city of Tahlequah, Oklahoma. A constitution was adopted on September 6, 1839, 68 years prior to Oklahoma’s statehood.
Today, the Cherokee Nation is the largest tribe in the United States with more than 370,000 tribal citizens worldwide. More than 141,000 Cherokee Nation citizens reside within the 14-county tribal jurisdictional area that covers most of northeastern Oklahoma. Services provided include health and human services, education, employment, housing, economic and infrastructure development, environmental protection and more. With approximately 11,000 employees, Cherokee Nation and its subsidiaries are one of the largest employers in northeastern Oklahoma. The tribe had a more than $2.16 billion economic impact on the Oklahoma economy in fiscal year 2018.
MISSION:
The Cherokee Nation is committed to protecting our inherent sovereignty, preserving and promoting Cherokee culture, language and values, and improving the quality of life for the next seven generations of Cherokee Nation citizens.
Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. announced Tuesday the Cherokee Nation Historic Registry Act, proposed legislation that will provide a comprehensive framework for identifying, protecting and preserving properties of historical significance to the tribe. Chief Hoskin unveiled the proposed legislation during a visit to historic Saline Courthouse in Delaware County.
Cherokee Nation injected nearly $2.2 billion into the Oklahoma economy last year. New research shows the tribe and its businesses continue to expand their economic footprint through employment, labor income, production of goods and services, and more.
An economic impact report by Dr. Russell Evans, principal at the Economic Impact Group and associate professor of economics at Oklahoma City University, shows the Cherokee Nation remains one of the state’s biggest economic drivers. Tribal officials announced the tribe’s impact today during a forum luncheon with several state, county and local officials in attendance.
Leaders from the Cherokee Nation and Indian Health Service joined hundreds of guests to celebrate the grand opening of the tribe’s new 469,000-square-foot outpatient health center on Thursday. The four-story facility on the campus of W.W. Hastings Hospital in Tahlequah is the largest outpatient health center in the U.S. to be operated by a tribe.
