Black Fox (c. 1746-1811) (also known as Enoli or Inali) was a brother-in-law of Dragging Canoe. He was a signatory of the Holston Treaty (2 July 1791). Black Fox was chief of Ustanali town and was the Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation from 1801 to 1811. He was the leading negotiator for the Cherokee with the United States federal government during his term of office. Black Fox was noted for relinquishing nearly 7,000 square miles (18,000 km2) of land in what is today Tennessee and Alabama —under the treaty of January 7, 1806 —for which he was given a lifetime annuity of $100. A controversial leader, he was deposed for a period, only to later be reinstated as Principal Chief, in a compromise between two regional factions of Cherokees. It was Black Fox who instituted the tribal law putting an end to the Cherokee tradition of clan revenge.
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Black Fox was a Chickamauga leader of the Cherokee from the native village of Ustanali, in the Lower Towns area (found today in northeastern Alabama, northwestern Georgia, and their adjoining areas of southeastern Tennessee). He was named principal chief of the Cherokee Nation in 1801. He ascended to the office upon the death of his predecessor, Chief Little Turkey. During his tenure, Black Fox signed several treaties with the United States government on behalf of the Cherokee Nation, giving away its rights to huge amounts of traditional foraging areas.
In 1808, he and another leading Lower Towns chief, The Glass (Tagwadihi), were deposed in what was called the "revolt of the young chiefs" —a faction, mostly from the Upper Towns, led by James Vann and Major Ridge. The driving force of this revolt was due largely to the peoples' resentment of the National Council's domination by older leaders of the Lower Towns, as well as disagreement over the many recent land cessions.
In 1810, Black Fox and The Glass were both reinstated in a compromise agreement between these two competing factions. This led to an end of the councils of the Lower Towns meeting alternately in Willstown and Turkeytown (both in what is now Alabama) which were presided over by The Glass.
As the leading member of the National Council, it was Black Fox who signed the enactment officially putting an end to the Cherokee tradition of clan revenge. The following year, upon his death, he was succeeded by Chief Pathkiller.
Black Fox's early hunting camp was located on Lost Creek, in White County, Tennessee. The first settlers in the middle district of Tennessee called one of the principal trails in the county "Black Fox Trail".
The community of Black Fox in modern Bradley County, Tennessee and its elementary school are named for him. According to local historians, he lived in the vicinity, but at what period it is unknown.
There was an historical Black Fox Crossing over the Clinch River between Claiborne and Grainger counties —which is now covered by the impounded waters of Norris Lake in Tennessee
The community of Inola, Oklahoma was named after his Cherokee name, Enoli. The town was to become the site of Black Fox Nuclear Power Plant but community action caused the Public Service Company to find another site.
| Preceded by Little Turkey |
Principal Chief of the Cherokee 1801–1811 |
Succeeded by Pathkiller |