Cherokee heritage groups are associations, societies and other organizations located across the United States and in other countries that seek to preserve key Cherokee concepts of ceremonial, cultural and natural value. They incorporate genealogy, language, social interaction and sharing of information between members. Some heritage groups sponsor and support protection of geographic areas, buildings, plants, documents, relics or spiritually related information. While many modern groups are liberal in their membership and focus on powwows and other festivals which have not historically been a part of Cherokee culture, others such as the Original Keetoowah Society are restrictive in membership and meet in secret. The Cherokee Nation encourages people of Cherokee heritage to take pride in their heritage and become active in heritage groups even if they are not eligible for citizenship.
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The origins of these groups can sometimes be found in those opposing certain treaties, allotment of lands, the Cherokee Civil War and abandonment of spiritual beliefs in the late 1800s. In the Indian Territory in what is the present-day state of Oklahoma, the Cherokee, Creek (Muskogee) and Natchez formed the "Four Mothers Society" to resist the federal government's attempts of forced assimilation and break up of the five civilized tribes.
Other heritage groups and associations are not entities that have existed from historical times. While some are steadfast in their desire to be historically and culturally accurate, others may incorporate non-traditional elements such as powwows or Plains Indian dress. Heritage Groups whose goals are based on language preservation typically focused on either the Eastern or Western dialects.
Some people who are ineligible for tribal membership join Heritage groups to identify with the Cherokee.[1] The majority of Heritage groups are formed by those who rally around a cause such as "Save Kituwah",[2] language preservation,[3][4] or to maintain cultural art forms such as basket weaving.[5] Both the Eastern and Western Cherokee have master teachers in these art forms with large followings.[6] The rise of Social Media has helped connect individuals with interests in genealogy and heritage.[7] Members of "I am Cherokee and I can prove it" meet only on Facebook and have "virtual hog fries".[8] Eastern European heritage groups use the social media to connect with Cherokee in the U.S. and share information.
Recognized tribes have encouraged the federal government to hold to a system of "Tribal" recognition rather than "Indian" or individual recognition, and an origin benchmark of 1871.
Heritage groups have sometimes sought recognition as Cherokee tribes. The politically active "Keetowah Society" and the spiritual "Nighthawk Keetowah Society" later influenced the formation of the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in 1946. The United Keetoowah Band is recognized by the U.S. government and is located north of Tahlequah, Oklahoma. Cherokee Nation spokesman Mike Miller said that some Heritage groups are encouraged (Glenn 2006). Former Eastern Band Chief Jones said "There are non-recognized Indian tribes in the United States that absolutely should have been previously recognized and through unfortunate historical twists of fate have not been."
| “ | "I am a full-blood Western Cherokee Indian, could not talk the English language until I was fifteen years old......Enrollment started at the instance of the Dawes Commission and we all experienced a great deal of difficulty in getting enrolling. Lots of the Indians were so hard headed that when the men or investigator came around to see them they would not give any information and consequently were not enrolled. There was a certain class of white man, half-breeds and negroes that would run them down and get enrolled. Some of them deserved it and some of them didn't." | ” |
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—- Bird Doublehead, University of Oklahoma, Western History Collections, Interview with Bird Doublehead[9] |
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Cherokee Nation spokesman Mike Miller has discussed that some groups, which he calls Cherokee Heritage Groups, are encouraged.[1] Others, however, are controversial for their attempts to gain economically through their claims to be Cherokee, a claim which is disputed by two of the federally recognized Tribes, who assert themselves as the only groups having the legal right to present themselves as Cherokee Indian Tribes.[10]
While heritage groups may base their membership on cultural and genealogical requirements, tribal recognition is more complex in its adherence to academic, legal, historic, sociological, anthropological and genealogical principles.
In the census for the year 2000, there were 729,533 people who self identified as Cherokee and only about 250,000 people who were enrolled at the time in one of the three Federally Recognized Cherokee Tribes. Many people with genuine Cherokee heritage will never meet the qualifications to become citizens in a federally recognized tribe. The Cherokee Nation does not question anyone's claim of heritage or ancestry.
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