The Echota Cherokee Tribe of Alabama is a

state-recognized tribe State-recognized tribes in the United States are organizations that identify as Native American tribes or heritage groups that do not meet the criteria for federally recognized Indian tribes but have been recognized by a process established unde ...

in Alabama and Cherokee heritage group.'State-recognized Tribes'
Alabama Indian CommissionCherokee Nation Task Force (March 26, 2011) "Fraudulent Group List,"
What is a real Indian Nation? What is a fake tribe?
' Accessed Oct 20, 2014McKie, Scott (Oct 14, 2011)
Tribe establishes Cherokee Identity Protection Committee
in ''The One Feather''. It is based in northern

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County , LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham , area_total_km2 = 135,765 ...

and gained state-recognition under the Davis-Strong Act in 1984. Recognition by an American state government is not the same as recognition on the federal level or recognition by continually existing Indian tribes. "The Supreme Court made plain the exclusion of states from tribal matters in the earliest and most important cases that make up the foundation of Indian Law. In Worcester v. Georgia, Worcester v. Georgia, 31 U.S. (6 Pet.) 515 (1832) the Court stated: 'The treaties and laws of the United States contemplate...that all intercourse with ndiansshall be carried on exclusively by the government of the union.' Real tribes are governments similar to States and Nations." Both the federally recognized Cherokee Nation and

Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI), (Cherokee: ᏣᎳᎩᏱ ᏕᏣᏓᏂᎸᎩ, ''Tsalagiyi Detsadanilvgi'') is a federally recognized Indian Tribe based in Western North Carolina in the United States. They are descended from the smal ...

oppose federal recognition of the Echota Cherokee Tribe of Alabama, listing them among "fraudulent groups."

Nonprofit organization

The Echota Cherokee Tribe of Alabama has a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Falkville, Alabama, and founded in 1995. Its missions is the "Education of general public with regard to Cherokee nation history, culture and background."

Heritage groups

Numerous organizations in the United States identify as having Cherokee heritage but lack documented ancestry or connection to the federally recognized Cherokee Nation,

, or

United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma The United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma ( or , abbreviated United Keetoowah Band or UKB) is a federally recognized tribe of Cherokee Native Americans headquartered in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. According to the UKB website, its member ...

. Some of these groups have applied for federal recognition but been denied.

History

After the passage of the

Indian Removal Act The Indian Removal Act was signed into law on May 28, 1830, by United States President Andrew Jackson. The law, as described by Congress, provided "for an exchange of lands with the Indians residing in any of the states or territories, and for ...

in the 1830, the majority of the Cherokee people were forcibly removed from the Southeastern United States. The approximately 1,000 Cherokee people who remained in the Southeast formed the

and their tribe continues to live in the community known as the Qualla Boundary. In 1980 a group of people ineligible to enroll in any federally recognized Native American tribe set up a nonprofit heritage club known as "The Echota Cherokee." In 1984, when the Alabama Indian Affairs Commission was established to represent Native American interests in the state, the group attained state recognition. The group is headquartered in Falkville, Alabama."The Echota Cherokee Tribe"
hosted by Alabama Indian Affairs Commission, accessed October 20, 2014 In 1997 the Echota Cherokee organization reported that they had 22,000 members. Only 21 members participated in the cited survey.Stacye Hathorn, 'The Echota Cherokee Language: Current Use and Opinions about Revival'
in ''Teaching Indigenous Language'', 1997 They do not state what criteria they use for membership. Their stated accomplishments and goals at this time were that they had elected a council, and hoped to offer "instruction in the Cherokee language through the Alabama public school system." The Echota Cherokee have a representative on the Alabama Indian Affairs Commission and the Inter-Tribal Council of Alabama's WIA Program, to assist workforce improvement.

Petition for federal recognition

The Echota Cherokee Tribe of Alabama is not

federally recognized This is a list of federally recognized tribes in the contiguous United States of America. There are also federally recognized Alaska Native tribes. , 574 Indian tribes were legally recognized by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) of the United ...

as a

Native American tribe In the United States, an American Indian tribe, Native American tribe, Alaska Native village, tribal nation, or similar concept is any extant or historical clan, tribe, band, nation, or other group or community of Native Americans in the Unit ...

, nor are they recognized by any of the federally recognized Cherokee communities. The Echota Cherokee Tribe of Alabama sent a letter of intent to petition for federal recognition in 2009; however, the organization did not follow through with submitting a completed petition for federal recognition.

References

External links