Friends of New Echota

Tomorrow is looking sunny and warm -- just right for a (literal) walk through history. New Echota was established as the Cherokee Nation's capital in 1825. Toda...y, you can walk among 12 original and reconstructed buildings, including the court house, print shop, missionary home and an 1800s store. Be sure to browse the gift shop with books, jewelry and copies of the Cherokee Phoenix Newspaper. (Or plan a road trip and stay nearby at Fort Mountain State Park.) Friends of New Echota

With November being #NativeAmericanHeritageMonth, what a perfect time to announce our Cherokee Language Master Apprentice Program is now accep...ting applications for its Spring Cohort! Deadline is December 18! If you are interested in becoming a Cherokee language teacher through methodologies designed to honor and perpetuate the Cherokee culture and language, this program is for you! Select individuals will be participating in a Cherokee language immersion environment eight hours a day, five days a week. Application is available at: https://language.cherokee.org//cherokee-language-master-a/ For more information, email [email protected]

#tbt On this day in 1832, in Milledgeville, then the state capital of Georgia, the Cherokee land lottery began. Here's a photograph from one of the land grants from this lottery: http://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/haralson/do:hrl003

What a great day to be Indigenous! What a great day to be Cherokee! Today, October 12, we celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day to celebrate and honor the culture, heritage, history and contributions of all indigenous people across the country! Osda!

On this day in Cherokee Nation history, one of Cherokee Nation's most significant leaders John Ross was born on October 3, 1790 at Turkeytown, Alabama. Ross ser...ved as Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation from 1828-1866, serving longer in this position than any other Chief. He served during some of the most critical times in Cherokee history. He helped establish the Cherokee National government in the east, led the Cherokee resistance against the forced removal and helped rebuild the Cherokee Nation in Indian Territory. Even at an early age Ross was an advocate for Cherokee rights and was a supporter of education for the Cherokee people. Although he found success operating a ferry business, Ross wanted to do more for the Cherokee people. He became interested in tribal politics and by 1817 Ross was elected to serve on the Cherokee National Council. Then, in 1818, Ross became the president of the Cherokee National Council's National Committee, and later he helped to draft the 1827 Cherokee Constitution, which provided for a bicameral legislature, a national court system, and a principal chief. In 1828, Ross was elected Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation. During this time, the tribe was facing pressure to sell its homeland and migrate west across the Mississippi. Ross regularly challenged President Andrew Jackson and other supporters of Indian Removal. He spent a great deal of time traveling back and forth to Washington, D.C., attempting to convince government officials to uphold treaties that guaranteed the tribe their lands. Despite his efforts Ross was unable to prevent the removal and by 1838 Ross had no choice but to lead his people from their homelands in the east to what is now present-day northeast Oklahoma. Although the struggle for peace was far from over after arriving to Indian Territory with the pro and anti-treaty Cherokee traded attacks, and later the American Civil War, Ross continued to lead his people during these turbulent times. Ross played a significant part in rebuilding the Cherokee Nation in Indian Territory. Under his leadership, the Cherokee were able to reaffirm the commitment to a democratic, constitutional government and a national bilingual newspaper. They also created a public school system with elementary schools and built two institutions of higher learning. Chief Ross dedicated his entire life to defending Cherokee rights until his death on Aug. 1, 1866 in Washington D.C., only four days after the ratification of the Treaty of 1866, which Ross had labored hard to ensure continued Cherokee sovereignty. He was buried at Wilmington and Brandywine Cemetery in Wilmington, Delaware. A few months later, he was returned to the Cherokee Nation and buried at Ross Cemetery near his former home at Park Hill.