The Resume

(1794- )
Sovereign government of the Cherokee tribe
Headquartered in Tahlequah, Oklahoma
Constitution Ratified on September 6, 1839
Includes descendants of Old Cherokee Nation, Cherokee Freedmen, and the Natchez Nation
Originally located in the southeastern United States
Forced to relocate to government territory in 1838
Has its own judicial system, legislative body, and executive branch
Elected Wilma Mankiller as its first female chief (December 5, 1985)
Over 450,000 members (as of 2023)

Why they might be annoying:

Tribe members actually prefer to be called either Keetoowah or Tsalagi and rarely use the term ‘Cherokee’ anymore.
Gambling and bingo parlors became a major revenue source for them in the 1980’s.
It has a contentious relationship with the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians - even suing the tribe on multiple occasions.
Mixed-race (Freedmen) members have historically been denied tribal membership.
A Freedmen descendant filed a lawsuit with the Cherokee Supreme Court, asserting that the acts barring her from tribal membership were unconstitutional (2004).
When the court ruled in the plaintiff’s favor, the tribal council voted to amend its constitution to remove Freedmen from its membership (unless they satisfied the ‘Cherokee by blood’ requirement).
The move proved divisive among tribal members, but was affirmed in a 2006 special election on the issue.
The vote outcome resulted in widespread protests and a public rebuke from The Congressional Black Caucus.

Why they might not be annoying:

It is the largest tribal nation in the United States.
It is one of the largest employers in northeast Oklahoma.
The British carried out a scorched earth policy against them during the French-Indian War.
They lost two million acres in the Treaty of Augusta (1773).
Tribe member Sequoyah developed the Cherokee syllabary, a writing system composed of 85 characters.
This led to the first newspaper published by American Indians and in a Native American language in 1828.
They were forced to relocate from the Southeast as part of the Trail of Tears.
They managed to rebuild and reestablish their government after being pushed into Oklahoma.
They made significant strides in federal-tribal negotiations and advocacy for Native American rights into the 21st-century.

Credit: BoyWithTheGreenHair

Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

• BoyWiththeGreenHair’s Profiles [Series 28]
• Gambling Cities
• I am an Okie
• Profiles 58501-58750 (Ranked: 58554)
• Served in the American Revolution [1775-89]
• Seven Years’ War Participants [1756–63]
• U.S. Possessions
• We Legalized Prostitution
• We Legalized Same Sex Marriages

Year In Review:

In 2023, Out of 9 Votes: 33.33% Annoying