Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians
Cherokee is a sovereign nation, meaning it has its own laws, elections, government, institutions, and the like.
Though it certainly has relationships with the United States federal government and the North Carolina state government that are vitally important, it’s important to know that the Cherokees are self-governed and autonomous. Located in Cherokee, North Carolina, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians were once part of a much larger Cherokee Nation population. However, when the Trail of Tears was mandated, and forced removal and relocation were directed by the US government and then President Andrew Jackson, the Cherokee Tribe became divided into what is known today as the Cherokee Nation and United Kituwah Band, located in Oklahoma, and the Eastern Band, made up of those who remained and rebuilt within North Carolina’s Qualla Boundary (sometimes called the Cherokee Indian Reservation).
"The Cherokee People are still here, we're still alive, we're still prominent. Even if we're in a small community, we still reach across the nation."