Echota Cherokee Tribe of Alabama
| Founded at |  United States ( Alabama) |
|---|---|
Official language | English |
| Website | echotacherokeetribe.homestead.com |
The Echota Cherokee "Tribe" of Alabama is a state-recognized tribe of people claiming Cherokee heritage, based in northern Alabama.[1] It was among the first seven organizations to be granted state recognition under the laws of the state of Alabama in 1984.[1]
Recognition by an American state government is not the same as recognition on the federal level or recognition by continually existing Indian tribes.[2]
The Cherokee Nation and Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians include the Echota Cherokee Tribe of Alabama on their list of "fraudulent groups."[3][4][5]
Heritage groups
Numerous organizations in the US identify as having Cherokee heritage, but have no documented ancestry or connection to the Cherokee Nation, Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, or United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians. Some of these groups apply to US state governments for the governmental recognition that has been denied to them. However,
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, 31 U.S. (6 Pet.) 515 (1832) the Court stated: 'The treaties and laws of the United States contemplate ... that all intercourse with [Indians] shall be carried on exclusively by the government of the union.' Real tribes are governments similar to tates and Nations.[2]
History
After the passage of the Indian Removal Act in the 1830, the majority of the Cherokee people were forcibly removed from of the Southeastern United States. They were forcibly marched under military guard to Indian Territory, now Oklahoma. Many Cherokee died during this brutal event, which came to be known as The Trail of Tears. The approximately 1,000 Cherokee people who remained in the Southeast formed the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians 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, the group attained state recognition.[1] The group is headquartered in Falkville, Alabama.[6]
In 1997 the Echota Cherokee organization reported that they had 22,000 members, but only 21 members participated in the cited survey.[7] They do not state what criteria they use for applicants to become members of their organization.[7] Their stated accomplishments and goals at this time were that they had elected a council, hoping to offer "instruction in the Cherokee language through the Alabama public school system."[7]
The Echota Cherokee have had a representative on the Alabama Indian Commission.[1] and the Inter-Tribal Council of Alabama's WIA Program, to assist workforce improvement.[8]
The Echota are not federally recognized as an Indian tribe, nor are they recognized as a tribe by any of the federally recognized Cherokee communities.[3][4][5]
See also
- Cherokee heritage groups
- State recognized tribes
- List of people of self-identified Cherokee heritage
References
- ^ a b c d 'State-recognized Tribes', Alabama Indian Commission
- ^ a b Government Relations, Cherokee Nation (2009). "Support the Federal Recognition Process to Protect all Tribal Citizens" (PDF). Retrieved 2015-10-09. "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 [Indians] shall be carried on exclusively by the government of the union.' Real tribes are governments similar to States and Nations."
- ^ a b Cherokee Nation Task Force (3/26/2011) "Fraudulent Group List," What is a real Indian Nation? What is a fake tribe? Archived 2014-11-11 at the Wayback Machine Accessed 20 Oct, 2014
- ^ a b McKie, Scott (14 Oct 2011) "Tribe establishes Cherokee Identity Protection Committee" in The One Feather. Accessed 20 Oct 2014
- ^ a b "Fraudulent Tribes List (cached)". Cherokee One Feather. October 2011. Retrieved 13 September 2015.
$45.00 - Annual Membership
- ^ "The Echota Cherokee Tribe", hosted by Alabama Indian Affairs Commission, accessed 20 October 2014
- ^ a b c Stacye Hathorn, 'The Echota Cherokee Language: Current Use and Opinions about Revival', in Teaching Indigenous Language, 1997
- ^ 'Intertribal Council of Alabama' Archived 2013-10-29 at the Wayback Machine
External links
- Self-description submitted to Alabama Indian Affairs site
- "Echota Cherokee Pow Wow" photos in the Quad Cities Daily