Congressional committee discusses seating Cherokee Nation delegate
Shortly after the 1835 Christmas holiday celebrating peace and good will toward men, U.S. government officials met with a group of 500 Cherokee leaders at New Echota, Georgia, and signed a treaty that led to the tribe’s cruel eviction via the Trail of Tears.
Cherokee prepares for special election
On Thursday, Dec. 15, Cherokee voters will head to the polls for a special election that will seat two new representatives on the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Tribal Council.
Cherokee strengthens banishment law
In a unanimous vote during Annual Council Monday, Oct. 24, the Cherokee Tribal Council passed an ordinance to strengthen the tribe’s ability to enforce its banishment rules. It’s been refining the legislation since March and discussing the topic for much longer.
Celebrating ‘Long Man’: Eastern Band Cherokees work together to care for their rivers
On a crisp autumn morning, the Yellowhill Community Center in Western North Carolina buzzed with excitement as more than 120 Cherokees and their allies shared conversations, laughter and a hearty breakfast. They had descended upon the center in the Qualla Boundary on Oct. 19 to mark the second annual Honoring Long Man Day in the homelands of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
Man faces murder charges in Kobe Toineeta death
The Cherokee community is mourning the death of Kobe Toineeta, 25, who died by homicide Friday, Nov. 11.
Seventeen candidates vie for two seats in special election
Voters in Cherokee’s Dec. 15 special election will choose from a crowded field of candidates seeking to fill two unexpected vacancies on Tribal Council.
Cherokee Central Schools gets funding for cost-of-living, minimum wage increase
The Cherokee Tribal Council allocated an additional $1.38 million to Cherokee Central Schools during an Oct. 24 Annual Council session, increasing the school system’s minimum wage to $15 per hour and giving employees a cost-of-living increase.
Cherokee Council updates ethics ordinance
During an Oct. 17 Annual Council meeting, the Cherokee Tribal Council approved an ordinance that strengthens ethics laws for tribal officials — but struck a proposed change that would have restricted their activity for a year after leaving office.
Tribe partners on Kentucky horse race track
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians is a key partner in a $55 million effort to bring the state’s first track dedicated to quarterhorse racing to a 200-acre property outside of Ashland, Kentucky, with a groundbreaking ceremony held Friday, Oct. 28.
Rob Saunooke announces campaign for chief
Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that Rob Saunooke is banned from practicing law on the Qualla Boundary. While Judge Sharon Barrett did issue a March 2018 ruling preventing him from practicing law on tribal lands unless specifically permitted by a court order, the Cherokee Supreme Court later vacated Barrett’s order.
