Cherokee Nation

This article is about the nation of Cherokee in Oklahoma. For other uses, see Cherokee (disambiguation). For the former independent Cherokee Nation, see Cherokee Nation (1794–1907).

Cherokee Nation ᏣᎳᎩᎯ ᎠᏰᎵ (Cherokee) Tsalagihi Ayeli Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma
Indian reservation
Flag Seal
Location (red) in the U.S. state of Oklahoma
Cherokee Nation Location in the United States
Coordinates: 35°51′8″N 94°59′27″W
Pre-1794 Cherokee	Pre-Columbian era
Cherokee Nation (1794–1907)	1794–1907
Constitution Ratified	September 6, 1839 (1839-09-06)
Tribal General Convention convened	August 8, 1938 (1938-08-08)
2nd Constitution Ratified	June 26, 1976 (1976-06-26)
1999 Constitution Ratified	2003 (2003)
Reservation Recognized	March 11, 2021 (2021-03-11)
Capital	Tahlequah
Government
• Type	Republic
• Body	Cherokee Nation Tribal Council
• Principal Chief	Chuck Hoskin Jr. (D)
• Deputy Principal Chief	Bryan Warner (D)
• Speaker	Johnny Kidwell (I)
• Chief Justice	John C. Garrett (I)
• U.S. House Delegate-designee	Kimberly Teehee (D)
Area
• Total	6,963 sq mi (18,030 km2)
• Land	6,694 sq mi (17,340 km2)
• Water	269 sq mi (700 km2)
Population  (2026)
• Total	477,673
Demonym	Cherokee
Time zone	UTC– 06:00 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC– 05:00 (CDT)
Area code(s)	918 and 539
Website	cherokee.org

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The Cherokee Nation (Cherokee: ᏣᎳᎩᎯ ᎠᏰᎵ, romanized: Tsalagihi Ayeli or ᏣᎳᎩᏰᎵ, Tsalagiyehli) is the largest of three federally recognized Cherokee tribes in the United States. Headquartered in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, the nation had 477,673 enrolled citizens as of 2026 (including 289,619 living in Oklahoma), making it one of the largest tribal nations in the country.

The tribe includes people descended from members of the Old Cherokee Nation who relocated, due to increasing pressure, from the Southeast to Indian Territory and Cherokee who were forced to relocate on the Trail of Tears. The tribe also includes descendants of Cherokee Freedmen and the Natchez Nation.

The nation operates under a constitution ratified in 2003, with executive, legislative, and judicial branches. In 2020 and 2021, federal and state courts affirmed that the Cherokee Nation's reservation—spanning 14 counties in northeastern Oklahoma—was never disestablished, restoring reservation status under the McGirt v. Oklahoma precedent. The nation has jurisdiction within this territory.

The nation publishes the Cherokee Phoenix, the first Native American newspaper, and operates Cherokee language immersion schools.

The Cherokee Nation has a reservation spanning 14 counties in the northeastern corner of Oklahoma. These are Adair, Cherokee, Craig, Delaware, Mayes, McIntosh, Muskogee, Nowata, Ottawa, Rogers, Sequoyah, Tulsa, Wagoner, and Washington counties.