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Echota Cherokee Tribe of Alabama

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Echota Cherokee Tribe of Alabama
Formation1995[1]
Founded atUnited States United States
(Alabama Alabama)
TypeP84: Ethnic, Immigrant Centers and Service Providers[1]
Registration no.EIN: 63-1142216[1]
HeadquartersFalkville, Alabama[1]
Official language
English
Chief
Dennis Wooten
Vice Chief
Rita Majors
Revenue$35,925[1] (in 2020)
Expenses$45,089[1] (in 2020)
Staff0 full-time[1]
Websiteechotacherokee.org

The Echota Cherokee Tribe of Alabama is a state-recognized tribe in Alabama and Cherokee heritage group.[2][3][4][5][6] It is based in northern Alabama and gained state-recognition under the Davis-Strong Act in 1984.[2]

Recognition by an American state government is not the same as recognition on the federal level or recognition by continually existing Indian tribes.[7]

Both the federally recognized Cherokee Nation and Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians oppose federal recognition of the Echota Cherokee Tribe of Alabama, listing them among "fraudulent groups."[3][4][6]

Nonprofit organization

The Echota Cherokee Tribe of Alabama has a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Falkville, Alabama, and founded in 1995.[1] Its missions is the "Education of general public with regard to Cherokee nation history, culture and background."[1]

Heritage groups

Main article: Cherokee heritage groups

Numerous organizations in the United States identify as having Cherokee heritage but lack documented ancestry or connection to the federally recognized Cherokee Nation, Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, or United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma. Some of these groups have applied for federal recognition but been denied.

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 States and Nations.[7]

History

After the passage of the Indian Removal Act in the 1830, the majority of the Cherokee people were forcibly removed from the Southeastern United States. 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.

The Echota Cherokee claim that their ancestors were Cherokee people who fled or "simply walked away" from the Trail of Tears. They have also claimed that their ancestors were so white-passing and assimilated that they could escape detection simply by wearing hats and long-sleeved shirts to avoid getting a tan and by speaking English rather than Cherokee.[8]

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 to represent Native American interests in the state, the group attained state recognition.[2] The group is headquartered in Falkville, Alabama.[9]

In 1997 the Echota Cherokee organization reported that they had 22,000 members. Only 21 members participated in the cited survey.[10] They do not state what criteria they use for membership.[10] Their stated accomplishments and goals at this time were that they had elected a council, and hoped to offer "instruction in the Cherokee language through the Alabama public school system."[10]

The Echota Cherokee have a representative on the Alabama Indian Affairs Commission[2] and the Inter-Tribal Council of Alabama's WIA Program, to assist workforce improvement.[11]

Petition for federal recognition

The Echota Cherokee Tribe of Alabama is not federally recognized as a Native American tribe,[12] nor are they recognized by any of the federally recognized Cherokee communities.[3][4][6]

The Echota Cherokee Tribe of Alabama sent a letter of intent to petition for federal recognition in 2009;[13] however, the organization did not follow through with submitting a completed petition for federal recognition.[14]

Notable members

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Echota Cherokee Tribe of Alabama". Cause IQ. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d 'State-recognized Tribes' Archived December 29, 2014, at the Wayback Machine, Alabama Indian Commission
  3. ^ a b c Cherokee Nation Task Force (March 26, 2011) "Fraudulent Group List," What is a real Indian Nation? What is a fake tribe? Archived November 11, 2014, at the Wayback Machine Accessed Oct 20, 2014
  4. ^ a b c McKie, Scott (Oct 14, 2011) "Tribe establishes Cherokee Identity Protection Committee" in The One Feather.
  5. ^ Cherokee Nation Task Force. "Fraud List". Cherokee One Feather. Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. Retrieved April 21, 2021.
  6. ^ a b c "Fraudulent Tribes List (cached)". Cherokee One Feather. October 2011. Retrieved September 13, 2015. $45.00 - Annual Membership
  7. ^ a b Government Relations, Cherokee Nation (2009). "Support the Federal Recognition Process to Protect all Tribal Citizens" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on March 7, 2016. Retrieved October 9, 2015. "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."
  8. ^ "The Echota Cherokee Tribe". Alabama Indian Affairs Commission. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  9. ^ "The Echota Cherokee Tribe", hosted by Alabama Indian Affairs Commission, accessed October 20, 2014
  10. ^ a b c Stacye Hathorn, 'The Echota Cherokee Language: Current Use and Opinions about Revival', in Teaching Indigenous Language, 1997
  11. ^ 'Intertribal Council of Alabama' Archived October 29, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
  12. ^ "Indian Entities Recognized by and Eligible To Receive Services From the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs". Indian Affairs Bureau. Federal Register. January 28, 2022. pp. 7554–58. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
  13. ^ "List of Petitoners By State" (PDF). www.bia.gov. November 12, 2013. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
  14. ^ "Office of Federal Acknowledgment". U.S. Department of Indian Affairs. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
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