Federal Recognition
We have had several inquiries about federal recognition and why we are not federally recognized. Federal recognition is a federal government process. As such, it is a slow and long drawn out affair. I will not bore you with the many steps and hoops to jump through. However, I will tell you that the steps to obtain federal recognition have and are presently being taken.
Part of those steps was to write and file a Letter of Intent to petition the federal government for recognition. This was done in 1985 & 1991. In 1999 the federal government (BIA) Bureau of Indian Affairs gave our Nation petition numbers, #100 for the Northern Cherokee Nation; #100a for both the Sac River and White River bands; and #100b for the group that now calls itself the Northern Cherokee of the Old Louisiana Territory.
The (BIA) considered all these bands to be part of the same Cherokee Nation. Also, we had to prove that we had existed and worked as a united and cohesive Nation for at least 200 years in the Missouri and Arkansas areas in order to be considered an existing and viable group of Cherokees. Chief Grey Owl delivered that proof to the (BIA) while he was Chief and that paperwork, The 200 year History of the Northern Cherokee,
became the book; History of the Northern Cherokee.
However, during the editing process by a person not a NCN citizen, many key items and information was removed. We continued to wait to hear if the acknowledgment office at the (BIA) would decide whether to recognize us or invent new hoops for us to jump through!!
Part of those steps was to write and file a Letter of Intent to petition the federal government for recognition. This was done in 1985 & 1991. In 1999 the federal government (BIA) Bureau of Indian Affairs gave our Nation petition numbers, #100 for the Northern Cherokee Nation; #100a for both the Sac River and White River bands; and #100b for the group that now calls itself the Northern Cherokee of the Old Louisiana Territory.
The (BIA) considered all these bands to be part of the same Cherokee Nation. Also, we had to prove that we had existed and worked as a united and cohesive Nation for at least 200 years in the Missouri and Arkansas areas in order to be considered an existing and viable group of Cherokees. Chief Grey Owl delivered that proof to the (BIA) while he was Chief and that paperwork, The 200 year History of the Northern Cherokee,
became the book; History of the Northern Cherokee.
However, during the editing process by a person not a NCN citizen, many key items and information was removed. We continued to wait to hear if the acknowledgment office at the (BIA) would decide whether to recognize us or invent new hoops for us to jump through!!
