Press Room: Contestants Sought to Compete for Miss Cherokee Title

Press Room:Contestants Sought to Compete for Miss Cherokee Title.

Sidney Kimble, Miss Cherokee 2011-2012

I find this press release from the Cherokee Nation relevant on multiple levels. It not only shows a perpetuation of their tribal culture, particularly a nod to their matrilinear roots, but also it incorporates a mainstream American event. The winner of this beauty pageant does not represent a state or region, but an entire tribe. She comes to symbolize what the Cherokee believe and what they hope to accomplish. Moreover, all candidates “must be a citizen of the Cherokee Nation who resides within the tribe’s jurisdictional area.” Once again, organic and synthetic jurisdiction overlap in this description. The winner will represent Cherokee culture, but must live in the actual tribal territory. Miss Cherokee will not come from Arkansas, Georgia or any other state, but Oklahoma. Organic jurisdiction would transcend the lines on the map, allowing any Cherokee girl to compete for this award. Perhaps, the synthetic jurisdiction guideline keeps the title from being contested too heavily or it simplifies the application process. It seems to constrict what the pageant is really about – facilitating and nurturing Cherokee culture.

Types of Cherokee Settlers in Oklahoma

Photos of John Ross, Principal Chief

It remains a misconception that the Trail of Tears was a homogeneous migration in which all Cherokee moved from their ancient homelands in eastern United States to settle in the newly christened ‘Indian Territory’ of Oklahoma. However, the Cherokee moved into the west in waves. Actually, many Cherokee settled in northwest Arkansas (hence the creation of Fort Smith) and eventually were forced to give up that land to live in designated areas of Oklahoma. The Trail of Tears consisted of many deadly branches that forced some Cherokee to arrive later than other members. Some Cherokee simply refused to leave their homeland until they were absolutely forced, while others left more willingly.

Thomas Buffington, who was Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation from 1899 to 1903, gives the simplest explanation of the two main Cherokee groups to move:

“I have had many ask me the difference in an ‘Old Settler Cherokee’ and an ‘Eastern Emigrant.’ An old settler is a Cherokee who came with the first bunch from Georgia without being forced by the government. An eastern emigrant is one that remained behind and was forced by the government to remove to the new country, west of the Mississippi and this movement was known as the ‘Trail of Tears.'” (Cherokee.org)

When the Cherokee Nation uprooted their last groups from Georgia in 1838, they met in Council at Aquohee and enacted a resolution that would have a resounding impact for their group. In The Cherokee Nation and the Trail of Tears, before leaving, “they affirmed that ‘the title of the Cherokee people to their land is the most ancient, pure and absolute known to man,’ and the insisted that ‘the original title and ownership of said lands still rest in the Cherokee Nation” (Perdue and Green 146). Here the Cherokee are tying their organic jurisdiction to the land of Georgia directly to themselves, so that they metaphorically carry their homeland where ever they go. The use of the word “in” as opposed “with” indicates an internalization of their homeland and their ownership of it. Despite being forcibly removed,  the Cherokee Nation retains their jurisdiction, albeit without the lines found on a Georgia map. As cliche as it sounds, they are adopting the old adage: ‘home is where the heart is.’ They have resolved to recreate their community, their cultural tie to the land in Oklahoma. The United States government may take their land, but they can never take away the Cherokees close, emotional tie to land. It remains baffling that the federal government failed to see how the Cherokee had an “original title and ownership” to a land that the tribe had been living on for hundreds of years.

A Seven-Pointed Star

The Cherokee people use the seven-pointed star on their flag to represent the seven directions and the seven clans of the nation. For the Cherokee, north, south, east, and west are compass directions. Cherokees also include up, down, and center (where you are) as essential directions.

I decided to name my blog after this star as I believe it is also analogous to the current Cherokee way of life. Many people in the US will state that Oklahoma is the home of Cherokees, but this tie to land is problematic. In actuality, the US contains three officially recognized Cherokee tribes – two in Oklahoma and one in North Carolina. The Cherokee identity as tied to land and native property is fractured. They do not have a star that simply points to one central location that holds supreme cultural significance.The Cherokee lack a Jerusalem to huddle around. Instead, the Cherokee have been shaken from their cultural land ties and scattered about the US. Their forced removal has resulted in a star that must point to all corners of this nation.

Before the Trail of Tears, Cherokees lived across a wide swath of the southeastern United States from Alabama to the Carolinas and into Tennessee. With their forced eviction from their native homelands, the Cherokees became tied to a new land – a foreign land in the Midwest. Oklahoma soon laid claim to the Cherokees. Today, commercials and pamphlets urge us to see ‘Native America,’ which is being properly preserved within the bounds of Oklahoma. However, if traced back properly, it is easy to call into question what is ‘Native America’ for the Cherokee? And an even larger question – what does ‘Native America’ generally mean?

These concept are quite large and require extensive research, but no definite answer exits. I want to explore what land ties the Cherokee have had in the past and how they now view their territory. I am sure I will find some representatives who maintain that they live in exile within a land they did not want to inhabit while others will proclaim a history for their current residence. While looking at the more organic jurisdiction of the Cherokee is important, I also want to look at a few legal property cases they have been involved in. I can imagine that several claims have been made against the US for unlawful seizure of property and unnecessary removal. I want to know how many Cherokee tried to win or won back their lands.The reassignment of the Cherokee to better fit into the government’s perception of synthetic jurisdiction remains a taint on American history. The Trail of Tears is well known and now commemorated throughout the South. Many Southerners claim to have Cherokee blood running in their families. This tribe has impacted the region and the nation with its struggles in finding a land to finally call its own.