Yet More Groups Claiming to Be Cherokee Tribes

[educatedindian]

From http://72.14.209.104/search?q=cache:eDp4OHHW2xoJ:disc.server.com/discussion.cgi%3Fdisc%3D199489%3Barticle%3D13114%3Btitle%3DIssues%2520Affecting%2520American%2520Indians%2520in%2520Tennessee+%22southern+cherokee%22+kentucky+fraud&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=7

* http://www.tallige.com (Tallige Cherokee Nation, Ohio)
* http://www.westerncherokee.net (Western Cherokee Nation of Arkansas & Missouri)
* http://www.lostcherokee.com (Lost Cherokee Nation, Arkansas)
* http://www.northerncherokee.net (Northern Cherokee Nation, Missouri)
* http://www.southerncherokeenation.net (Southern Cherokee Nation, Kentucky)
* http://www.appalachiancherokee.com (The Appalachian Cherokee Nation, Virginia)
* http://www.ncnolt.org/main.htm (Nor-thern Cherokee Nation of the Old Louisiana Territory).
* http://hometown.aol.com/texascherokees (Tsalagiyi Nvdagi Cherokee in Texas)
* http://www.southern-cherokee.com (Southern Cherokee Nation, Webbers Falls)
* http://www.sandhillindians.org (Sand Hill Band of Indians, New Jersey)
* http://www.comanchelodge.com/chickamauga-cherokee.html (Red Clay or Arkansas Indian Nation
• http://www.ucnidahoclan.com (United Cherokee Nation-Idaho Clan)
* http://www.powersource.com/cocinc/default.html (Cherokees of California)
* http://www.cherokeenationmexico.com (Cherokees of Mexico)

-------- Additional Groups --------

* http://www.secci.com (Southeastern Cherokee Council, Inc.)
* http://members.aol.com/ctnealhome/ (The Cherokee Tribe of Northeast Alabama)
* http://www.georgiatribeofeasterncherokee.com/ (Georgia Tribe of Eastern Cherokee)
* http://cherokee-indians-of-ga-inc.0pi.com/ (Cherokee Indians of Georgia)
* http://echotadeerclan.homestead.com/ (Echota Cherokee Deer Clan)
* http://www.echotacherokeewolfclan.com/ (ECHOTA CHEROKEE TRIBE OF ALABAMA WOLF CLAN)
* http://www.echotacherokeetribe.com/ (The Echota Cherokee Tribe of Alabama)
* http://www.amonsoquath.net/ (The Amonsoquath Tribe of Cheroke)
* http://www.winterstubes.com/tribalindex.html (Cherokee Tribe of Kentucky)

http://www.tahlequahdailypress.com/cnhi/tahlequahdailypress/features/local_story_006134311.html?keyword=secondarystory

"Tahlequah’s home to two Cherokee tribes: The Cherokee Nation, Oklahoma, and the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma.
Those two tribes, along with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in North Carolina, are the only ones officially recognized by the federal government.
But there are other groups that identify themselves as Cherokees – in fact, a couple of hundred of them – and quite a few have pretty interesting Web sites.
For example, there’s the Cherokee Nation of Mexico, whose chief, Charles “Jahtlohi??? Rogers, claims to be carrying on the work of Sequoyah, inventor of the Cherokee syllabary.
“Like migratory birds, my family and I found the tomb of Sequoyah and learned of his prophecy - that ‘a child would come and find the tomb’ (as did my son Charles Ah-doh-lay-hoh-sgee Rogers),??? Rogers states on his site, www.cherokeenationmexico.com. “When this occurred, the story told us, Sequoyah’s spirit would come back to his people to help unite all Cherokees. Shortly after this discovery, the Cherokee Nation of Mexico received re-affirmation of its historic recognition.
Evidently, although the Cherokee Nation of Mexico isn’t recognized by the U.S. government, the group was recognized by the governor of Coahuila in 1839, and the president of Mexico in 1822. So in a sense, it does have federal – or “federale,??? as the case may be – recognition.
“There are more than 200 groups that we’ve been able to recognize that call themselves a Cherokee nation, tribe, or band,??? said Mike Miller, spokesman for the Cherokee Nation (the one based here in Tahlequah, at the W.W. Keeler Tribal Complex).
“Only three are federally recognized, but the other groups run the gamut of intent. Some are basically heritage groups – people who have family with Cherokee heritage who are interested in the language and culture, and we certainly encourage that,??? said Miller. “But the problem is when you have groups that call themselves ‘nation,’ or ‘band,’ or ‘tribe,’ because that implies governance.
Several groups that identify themselves as Cherokees, however, are currently trying to obtain federal recognition.
According to Cliff Bishop, headman of the Lost Cherokee Nation of Arkansas and Missouri, his tribe’s request for federal recognition is currently under review by the federal government. The Lost Cherokee Nation, headquartered in Dover, Ark., traces its history back to the Cherokees who moved to Arkansas before the Trail of Tears brought the majority of the tribe to Northeastern Oklahoma.
Bishop said his tribe had treaties with the U.S. government as early as 1817. The Lost Cherokees are organized as a 501-C3 non-profit organization, and currently raise money through auctions and charity events, but they hope to eventually receive federal funding.
“We’re not in for gambling; we’re in for education and helping our people out of poverty,??? said Bishop. “We’re not trying to take anything from other Cherokees; we’re just trying to help our people.
Lost Cherokee Headman Dub Maxwell added that before the Trail of Tears, some of the most prominent Cherokee leaders were members of what is now the Lost Cherokee Nation.
“The syllabary was first taught in Arkansas,??? said Maxwell. “It makes sense that if Sequoyah had something that important, he would take it to the most important chiefs first.
Another group based in Arkansas is the Western Cherokee Nation of Arkansas and Missouri, headquartered in Paragould, Ark.
According to Chief Lola Smith, her tribe is the “original??? Arkansas Cherokee tribe; all the others, like the Lost Cherokee Nation, splintered off of the Western Cherokee Nation.
“We were a recognized tribe, and we’re trying to get that re-established,??? said Smith. “The Western Cherokee Nation was around long before Tahlequah ever existed.
Smith, who claims to be a distant cousin to Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chad Smith, said her Cherokee ancestors left South Carolina and went to Connecticut in the early 18th century. Finding Connecticut a bit too cold for their tastes, they eventually moved westward and southward, ending up in Arkansas in 1721.
“We were here 100 years before we had any dealings with the [U.S.] government,??? she said.
Another of the groups that would like to gain federal recognition (and that, according to Lola Smith, splintered off from her tribe) is the Northern Cherokee Nation of Missouri and Arkansas.
Like the Western Cherokees and the Lost Cherokees, the Northern Cherokee Nation traces its roots to those Cherokees who left the southeastern U.S. before the Trail of Tears.
According to tribal Secretary Gail Buzzard, many of the Northern Cherokee Nation members trace their lineage to Dragging Canoe, an 18th century Cherokee war chief who opposed the selling of Cherokee lands to British settlers.
“We came to Missouri in the 1700s,??? said Buzzard. “Our first documentation is [a treaty] from 1750 with Spain.
According to Buzzard, the Northern Cherokees have a difficult time proving their heritage because it was illegal in Missouri to be Indian until the 1920s.
“We have a few records, but mostly it’s oral history,??? she said. “We’ve been working on [federal recognition] for many years, but our biggest problem is oral history instead of written history. There are a lot of gaps in our history because we weren’t allowed to keep records.
Oklahoma has a few non-recognized Cherokee groups, too, including the Southern Cherokees, based in Webber Falls. In 2002, that group attempted to establish riverboat gambling on the Arkansas River, a move that was opposed by the Cherokee Nation.
Another group, however – the Southern Cherokee Nation, based in Kentucky – disavows any connection to the Oklahoma group calling itself the Southern Cherokees, and says so plainly on its Web site at www.southerncherokeenation.net. According to a letter written to the Muskogee Phoenix last June by the Kentucky Cherokee chief, Michael Buley, the Webber Falls group (which also has a Web site, www.southern-cherokee.com) is giving his tribe “a bad name??? by selling illegal car tags and tribal memberships.
“This reflects back on us because we are the real Southern Cherokee people,??? wrote Buley. “We consider the Cherokee Nation our mother nation, and would do whatever we could for the nation.
Why is it, one might ask, that so many people want to be recognized as Cherokees?
According to UKB Assistant Chief Charles Locust, it’s because of the Tahlequah-based Cherokee Nation’s lack of a blood quantum. His own tribe requires members to be at least one-quarter Cherokee.
“The Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma has perpetuated this idea and trend with people claiming to be Cherokee,??? he said. “Their tribe allows a person with 1/4,000-and-something [Cherokee blood] to be a carded Cherokee.
But according to Miller, the fact that so many people identify themselves as Cherokee is a good sign.
“According to the 2000 census, more than 750,000 people identify themselves as Cherokee, and that’s far more than the membership of the Cherokee Nation, the United Keetoowah Band, and the Eastern Band combined,??? he said. “What that tells you is people like the idea of being Cherokee, for whatever reason. People usually don’t identify with something they don’t like, so we take it as a good thing: People like Cherokees.

[Tsalagiwoman]

I noticed that the Cherokee of California are listed here.  As far as I know, they do not claim to be a Tribe.  They are simply people of Cherokee descent who live a great distance from the Tribes and the culture.  From what I hear they are trying to keep the culture and language alive.  I am not a member but I have been researching them.  I am tring to be very careful not to get caught up in a bad group.  I don't think it is wrong for people to come together as groups to stay connected to the culture but these groups should not promise that having their "card" brings priviledges or makes you Cherokee.  Anyone know more about them?

Shawn

[Needs More Caffeine]

A tiny handful of those groups are state-recognized, for what it's worth.  (Which I guess varies between states and over the time period/political situation of each group.)

[weheli]

Needs Caf,
Who are the tribes above that are state recognized? Al what a great list. We have done research on Lola here before. As you said these are just a few, WHY DO THEY INSIST on calling themselves TRIBES? I had read somewhere else there was a Cherokee Tribe in KY ,and when I questioned that I was told what was posted here. Being from KY myself I have done much research and have many documents as to my heritage. My mother told me her Grandfather told her there were many Bands across KY, some being around Raywick area, ect. Yes many did not go on the Trail of Death and remained to fight, that is recorded history.

Thanks for the post.                                                Weheli

[Needs More Caffeine]

Weheli,

I noticed these names which are state-recognized.  Don't know about the others.
Cherokee Tribe of NE Alabama
Georgia Tribe of Eastern Cherokee
Echota Cherokee Tribe of Alabama (none of those clans, though)

In Alabama's case, I think the recognition process was at some time more solid.  It became a stepping stone for the Poarch Creeks to protect some of their remaining landbase before they were federally recognized.

OK, this is just gossip from a former Alabama resident, but I think the process has been watered down since it was created.  (They recognized a group calling itself the "Cher-o-Creek Band of Intertribal Indians."    .)  The formal criteria for recognition are pretty stringent in Alabama, but I don't think they are necessarily applied as written.  The other problem is that the IAC has representatives from each state-recognized & federally-recognized tribe in the state, so each time the IAC adds new agers/wannabes, the recognition process becomes more screwy. (Disclaimer: my mom's family is enrolled in a state recognized tribe, which has been state recognized a pretty long time, and is located within our traditional landbase, so of courses this influences my mixed feelings about state recognition.)

Kentucky does not recognize tribes.  If I understand it, one group is claiming state recognition (the Southern Cherokee Nation I posted concerns about a few days ago).  On their web site, it looks like the "state recognition" was just a letter from the governor welcoming them to Kentucky, and has no legal meaning.  I would be careful to research anywhere you are enrolling and ask around.  Some of these groups really pervert Cherokee culture, as you probably know.   

And, like you said, why do heritage clubs call themselves tribes?!

[Moma_porcupine]

I don't mean to be disresptful to any tribes that have hung in there in spite of having their existance wrongly denied and ignored , but so many of these tribes seem to be created for a purpose . 

One of the things I find off about these groups , is people don't "choose" to join a tribe , anymore than you choose to be a member of your family . So what is with internet sites advertising looking for members ? Seems like these so called tribes are hoping if they can enroll enough people then they might have more reason to be considered a tribe , and not that they already are a tribe,  which is struggling to get it's existing Nationhood recognized . I guess real tribes sometimes do enroll members who somehow got separted , but I don't think I have ever seen a real tribe actively trying to recruit new members . Maybe that hapens sometimes ?  Mostly it seems like people born into a real tribe already know they are part of the tribe , and their tribe would know how to get in touch with them . These new groups often seem as transient as drifting snow . If it is a social group , there is nothing wrong with that , but to call a temporary group a tribe is just a fantasy.

People invest a lot of their hearts into these groups , and some needy vulnerable person finding out they have just spent 5 , 10 or 20 years of their life in a dream world , being misled , or being used as a prop in someones self serving grandious delusion , is not an experince I would wish on anyone .

I have seen what Needs More Caffine is describing , with the membership criteria getting progressively screwier with the more cultural non Indians who get enrolled , who then have a say in future enrollment requirements.

I have also seen situations where non native governments put people who are culturaly non native into positions of power which are supposed to be held by Native people . A situation like this is described in the first post here ;

http://indianz.com/board/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=11749

People who are culturally non native are often more cooperative with governments who wish to impose non native values . People who have been turned away by a tribe , are often flattered by the attention and recognition . Sometimes these people seem to be manipulated by non native governments to promote confusion and divisions which are destructive to native communities and governments .  People who misuse their their Native heritage , when they have no real connection to a Native community also make it hard for other distant descendants to reconnect with their tribe, because there is a fear any acknowledgement will be used to justify making a grab for resources these distant relations are not rightly entitled to  .

If people who's families have been disconnected from a tribe for a few generations want to reconnect , and be in a group of some kind , why not organize into a group that looks for ways to strengthen and support the Nation their ancestors came from ? I mean the existing Nation , not an invented one !

If people find real ways to strengthen and contribute to their People , I believe they will be strengthened and contributed to in return , though maybe not with $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ , or a title of Chief or tribal Medicine Chief .

Sadly , it seems that is all some people want ....

[JosephSWM]

From what I have been told and what I can figure the following are the same. One or all (since I think they are all the same from information given to me personally) are state recognized.


* http://echotadeerclan.homestead.com/ (Echota Cherokee Deer Clan)
* http://www.echotacherokeewolfclan.com/ (ECHOTA CHEROKEE TRIBE OF ALABAMA WOLF CLAN)
* http://www.echotacherokeetribe.com/ (The Echota Cherokee Tribe of Alabama



As for tribes in Gerogia the following were listed

* http://www.secci.com (Southeastern Cherokee Council, Inc.)
* http://www.georgiatribeofeasterncherokee.com/ (Georgia Tribe of Eastern Cherokee)
* http://cherokee-indians-of-ga-inc.0pi.com/ (Cherokee Indians of Georgia)

The only tribe I know of (which is not listed) that has state recognition is the Southest Cherokee Confederacy, which decades ago the Southest Cherokee Council was a part of but spilt off from.



We talked quite a lot about this group elsewhere.

* http://www.sandhillindians.org (Sand Hill Band of Indians, New Jersey)



Joseph

[educatedindian]

I stumbled on this doc posted at Indianz. The CNO has their own objections to state recog. Not clear which particular group they're talking about, but Tennessee has more than a few groups wanting to be tribes. Interesting to see what they say about claims of an underground group of Cherokees hiding out for 150 years.

http://www.indianz.com/board/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=24805
"Cherokee Nation Comments
Notice #2006-11-06 Page 7 of 26
also the issue of a group claiming “political influence or other authority??? via governmental documents which are not their own. The historical documents in use were created by federally recognized tribes or nations.
(d) The membership of the applicant is composed of a majority of persons who are not members of any other North American Indian federal or state recognized tribe.
(2) The following information shall be provided to the Commission for review:
(a) A copy of the applicant’s present governing document is provided and/or a statement describing in full the membership criteria and the procedures through which the group governs its affairs and members; and
The local Lions club or any other club can provide membership criteria, a constitution and By-Laws. There are no minimum criteria set forth in this section which the Commission could use to determine if the tribe’s membership criteria meet even a loose definition of “Indianess. This leaves the Commission open for a flood of petitions to evaluate no matter how frivolous the petitions may be.
(b) A list of all known current members of the group and a copy of any available list of former members, based on the tribe’s own defined criteria; and
This section allows the tribe to define Indian. There should be a definition of what is “Indian??? so there is a base definition to start from. A boy scout group may define themselves as Indian according to this section.
(c) A history of the applicant from 1900 to present (maximum of 2000 words) written by a professional historian or anthropologist; and
Anyone with a degree can prostitute themselves to create such a document. Several fabricated histories are available on the internet for guidelines. These fabricated histories artfully weave historic fact into a scenario supporting the absurd claims of a group to have existed “underground??? from the time of Cherokee removal in the 1830’s until the 1970’s. A history of a nation’s last 106 years summarized in 2000
words or less can not offer the Commission enough information to evaluate the cultural and political history of a group. Professional petitions submitted to the BIA are often thousands of pages long.
(d) The applicant shall also submit additional information including one (1) or more of the following:
This is vague, and does not state for what purpose the additional documentation is being submitted. Is it to prove the group “acts Indian? Is it to establish a government to government relationship between the tribe and the state of
Cherokee Nation Comments
Notice #2006-11-06 Page 8 of 26
Tennessee? The practical result will be that members of state recognized groups can ensure that their friends groups are recognized. Giving recognition authority to a state recognized tribe only serves to further confuse the role of a state in Indian affairs.
1. Documented traditions, customs and legends that demonstrate the group’s Native American Indian cultural heritage; and/or
2. Letters, statements, and documents from city, county, state, or federal authorities that document a history of tribal related business and activities that specifically address Native American Indian culture, preservation, and affairs;
and/or
3. Letters, statements, and documents from federal or state recognized tribes in and/or outside of Tennessee which attest to the Indian heritage of the group; and/or
4. Other compelling documentation acceptable by the Commission that shows the heritage of the applicant; and
This provision for “other compelling documentation??? leaves the matter so open and subjective as to make all the above requirements meaningless. Under this criteria the Commission, itself composed of members of groups appropriating a tribal identity are enable to validate themselves and create more groups and validate them.
(e) A signed and notarized statement from the officers of the applicant affirming that the information provided is true and accurate.
Authority: T.C.A. §4-34-103.
Respectfully Submitted
John E. Parris
Assistant Attorney General
Cherokee Nation
P.O. Box 948
Tahlequah,OK 74465-0948
(918) 453-5620
john-parris@cherokee.org"

[frederica]

From what I understand Tenn now has another "Indian Commissiion". The last was sunseted a few years ago.
And since they have never had State Recognized Tribes except maybe one, it has been a long ordeal on what they are doing. Initially they were going to recognize all the "groups". But many advertize "you did not have to be NDN to join". So there was an outcry, and that was shelved. Last I heard it was individual recognition. But that may have changed.                                      The Commission did receive a statement from CNO in November. I doubt if they will pay much attention to this. The letter is very much what Al has posted. The majority of the "groups" are Cherokee. There is where the problem lies. Most of the individuals. Choctaw, Onieda,  and so on are recognized by their own Nations. frederica

[frederica]

Here is this entire paper by CNO to Tennessee. http//www.tncia.org/  Then on the right click on CNO opposition to TN recognition criteria rules. frederica

[frederica]

Now apparently there is no recognization criteria in effect. And all has been placed on hold until the Attorney General and TDEC finish their review of the CNO's legal objections to the proposed tribal-recognition criteria. There is a change in agenda for the upcoming meeting. www.tncia.org frederica

[taraverti]

Look what I found today:

http://www.hallwatch.org/councilnotices/email/1211397995859/1211397996296/document_src

It's a transcript of the April 10, 2008 Philadelphia City Council meeting

Below is an exerpt. It starts on page 8.


"COUNCILWOMAN TASCO: Thank you, Madam President. As always, it is a pleasure today to present this resolution declaring May 24th through the 26th, 2008 as "Cherokee Heritage Weekend" in celebration of the 15th annual Cherokee Indian Festival. Whereas, predating the arrival of the European explorers by almost 500 years, the Cherokee Indians occupied much of the southern Appalachian Mountain area to the eastern seaboard of what is now the United States and provided the new settlers with techniques of working and living on the land; And whereas, the Cherokee nation today consists of three major groups -- the Eastern Band, the Western Band, and the Southeastern Cherokee Confederacy -- representing the largest Native-American group in the United States; And whereas, the Southeastern Cherokee Confederacy of Pennsylvania,  which was designated as an official Cherokee group in July 1988, with Buffy Red Feather Brown appointed as chief and Levy Newell, III as the vice chief, now counts 18,375 Native- Americans within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; And whereas, the Southeastern Cherokee Confederacy of Pennsylvania has flourished since its formation, the Tribal Council has been successful in preserving the Cherokee language, whose written alphabet was invented in 1821 by Sequoia, making it the first Native-American newspaper, The Phoenix, possible in 1828; And whereas, the Southeastern Cherokee Confederacy also offers the culture of the Cherokee Nation to students in public and private schools and universities throughout the Commonwealth, with exhibits of dance, arts, crafts, music and Cherokee regalia and ideals; And whereas, the Southeastern Cherokee Confederacy of Pennsylvania preserves their tradition of great respect for learning and education through its scholarship fund and the sponsorship of the Cherokee Festival, enabling the award of four-year scholarships to worthy and needy students; And whereas, the Southeastern Cherokee Confederacy will host representatives from at least ten states at the Cherokee Festival over the Memorial Day weekend in its fundraising activities; Now, therefore, be it resolved by the Council of the City of Philadelphia that we declare May 24th through the 26th, 2008, "Cherokee Heritage Weekend" and salute the 15th annual Cherokee Indian effectively. Further resolved that an engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to Chief Buffy Red Feather Brown for her zealous representation of the Cherokee people and her embodiment of the Indian way and spirit as an expression of the sincere sentiments of this legislative body. Certification that this is a true and correct copy of the original resolution adopted by the Council of the City of Philadelphia on the 10th of April 2008, signed by President Verna, introduced by Marian Tasco, and supported by all members of City
Council."

It goes on to include remarks by Chief Buffy Red Feather Brown.

I bolded several choice parts

<sarcasm>Wonder if the  United Ketoowah band knows it's not one of the three major groups of Cherokee anymore, and I guess they, the Cherokee Nation and the Eastern Band can relax and stop their efforts to preserve the language since the Southeastern Cherokee Confederacy has already sucessfully done that.</sarcasm>

I lived in Philadelphia from 1974 till 2001 and I never heard of any  Cherokee Heritage Festival.  And that would have gotten my attention. Also never heard of this group.

I'm a bit dumfounded and queasy.

Nona

[educatedindian]

There's also an SECC in Georgia that should not be confused with thsi group, which looks to be a heritage org.

------------

http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1069445475
Also appearing was Chief Buffy Brown and the Southeastern Cherokee Confederacy of Pennsylvania drummers, dancers and singers. The seven members of the Cherokee Sisters formed four years ago. Drummer and grandmother Shining Star said the group came together with a desire to give the women a voice as they once traditionally had their own drum.

-------------
http://www.visitpa.com/visitpa/details.pa?id=215310

http://www.explorepahistory.com/attraction.php?id=7014

----------------

http://www.philadelphiamac.org/data/mac/board/ChiefBrown.doc
Chief Buffy Red Feather Brown

Chief Buffy Red Feather Brown was born and raised in Philadelphia, PA. Her parents are originally from a non-reservation Cherokee community in North Carolina. These communities consist of the descendants of Cherokees who escaped removal to Oklahoma and are scattered throughout the Southeast. Through her parents Chief Buffy and her two brothers learned traditional crafts such as finger weaving and basket weaving. She has been charged with keeping her Cherokee traditions alive.

Education
Chief Buffy’s educational background includes Business Administration and Classical Guitar at Temple University and Business Administration at LaSalle University.

Professional Experience and Achievements
Chief Buffy is a gifted Native American educator. She has received a litany of plaques, awards, and certificates for her workshops and lectures conducted in many public and private schools, colleges, universities, religious, corporate, and government facilities in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware.

Large group presentations can include full dress traditional dancing accompanied by the Southeastern Cherokee Confederacy of PA (SeCC of PA)’s drum group, legend telling by members of the speaker’s bureau and displays of Native American Indians in general are incorporated in each of these presentations.

Other professional experience includes Temple University’s School of Social Administration’s Multicultural Institute, University of Pennsylvania- International Classroom, Philadelphia Classical Guitar Society and the City of Philadelphia- Multicultural Affairs Congress, The School District of Philadelphia’s public schools.

Southeastern Cherokee Confederacy of Pennsylvania
The Southeastern Cherokee Confederacy of PA (SeCC of PA) was formed in 1988 due to the large number of Cherokees residing in the State of Pennsylvania. Buffy Red Feather was elected as Chief on July 19, 1988. She was given the responsibility of bringing together all of the Cherokees in the State of PA. The SeCC of PA holds monthly meetings and at these meetings there is the teaching of the Cherokee language, Native American Indian dancing and arts & crafts.

In 1994 Chief Red Feather founded a college scholarship fund for Native American Indians in the state of PA. The first Cherokee Festival sponsored by the SeCC of PA was held over the Memorial Day weekend in 1994 to raise funds for the College Scholarship fund. The Cherokee Festival has since been held annually at Temple University’s Ambler Campus. 

In addition to the annual SeCC of PA Cherokee Festival at Temple University’s Ambler Campus, the confederacy hosts the Native American Indian celebration for Welcome America, and held a Cherokee Festival in honor of Veterans in Pottstown, PA in 2002. They also participate in various Native American Indian and Multicultural functions throughout the Delaware Valley.

Since its inception the SeCC of PA has received a proclamation from the City of Philadelphia for outstanding service to the Native American Indian community.

Chief Buffy’s goal is to make the Southeastern Cherokee Confederacy socially as well as economically self-sufficient. The confederacy includes a speaker’s bureau, drum group, and women’s singing circle.

[taraverti]

Yeah, after I posted  I researched a little more.  I guess I may have jumped the gun. They sound mostly well intended anyway. Perhaps Marian Tasco got a little carried away when writing the proclamation. Or just doesn't know enough about the subject to get it right.

Sometimes there is more grey area than clarity.

Nona

[Kevin]

It looks to be roughly 2 dozen different groups listed -   quantum level for some of these groups probably starts at  1/128th and works its way up to maybe 1/16th at most for many on the rolls with alot of family tradition and word of mouth being the qualifying factor for enrollment/recruitment - I can't help but be more than just a bit skeptical - when you live, walk, talk and look White, you are