Cherokee National Holiday

Annual event in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, US

Arts and crafts booths on the Cherokee Heritage Center grounds, Cherokee National Holiday, 2007

The Cherokee National Holiday is an annual event held each Labor Day weekend in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. The event celebrates the September 6, 1839 signing of the Constitution of the Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma after the Trail of Tears Indian removal ended.

## Origins and activities

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Originally begun in 1953, the event has grown into one of the largest festivals in Oklahoma, attracting in excess of 70,000 attendees coming from all over the United States. Many attendees are also tribal members of the "Five Civilized Tribes" (the Cherokee, and also the Chickasaws, the Choctaws, Creeks, and Seminoles). Others who routinely attend the event are the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians located in western North Carolina and also the United Keetowah Band which, like the Cherokee Nation, are headquartered in Tahlequah.

The holiday hosts many different cultural and artistic events such as a two-night intertribal pow wow, stickball, Cherokee marbles, horseshoes and cornstalk shoot tournaments, softball tournaments, rodeos, car and art shows, gospel singings, the annual Miss Cherokee pageant, the Cherokee National Holiday parade, and the annual "State of the Nation" address by the Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation.

Cherokee National Holiday stickball match on the grounds of Sequoyah High School, Tahlequah, Oklahoma

## Celebration themes

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Each year a committee chooses a new theme for the annual celebration. Some recent themes have included:

* Building our Nation, Strengthening our Sovereignty - (71st Annual) 2023 [1]
* Forging a Legacy: Seven Decades of Cherokee Fellowship - (70th Annual) 2022[2]
* Cultivating Our Culture Language. Literacy. Lifeways. \- (69th Annual) 2021
* We the People of the Cherokee Nation: Celebrating Tribal Sovereignty - (68th Annual) 2020
* Rising Together - (67th Annual) 2019
* Family: A bridge to the future, a link to the past - (66th Annual) 2018
* Water is Sacred - (65th Annual) 2017
* Stewards of Our Land - (64th Annual) 2016
* Reunion - (63rd Annual) 2015
* Homes. Health. Hope. - (62nd Annual) 2014
* Homes. Health. Hope. – (61st Annual) 2013
* From One Fire to a Proud Future – (60th Annual) 2012
* Jobs, Language and Community – (59th Annual) 2011
* Happy, Healthy People – (58th Annual) 2010
* Learn from all that I observe – (57th Annual) 2009
* Planting the Seed Corn For Our Children's Future – (56th Annual) 2008
* The Cherokee Nation Continues in Full Force and Effect – (54th Annual) 2006
* Celebrating the State of Sequoyah – (53rd Annual) 2005
* The Spirit of the Trail – (52nd Annual) 2004
* The Strength of Our Nation – (51st Annual) 2003
* Building One Fire – (50th Annual) 2002
* Celebrating The Seven Clans – (49th Annual) 2001

## Covid-19

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Due to COVID-19 pandemic, the 68th Annual Cherokee National Holiday was a "virtual holiday."[3] Many events still took place and spectators were able to watch online to see the Chief's State of the Nation address, Cherokee art show, Miss Cherokee competition, as well as, demonstrations of traditional games. However, events such as the annual parade, fishing derby, powwow, softball tournament, arts and crafts, food markets and vendors were canceled and initially set to resume in 2021. However, due to the pandemic continuing into 2021, the 69th Annual Cherokee National Holiday was announced as a "hybrid" celebration featuring virtual and smaller scale in-person events, with the expected return to normal delayed until 2022.[4] After two years of purely virtual participation the 70th annual celebration was held in-person. Officials stated that virtual participation would still be provided for some elements of the holiday due to COVID concerns. [2][5][6]

## See also

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* Cherokee Heritage Center
* Cherokee language
* Park Hill, Oklahoma

## Notes

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1. ^ "71st annual Cherokee National Holiday returns on Labor Day weekend". Cherokee Phoenix. Cherokee Phoenix. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
2. ^ a b Bond, Kaitlyn (6 May 2022). "70th Annual Cherokee National Holiday returning Labor Day weekend". 5newsonline.com. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
3. ^ "Cherokee National Holiday". cherokee.org. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
4. ^ "Cherokee National Holiday to be hybrid of virtual, in-person-events". cherokeephoenix.org. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
5. ^ McCown, Meredith. "EVENTS KICK OFF FOR THE 70TH ANNUAL CHEROKEE NATIONAL HOLIDAY". news9.com. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
6. ^ Serrano, Sara. "'Record-shattering' crowd predicted for Cherokee holiday". tahlequahdailypress.com. Retrieved 2 February 2023.

## External links

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* Cherokee National Holiday Archives
* The Cherokee Nation Homepage

* v
* t
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Cherokee

Tribes|

* Cherokee Nation
* Eastern Band
* United Keetoowah Band

Culture|

* Society
* National holiday
* Calendar
* Clans
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* Language
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* Cherokee (Unicode block)
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* Cherokee Immersion School
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* Black drink
* Kanuchi
* Stomp dance
* Booger dance
* Flag of the Cherokee Nation

Legends|

* Ani Hyuntikwalaski
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History|

* History
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Organizations|

* Heritage Center
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* Youth Choir
* Heritage groups
* Cherokee Southwest Township
* Oconaluftee Indian Village
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* Education
* Female Seminary
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* Sequoyah Schools
* Sequoyah High School

Politics and law|

* Principal Chiefs
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* Cherokee Nation v. Georgia (1831)
* Worcester v. Georgia (1832)
* The Cherokee Tobacco case (1871)
* Cherokee Nation v. Leavitt (2005)
* Cherokee Commission
* Cherokee Strip
* in Kansas
* Sequoyah Constitutional Convention

Towns and
villages|

* Cherokee Towns (pre-Removal)
* Amoyeligunahita
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* Titsohili
* Cherokee Nations
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* Tahlequah
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* Eastern Band
* Cherokee
* Qualla Boundary

Landmarks and
memorial sites|

* Cherokee National Capitol
* Cherokee Removal Memorial Park
* Chieftains Museum
* First Cherokee Female Seminary Site
* Judaculla Rock
* Long Island
* John Ross House
* Ross's Landing
* Sequoyah's Cabin
* Tellico Blockhouse
* Trail of Tears State Park
* Brainerd Mission
* Rattlesnake Springs
* Fort Cass
* Red Clay State Historic Park
* Hair Conrad Cabin
* Nancy Ward Tomb
* Blythe Ferry
* Bussell Island
* Chief Vann House Historic Site
* Mantle Rock
* Museum of the Cherokee People
* Untokiasdiyi
* Standing Stone
* Stick Ball Grounds
* Cullasaja River
* Tuckasegee River
* Oconaluftee valley
* Oconaluftee River
* Abrams Creek
* Sycamore Shoals
* The Great Trading Path
* The Great War Path
* Hiwassee River Heritage Center
* Chatata
* Tuckaleechee
* Fort Smith Historic Site
* Port Royal State Park
* Five Civilized Tribes Museum
* Tlanusiyi
* Cherokee Path

People|

* Early leaders
* Moytoy of Tellico
* Attakullakulla
* Amouskositte
* Old Hop
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* Standing Turkey
* Outacite of Keowee
* Oconostota
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* Kunokeski
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* Tagwadihi
* Cherokee Nation East (1794–1839)
* Enola
* Pathkiller
* Big Tiger
* Charles R. Hicks
* William Hicks
* John Ross
* Cherokee Nation West (1810–1839)
* The Bowl
* Degadoga
* Tahlonteeskee
* John Jolly
* Sam Houston
* John Looney
* John Rogers
* Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (1824–present)
* Yonaguska
* William Holland Thomas
* Tsaladihi
* Gerard Parker
* Joyce Dugan
* Patrick Lambert
* Richard Sneed
* Cherokee Nation in Indian Territory (1839–1907)
* Lewis Downing
* Degataga
* William P. Ross
* Utselata
* Dennis Bushyhead
* Joel B. Mayes
* Johnson Harris
* Samuel Houston Mayes
* Thomas Buffington
* William Charles Rogers
* Cherokee Nation (1975–present)
* J. B. Milam
* W. W. Keeler
* Ross Swimmer
* Wilma Mankiller
* Joe Byrd
* Chadwick "Corntassel" Smith
* Bill John Baker
* Chuck Hoskin Jr.
* United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians (1939–present)
* James L. Gordon
* John W. Hair
* Other notable Cherokee
* Nancy Ward
* Tsali
* Tahlonteeskee (warrior)
* Turtle-at-Home
* Junaluska
* Goingsnake
* Elias Boudinot
* Wauhatchie
* James Vann
* David Vann
* Joseph Vann
* Bob Benge
* Nunnahitsunega
* Ned Christie
* John Martin
* Markwayne Mullin
* Yvette Herrell
* Sequoya
* Major Ridge
* Jenny McIntosh
* Sam Sixkiller
* Clement V. Rogers
* Redbird Smith
* Durbin Feeling
* Hastings Shade
* Kimberly Teehee
* Shawna Baker

See also: Cherokee-language Wikipedia

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