The Treaty of New Echota, signed in 1835, pushed 16,000 Cherokee people off their lands in present-day Georgia to make room for White settlers. Thousands of U.S. soldiers and Georgia militiamen forced the Cherokees at gunpoint to honor the treaty and march on what became known as the Trail of Tears to new lands in Oklahoma.
But there was another piece of that treaty that’s long been ignored: It stipulated that the Cherokee Nation would be entitled to a nonvoting seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. Congress reneged on that part of the deal. But now, amid a growing movement across Indian Country for greater representation and sovereignty, the Cherokees are pushing to seat a delegate, 187 years later.
“For nearly two centuries, Congress has failed to honor that promise,” says Chuck Hoskin Jr., principal chief of the Cherokee Nation. “It’s time to insist the United States keep its word.”
The Treaty of New Echota was signed in 1835. It pushed 16,000 Cherokee people off their lands in present-day Georgia. The forced removal was part of plans to make room for White settlers. Thousands of U.S. soldiers and Georgia militiamen forced the Cherokees at gunpoint to honor the treaty and march to new lands in Oklahoma. Their journey became known as the Trail of Tears.
But there was another piece of that treaty that’s long been ignored. It promised that the Cherokee Nation would have a nonvoting seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. Congress went back on that part of the deal. But now, the Cherokees are pushing to seat a delegate, 187 years later. Their fight is part of a growing movement across Indian Country for greater representation and control.
“For nearly two centuries, Congress has failed to honor that promise,” says Chuck Hoskin Jr., principal chief of the Cherokee Nation. “It’s time to insist the United States keep its word.”