The Cherokee National Holiday is an annual event held each

Labor Day Labor Day is a Federal holidays in the United States, federal holiday in the United States celebrated on the first Monday of September to honor and recognize the Labor history of the United States, American labor movement and the works and con ...

weekend in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. The event celebrates the September 6, 1839 signing of the Constitution of the

Cherokee Nation The Cherokee Nation ( or ) is the largest of three list of federally recognized tribes, federally recognized tribes of Cherokees in the United States. It includes people descended from members of the Cherokee Nation (1794–1907), Old Cheroke ...

Oklahoma Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...

after the Trail of Tears Indian removal ended.

Origins and activities

Originally begun in 1953, the event has grown into one of the largest

festival A festival is an event celebrated by a community and centering on some characteristic aspect or aspects of that community and its religion or cultures. It is often marked as a local or national holiday, Melā, mela, or Muslim holidays, eid. A ...

s in Oklahoma, attracting in excess of 70,000 attendees coming from all over the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. Many attendees are also tribal members of the " Five Civilized Tribes" (the

Cherokee The Cherokee (; , or ) people are one of the Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, they were concentrated in their homelands, in towns along river valleys of what is now southwestern ...

, and also the

Chickasaw The Chickasaw ( ) are an Indigenous people of the Southeastern Woodlands, United States. Their traditional territory was in northern Mississippi, northwestern and northern Alabama, western Tennessee and southwestern Kentucky. Their language is ...

s, the

Choctaw The Choctaw ( ) people are one of the Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States, originally based in what is now Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. The Choctaw language is a Western Muskogean language. Today, Choct ...

s, Creeks, and

Seminole The Seminole are a Native American people who developed in Florida in the 18th century. Today, they live in Oklahoma and Florida, and comprise three federally recognized tribes: the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma, the Seminole Tribe of Florida, ...

s). Others who routinely attend the event are the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians located in western

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

and also the United Keetowah Band which, like the

, 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 Softball is a Variations of baseball, variation of baseball, the difference being that it is played with a larger ball, on a smaller field, and with only underhand pitches (where the ball is released while the hand is primarily below the ball) ...

tournaments,

rodeo Rodeo () is a competitive equestrian sport that arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain and Mexico, expanding throughout the Americas and to other nations. It was originally based on the skills required of the working vaqu ...

car A car, or an automobile, is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of cars state that they run primarily on roads, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport people rather than cargo. There are around one billio ...

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. Stickball match

Celebration themes

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 * Forging a Legacy: Seven Decades of Cherokee Fellowship - (70th Annual) 2022 * 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

Due to

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

, the 68th Annual Cherokee National Holiday was a "virtual holiday." 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. 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.

Notes

External links

Cherokee National Holiday Archives

The Cherokee Nation Homepage
{{coord, 35.915, N, 94.970, W, type:event_region:US-OK_source:GNIS, display=title Cherokee culture Oklahoma culture Festivals in Oklahoma Cultural festivals in the United States Tourist attractions in Cherokee County, Oklahoma

Origins and activities

Celebration themes

Covid-19

See also

Notes

External links