TAHLEQUAH, Okla. — Explore the resilience of Cherokee people in a time of profound change in a new exhibit at the Cherokee National History Museum.
“Declarations of Sovereignty: The Cherokee Response to Revolution” is now open and runs through May 8, 2027.
When American colonists declared their independence from the British Crown in 1776, Cherokees – like people of other Native nations east of the Appalachians – strategized how best to maintain their autonomy and ways of life in the face of sweeping change.
“Cherokee people existed as a nation prior to the formation of the United States government, connected through culture, language and history,” said Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. “A time of uncertainty, the American Revolution set the stage for many changes to come for Cherokees. This exhibit not only shares the story of the resilience of Cherokee people, but how the results of the American revolution continue to shape the ways in which we live today.”
Following the American Revolutionary War, Cherokee leaders faced a new political order as the United States expanded across former colonial territory. This brought about treaties and direct diplomacy that were repeatedly undermined by U.S. leaders and a response from Cherokees that ultimately led to the restructuring of Cherokee government to confront that sustained pressure.
Accompanying the exhibit is a display that tells how Cherokees faced the Removal crisis following the American Revolution, when Cherokees were relocated to lands west of the Mississippi River and signed the Act of Union in 1839.
Three factions of Cherokees with different paths formally reunited, where despite tragedy, suspicion and acts of retribution, they created a union that was foundational to the future of Cherokee Nation.
Through the display, guests will learn more about that extraordinary year in the tribe’s history when Cherokee people declared themselves a reunited government 185 years ago.
For more information on Cherokee Nation cultural destinations and exhibits, go to www.VisitCherokeeNation.com.