It’s time for the United States to fulfill its promise to the Cherokee Nation.

The 1835 Treaty of New Echota between the United States and the Cherokee people led to the expulsion of Cherokees from their territory in a mass exodus known as the Trail of Tears, where 15,000 Indigenous people died including 4,000 Cherokee. The treaty also guaranteed the Cherokee Nation the right to send a delegate to Congress. Almost 200 years later, members of the Cherokee Nation are renewing their push for this representation in Congress.

In a recent video message, Cherokee Nation principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. said, "The Treaty of New Echota has no expiration date. The obligation to seat a Cherokee Nation delegate is as binding today as it was in 1835."

The Cherokee Nation is the largest tribal nation in the U.S., with more than 430,000 citizens. Their delegate would not be able to vote on the House floor but would have the power to make speeches and vote in committee, similar to representatives given to the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands.

The United States made a commitment to the Cherokee Nation nearly two centuries ago. The House of Representatives has the authority to honor that commitment. It is past time to fulfill our obligation.

Sign the petition to the House of Representatives: Seat the Cherokee Nation Delegate.
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