Sovereign Chickamauga Cherokee Tribe of Arkansas
Reinstatement & Documentation
Official records, letters of support, and historical evidence supporting our pursuit of state and federal reinstatement. These documents affirm our continuous presence in Arkansas and our standing as a sovereign tribal nation.
ᏂᎦᏛᎢ
Nigadvdi · "We are still here" · Written in the syllabary of Sequoyah (ᏍᏏᏉᏯ), c. 1820
Actively Pursuing State & Federal Reinstatement · 501(c)(3) Nonprofit · Incorporated in Arkansas May 2024
Historical Evidence
Cherokee (Chickamauga) Homeland Map
Historical map showing the Cherokee Chickamauga homeland in present-day northwest Arkansas and northeast Oklahoma, prior to removal beginning in 1818. Sources include U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs Cherokee Nation Treaties 1817–1818 and the Arkansas State Archives.
View Document →Legal Standing
Articles of Incorporation — State of Arkansas
Articles of Incorporation for the Sovereign Chickamauga Cherokee Tribe, Inc., filed with the Arkansas Secretary of State on May 28, 2024. Certified by John Thurston, Arkansas Secretary of State.
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2025 Annual Report — Nonprofit Corporation
Arkansas Secretary of State 2025 Annual Report for the Sovereign Chickamauga Cherokee Tribe, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation. Principal officers: Jim Davis, R.L. Adams, Tom Berryhill. Board of Directors: Bill Hefley, James Alexander, Bobby Gideon.
View Document →Letters of Support
Recognized by Tribal Nations & Local Government
These letters and resolutions come from sovereign tribal nations and elected government officials who have formally recognized the Chickamauga Cherokee presence in Arkansas. The United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians, the Apache Tribe of Oklahoma, Yell County Judge Mark Thone, and the Jasper School District Superintendent have each put their name and authority behind our people — affirming our continuous presence in this land since the early 1800s and supporting our pursuit of state and federal reinstatement.
Letter of Support — United Keetoowah Band (2008)
Statement from the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma, signed by Chief George G. Wickliffe (September 25, 2008), recognizing the historical existence of the Chickamauga Cherokee in Arkansas and supporting Federal Recognition for the "Arkansas Cherokee Nation" (Chickamauga Cherokee of Arkansas).
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Letter of Support — United Keetoowah Band (2017)
Statement from the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma, signed by Assistant Chief Jamie Thompson (April 21, 2017), supporting Federal Recognition for the Sovereign Chickamauga Cherokee Tribe of Arkansas.
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Letter of Support — United Keetoowah Band (2008, duplicate)
Additional copy of the United Keetoowah Band statement recognizing the Chickamauga Cherokee presence along the Arkansas River from 1817 through 1828 and supporting Federal Recognition.
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Resolution — Apache Tribe of Oklahoma (Page 1)
Resolution #ABC 02-03-06 from the Apache Business Committee of the Apache Tribe of Oklahoma, recognizing the Arkansas Cherokee Nation (aka) Chickamauga Cherokee of Arkansas as the true and official governing body of the Cherokee people of Arkansas and supporting their quest for Federal Recognition.
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Resolution — Apache Tribe of Oklahoma (Page 2)
Certification page of Apache Tribe of Oklahoma Resolution #ABC 02-03-06, adopted February 1, 2006. Confirmed by Chairman Nathan W. Tselee, Pro-Tem Secretary-Treasurer Donnie Cabaniss, and Committee Member Phillip Westselline.
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Letter of Support — Jasper School District (2019)
Letter from Jeff Cantrell, Superintendent of Jasper School District (Jasper, Arkansas 72641), dated November 5, 2019, confirming that Cherokee people and their descendants have continually lived in Newton County, Arkansas from the early 1800s to present day, and fully supporting the Sovereign Cherokee Tribe for federal recognition.
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Letter of Support — Yell County Judge Mark Thone (2019)
Letter from Mark Thone, Yell County Judge (Dardanelle, AR 72834), dated October 11, 2019, confirming that Cherokee people and their descendants have continually lived in Yell County, Arkansas from the early 1800s to present day, and fully supporting the Sovereign Cherokee Tribe for federal recognition.
View Document →Tribal Governance
What This Means for Our Recognition
A sovereign tribe does not merely exist on paper — it governs. Document 10192019A is proof that the Sovereign Chickamauga Cherokee Tribe of Arkansas has exercised real governmental authority: establishing a formal Court System, nominating a Chief Magistrate, and conducting the business of a functioning tribal government. This proclamation, signed by the full Council, demonstrates the institutional depth that federal and state recognition processes require. We are not seeking to become a tribe. We are a tribe — and these documents prove it.
Proclamation of the Court System & Chief Magistrate — Document 10192019A
Proclamation issued by the Sovereign Nation of the Chickamauga Cherokee Tribe establishing its Court System and nominating Kenneth A. Hodges as Chief Magistrate. Signed by Principal Chief Jim Davis, Assistant Chief Kenneth Wilkerson, and Councilmen Fred Ornsbey, Roger Owen, David Young, Charles Young, Michael Earnest Hodges, Michael Jay Wheaton, and Terry Bowden. This document affirms the tribe's exercise of sovereign governmental authority — including judicial functions — consistent with its existence and operation since 1808.
View Document →Apply for Tribal Membership
If you are a descendant of the Chickamauga Cherokee, you may apply for tribal citizenship. Download and complete the application below, then follow the enrollment instructions.
✦ The Cherokee Rolls Are Open ✦
Enrollment is open now and will remain open until the tribe receives state and federal reinstatement. Apply while the rolls are open — do not wait.
Support Our Recognition Effort
We are actively fighting for state and federal recognition. If you are a descendant, community leader, or organization that wishes to add your voice, we welcome your support.
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