Where We Are and Where Are We Going?

Are we there yet?  Everyone’s favorite and despised question to hear on a trip.  It is a question that our family asks as soon as the engine starts when we get in the car to go anywhere, including grocery shopping.

For The Chickamauga Nation, it is a great question today as well, since we have gone media silent over the last few months for the Nation.

First things, first.  Medal Chief Justin Flanagan has taken over the role of Treaty Region Chief of the West Region.  Chief Jimmie W. Kersh, the former West Treaty Region Chief, has taken on the new role of Antler Chief of The Chickamauga Nation.  The Antler Chief’s role is to represent the entire Nation in matters brought before the National Council and to work on specific areas in need of National attention.

Second, since last September, we have had a Commerce and Finance Chief in charge of all aspects of commerce, administration, and finances of The Chickamauga Nation.

Third, we have been exploring the opportunities of hiring a law firm for our legal needs, as well as the possibility of one day starting our own. We would use our law firm to help the Tribe in all legal matters with local, state, and federal governments as we assert our rights as a Federally Recognized Tribe. The lawyers would also serve the Citizens of The Chickamauga Nation as well as take on other clients to promote their work.

Fourth, we are exploring every available avenue of speaking with Congress, the President, and considering Judicial Branch options to have the Tribe placed on the LIST.

Fifth, we are in the process of printing new Tribal ID Cards with various security features included in the “hard-card,” which looks and feels like a driver’s license.  For everyone who has a completely updated file, we will begin printing the New Cards for them.  An UPDATE FORM is available by request.  Along with the UPDATE FORM, we will need a Picture of the Citizen from the shoulders up in front of a solid color background, and a signature on a blank piece of paper.  The Picture and signature will be transferred to the Tribal ID Card as part of the security measures. 

Finally, “Are we there yet?”  We now have all of the legal evidence necessary to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt, that the Chickamauga were not Cherokee, but a distinctly different people. The Chickamauga have been a Treaty Signing Tribe since 1684, is legally under the jurisdiction of the United States by Treaty, is Federally Recognized through various statutes since 1785, is required to be on the LIST because of the 1994 Federally Recognized Tribes List Act, is required to be on the List by Supreme Court rulings, are legally referred to (often erroneously) by the United States as Chickamauga, Lower Towns, Lower Town Cherokee, Western Cherokee, Old Settler Cherokee, Emigrant Cherokee, and numerous other names we have documented in almost 1,000,000 pages of academically verified research.

We are well on our way to getting there, but the process of getting there has been fraught with speed bumps, potholes, and detours.  We are asking the federal government to admit they have made a mistake by not placing us on the list, and this government does not like admitting to making mistakes, especially with Indians, because it creates a liability issue.