Cherokee National Holiday
The Cherokee National Holiday is an annual event held each Labor Day weekend in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. The event celebrates the September 6, 1839 signing of the Constitution of the Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma after the Trail of Tears Indian removal ended. Originally begun in 1953, the event has grown into one of the largest festivals in Oklahoma, attracting in excess of 70,000 attendees coming from all over the United States. Many attendees are also tribal members of the "Five Civilized Tribes" (the Cherokee, and also the Chickasaws, the Choctaws, Creeks, and Seminoles). Others who routinely attend the event are the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians located in western North Carolina and also the United Keetowah Band which, like the Cherokee Nation, 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 tournaments, rodeos, car 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. 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 Due to COVID-19 pandemic, 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. Cherokee Heritage Center Cherokee language Park Hill, Oklahoma Cherokee National Holiday Archives The Cherokee Nation Homepage