Cherokee National History Museum Tahlequah Oklahoma

 

We drove the backroads over the hills and streams of the old Indian Territory, which became Cherokee Nation after the removal in the 1830s.

The Cherokee  National Museum is located in a brick building in Cherokee Nation, Tahlequah, Oklahoma.

I did not realize that Cherokee Nation is the largest tribe in the United States. In 2022, the website noted 370,000 citizens--they are not just in this part of the US.

Where did they come from? As we climbed the stairs from the main floor, we saw this large display telling their origin story. Early Cherokees came to the land known as the United States.

As you enter the building, you see Sequoyah--a man honored for his written syllabary of the Cherokee language, which preserved their stories and their language for future generations. The language is supported on the internet and social media platforms.

Back to the history. On the second floor, storyboards tell the history of Cherokee Nation in chronological order.

The loss of lands in the Eastern US and the forced removal to Indian Territory mostly occurred in the 1830s following the Indian Removal Act of 1830. Several storyboards cover this heart-wrenching story. So many died and all lost their family houses and lands and their long connection to their ancestral home.

Christian missionaries were a part of Cherokee history and some traveled with those on the removal--known as the Trail of Tears.

A painting captures a grand council meeting.

There's a lot more to read so you may as well visit the museum or buy a book about Cherokee Nation. A few weeks ago, we watched a documentary on the Trail of Tears.  The Trail of Tears is also available as a book.

We marveled at their survival and cheer their promising future.

Notes

In 2022, admission was free

There are interactive exhibits

There are restrooms and a gift shop

Google Map to the Museum

Link to the timeline

Link to Cherokee Nation

Learn more

Books about Cherokee Nation

Videos about Cherokee Nation