Total population | |
---|---|
(316,049 enrolled tribal members |
|
Regions with significant populations | |
United States |
|
Languages | |
English, Cherokee | |
Religion | |
Christianity, Kituhwa, Four Mothers Society,Native American Church |
(316,049 enrolled tribal members
(Eastern Band: 13,000+,Cherokee Nation: 288,749, United Keetoowah Band: 14,300)
United States
North Carolina 16,158 (0.2%)
The Cherokee (/ˈtʃɛrəkiː/; Cherokee: ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯ, translit. Aniyvwiyaʔi or Cherokee: ᏣᎳᎩ, translit. Tsalagi) are an indigenous people of the Southeastern Woodlands. Prior to the 18th century, they were concentrated in southwestern North Carolina, southeastern Tennessee, and the tips of western South Carolina and northeastern Georgia. The Cherokee language is a Southern Iroquoian language and part of the Iroquoian language family. Today there are three federally recognized Cherokee tribes: the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in North Carolina, the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma, and the Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma.