Cherokee nation

Cherokee Nation ᏣᎳᎩᎯ ᎠᏰᎵ Tsalagihi Ayeli
Flag Coat of arms
Cherokee Nation tribal jurisdiction area in Oklahoma, in dark blue.
Capital	Tahlequah 35°54′N 94°58′W / 35.900°N 94.967°W / 35.900; -94.967
Largest city	Bartlesville
Official languages	Cherokee, English
Religion	Keetoowah, Four Mothers Society, Christianity, and others
Demonym	Cherokee/Cherokee Indian
Government	Tribal Nation
• Principal Chief	Bill John Baker
Sovereign entity within United States
Population
• Estimate	299,862

The Cherokee Nation (Cherokee: ᏣᎳᎩᎯ ᎠᏰᎵ, Tsalagihi Ayeli) is the largest of three Cherokee federally recognized tribes in the United States. It was established in the 20th century and includes people descended from members of the old Cherokee Nation who relocated from the Southeast due to increasing pressure to Indian Territory and Cherokee who were forced to relocate on the Trail of Tears. The tribe also includes descendants of Cherokee Freedmen and Natchez Nation. Over 299,862 people are enrolled in the Cherokee Nation, with 189,228 living within the state of Oklahoma. According to Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) head Larry EchoHawk, the Cherokee Nation is not the historical Cherokee tribe but instead a "successor in interest."

Headquartered in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, the Cherokee Nation has a tribal jurisdictional area spanning 14 counties in the northeastern corner of Oklahoma. These are Adair, Cherokee, Craig, Delaware, Mayes, McIntosh, Muskogee, Nowata, Ottawa, Rogers, Sequoyah, Tulsa, Wagoner, and Washington Counties.