Is the great Cherokee Nation no more?
This unsettling question, echoed in Chad Smith’s Cherokee Nation: Proceed Undaunted, invites us to reflect deeply. As 2028 approaches, shadows from past television broadcasts seem to loom closer to reality.
The Cherokee Nation’s legacy was forged with fire and endurance, and its Constitution was once a beacon of hope, law, and justice. But when its processes are manipulated by those seeking power and protection rather than service and accountability, it leads to what Smith calls “constitutional kleptocracy.” This becomes a lived threat, visible when elected officials rewrite rules to suit themselves, silence dissent, and deny citizens access to critical information.
The integrity of the Nation begins within every Cherokee person. Smith suggests that rebuilding must occur person by person, family by family, and community by community. He turns to the Keetoowah wampum belts—the white path—as the direction for healing. That path calls for transparency, humility, and fidelity to the Constitution, which must reflect the true will of the people, not the ambitions of a few.
Smith reminds us of the Cherokee Phoenix newspaper, launched in 1828, invoking the myth of a bird reborn from ashes. Perhaps Cherokee strength lies in the embers of memory—the stories of parents, grandparents, and ancestors who loved their Nation fiercely. Their tears, like those of the Cherokee woman remembered by historian Everett Dale, are not just grief but a call for resolve.
Revered traditionalist Redbird Smith once said that pride in ancestry makes people strong and loyal. That same pride drives men and women to serve and sacrifice. Today, patriotism must mean giving back to the Nation, not taking from it. Kleptocracy is the enemy of that patriotism. It loots, destroys, and feels no shame. It cloaks itself in legal language and weakens the soul of the Nation.
Teachers like Dr. Julia Coates have passed this history to thousands, and every time she recounts the story of the loss of the Cherokee woman crying in 1930 about the end of her Nation, she weeps again. Such emotion is proof that the Cherokee Nation still lives in memory, in grief, and in hope.
Chief Wilma Mankiller once said, “The secret of our success is that we never, never give up.” Smith echoes this legacy with his mantra: “Proceed undaunted.” And former Treasurer Jay Hannah’s words ring louder now: “Now is the time for the getting on with the getting on.”
To save what remains, to rise again, Cherokee people must reclaim their voice and renew their Constitution as a covenant of shared values. This is a pivotal moment because the Nation needs to be rebuilt with clarity, bravery, and community rather than by coercion or fear.
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