A Word From the Principal Chief…
Si-yo and Welcome!
The Florida Tribe of Cherokee Indians is a non-recognized Cherokee tribe operating in the State of Florida. The Florida Tribe of Cherokee Indians, Inc. is the corporate, charitable arm of the Florida Tribe of Cherokee Indians and is registered as a 501C-3 non-profit, charitable organization.
The Florida Tribe of Cherokee Indians gains our enrollment and identity through the strict practice of genealogical research of all applicants and the tying of such applicants to verifiable Cherokee sources. We recognize that the Cherokee peoples have migrated over the years to various locations due to government coercion, land cessions, treaties, wars, and other such reasons. The Florida Tribe of Cherokee Indians recognizes that Florida has historically been a safe haven for Cherokees where opportunities have abounded. This fact is supported by our constant research and verification of oral and written lore concerning Cherokee treks into what is present day Florida.
We are not, and do not, claim to be affiliated with any federally recognized tribe of Cherokees (i.e., the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, the United Keetowah Band, or Eastern Band of Cherokees). Neither do we claim any affiliation with any state recognized tribal entity. Specifically, due to a 2001 legislative repeal of a statute involving state recognition of American Indians, we are not and cannot ever legally be a state recognized tribe and should in no way be construed as a state or federally recognized tribal entity.
This is important to note since at least one federally recognized tribe of Cherokees is trying to use what resources it has at its disposal to stifle the voice of tribes like ours. It is their earnest wish to make it illegal for free, non-recognized Cherokees to assemble to speak a unified language, share in a mutual culture, and openly display our pride and fulfillment that we get from our rich, Cherokee heritage. We are aware that a task force has been assembled in the name of preserving tribal sovereignty. This task force makes false accusations about tribes like ours saying that we hand out CDIB (Certificate of Degree of Indian Blood) cards and other such falsehoods. This is not the case. We take great pride in our records to make sure that we are right in our assertion that a person is or is not a “by blood” Cherokee. We also take great care to make sure that potential applicants are aware of our legal structure, the options available to them, and to make sure that we never harm or threaten the sovereignty or rights of any of our federal or state recognized Cherokee brothers.
In essence, we assert that we are the direct descendants of the once great Cherokee nation that all Cherokees, regardless of tribal recognition status, claim their heritage from. We assert that there is more than just one story to the Cherokees’ history and that this silence and oppression must cease. We find it shameful that fellow Cherokee wish to fight other Cherokee rather than finding solutions to preserve our shared past, securing a prosperous future for Cherokee citizens, while seizing every opportunity that the present has to offer.
Unlike other tribes, we do not have a specific roll that we draw our base data from. Rather, we will use any verifiable US, state, or military government roll, census, or court action of the Cherokees as proof of claim. Moreover, since we recognize that the American Indian culture is vastly becoming an ethnic group rather than a racial identity, we do not have a standing blood quantum requirement. Therefore, so long as a person has one drop of verifiable Cherokee blood – we will welcome them into our fold.
Enrollment into the Florida Tribe of Cherokee Indians does not entitle you to medical, educational, business or any other State or Federal benefits. None of the officers of the Florida Tribe of Cherokee Indians, or the Florida Tribe of Cherokee Indians, Inc., receive any pay or compensation. No one in the Florida Tribe of Cherokee Indians receives a routine check or any special services based solely on their enrollment. We proudly can state that 100% of our workforce is comprised of volunteers and that no service that we provide comes at a cost to our peoples or the general public.
All of our meetings, seminars, and events are open to the public. We invite all interested people, who are of Cherokee heritage, or who are merely interested in the Cherokee culture, to come and join us. Our people are loving, caring souls that love to share their culture with like-minded individuals.
This site is just one of our many programs aimed at preserving the language and culture of our peoples, serving as a comprehensive genealogical resource, and serving also as a vehicle for interaction between our culture and the rest of the world. Please take advantage of what we freely offer up for your use.
S-gi,
Principal Chief Ken Johnson
The Florida Tribe of Cherokee Indians, Inc. is registered with the Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services as Registration #CH29301. Pursuant to Florida Statute 496: “A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE (800-435-7352) WITHIN THE STATE. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE.”