Echota Cherokee Tribe of Al - Falkville, Alabama

Terry Edwards

The Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians does not require a dna test to prove lineage. DNA is not an acceptable method of proving anyone's ancestry, especially connecting one to a particular tribe of first nation people. This is largely due in part to the fact that most tribes have not and will never submit sample dna for any laboratory to analyze and/or match to. Any legitimate ancestry or genealogical site will explain this to you up front. Anything to the contrary is a scam. The requirements for enrollment in any tribe are listed on their website. It will also explain this.

I am Cherokee.
Either you are or you aren't. Maybe your great grandmother was Cherokee 100 years ago, that should make 1/8. Question is do you live like a Cherokee or more like that other 7/8. Before all the casinos and other junk, it wasn't so hot to be Cherokee and even worse to be mixed blood. When I was young, my brother and me basically got into a fight with someone almost everyday. You weren't allowed in any store or restaurant, movie theater, or doctor's office. You couldn't get credit because you were under tribal law, not US law. So you couldn't buy a house or a car unless you paid cash. You couldn't play team sports like football or basketball or baseball. There were a lot of things you couldn't do and you didn't have anything because you weren't allowed to have certain things.
I never got a CBID card because my dad was in the Air Force and we didn't live on the reservation. Didn't want or need one, everyone knew who I was. Along came the casinos in the 90's. Didn't care for them, didn't vote for them, didn't take any money from them they paid everybody off (it wasn't a big deal). I don't need the government to tell me who I am and what I am. I respect the ways and the medicines as they were taught to me by my grandmother. I try to be a good brother to all things under the Creator's hands.

Tooni One Feather

This tribe is a state recognized tribe through the Alabama Indian Affairs Commission. And members must prove their native ancestry to receive a roll number. Many of their native ancestors are on no lists or rolls because they chose not to - the level of trust wasn't high. Some married whites, and some simply disappeared into the mountains and woods. One can only imagine what they might do in this situation - get in line, or run?
I have been a member of this tribe since 1986. And at that time, my family and I had to prove our native ancestry. Which was no easy task back then. It was traced to my 2nd great grandmother who married a white man and was listed as mulatto until the census finally added the choice for "Indian" under the Color column.
Her choice of survival doesn't strip her of her heritage. Other records are there.

Linda Bomes

This is really amazing of a lot of these post....some saying, how they have been checking them out and finding none are Cherokee, whining that they are only" State Recognize not Federal"...another one stating " DNA testing for enrollment"..Let me set some things straight..If you have been checking their lineage out and finding they are not Cherokee, show me the evidence..I am a Novice Genealogist working towards my board, would love to see your evidence IF you indeed did any of the extensive work involved.... DNA testing for Ancestry DOES NOT TELL YOU WHAT TRIBE and IS NOT a basis for enrollment into any tribe, but the Eastern Band accepts the DNA testing for parentage purposes only.....But I will be glad to show you mine which shows what generations my Native American side comes in, there are numerous Federal Recognized Tribes AND there are numerous State Recognized Tribes, yes you read that right...State Recognized Tribes can also petition to become Federal, and that has happened. Here's another FACT, The Indian Arts and Crafts Act under The Department of The Interior states this INDIAN TRIBE: #1) Means Any federally recognized Indian tribe, band, nation, Alaska Native village or organized group or community or ....#2) Any Indian group that has been formally recognized as an Indian tribe by a STATE LEGISLATURE, a STATE COMMISSION, or another similar organization vested with STATE LEGISLATIVE TRIBAL RECOGNITION AUTHORITY....and this means that State Recognized tribes can sell their arts and crafts as Native American made, this is FEDERAL LAW...A lot of you base what an Native should look like on the Hollywood stereo types, I knew one one with the eastern Cherokee who is red hair, green eyed and fair skin and is 3/4 blood..and..it is not about what you look like , it is about your lineage, how the blood line comes down to you, a Cherokee is a Cherokee..period..So all of you who complain and blah , blah this and blah blah that, show me your evidence..it took me just over 25 years to complete my genealogy to show my Cherokee ancestry and lineage and I had to send in a copy to the Echota Band and they checked it out, you see you have to PROVE on your part to a State Recognized tribe just like you have to PROVE YOUR GENEALOGY to the Federal tribes. The same goes as for a CDIB card, you have to PROVE DIRECT DESCENDANCY from a Cherokee ancestor..Shoe me YOUR evidence

Bev O

Can visitors go on this land for I'm Cherokee but I'd like to talk to a Cherokee in person to help lead me in right direction in getting my card. My mother I have pics of is no longer here but she had alot of Indian in her.i do not know much about looking into a family tree. Most of my people are from and alot still live in alabama. I use to live here but now I'm visiting looking after my kids sickly father had a stroke. He would also like to visit a real reservation for cherokee

Brian “VC” voncannon

Fine people. They are proud like anyone else. If everyone is worried about people lying and playing Indian, then you better read all the articles about what happened at the OK main tribe, as well as the now REQUIRED DNA TESTING for membership in the Eastern Band. Not long ago, the council (I know a few) had the tribe audited. Guess what? Found non-Tsalagis on the rolls, getting per capita checks and everything. PLUS, they found via DNA, that some WEREN'T NATIVE AT ALL. So, remember, when you point a finger at someone, there are three fingers pointing back at you. Yes, I am enrolled. Had to prove my stuff too. Only AKC registered animals and Natives have to PROVE lineage. Actually, roll numbers, CDIBs are an insult. This "fake indian" has relatives that were enrolled and many not. I spend time with the EBCI and another tribe my father descended from. But this is a review about the Echota. Again, fine people. If anyone is lying about their heritage, then it WILL catch up to that person some day. But please don't let one rotten potato destroy the whole bag. Would you like me to introduce you to some "REAL CHEROKEES" who live in Murphy or Bryson City, NC who DON'T QUALIFY FOR MEMBERSHIP IN THE EASTERN BAND? Many are much more than the required 1/16. Its about casinos, money, etc. today, not the one drop rule of Cherokee citizenship that used to be. When I published a Cherokee book, dedicated to my Grandpa Lambert (in the EBCI library, across from the high school), people came out of the woodwork with the "here's a fake medicine man trying to scam people out of money". I don't even know what they were talking about, but getting a little sick. Who cares who has a roll number? BUT, who cares about money? Please note, folks who need help and cant get it because of the shysters, break my heart. I watched an elderly Cherokee woman beg the EBCI tribal council at a meeting, for help with her power bill in tears. She was rejected. I don't know why, but like I said, I DONT LIKE PEOPLE WHO PRETEND TO BE INDIAN FOR PROFIT MYSELF, but please be careful with folks like Echota whose ancestors may not be on the Dawes, Miller, Baker, Hester, Rez, rolls, etc. for whatever reason. And by the way, at one time, Cherokee family stories within the tribe WAS LAW. White men documented the Cherokee people until the Phoenix was published after Sequoya invented the syllabary. And even "CHEROKEE" is not a native word. It's of French origins. Tsalagi is the correct term, as is Ani-yunwiya, and Ani-Kituah (the principal people, and the people of God). Ask the elders about Bryson City, NC (Kituah) and it's significance. God bless and for Pete's sake, can we just agree that we are ALL simply human beings made by the Creator?

Penny Blackfeather Coutlee

As for you ANYONE wondering ..I am an active member of this tribe. I am Native American through my fathers side. My GG Grandmother was FULL blooded Cherokee. My GG Uncle (Her Brother ) went to live on the Chickasaw Indian Reservation, ClayCounty, Texas in 1908. When he married a Chickasaw native. I have PROVEN my LINEAGE with this tribe and Have historic family photos, Microfilm, Census , Etc....To prove it. So if ANYONE wants to discredit this tribe, Remember We have to PROVE our lineage. As for who gets approved, It's up to the approval committee.
AND.....WE ARE STATE RECOGNNIZED.WITH ROLL # CARDS THROUGH INDIAN AFFAIRS IN MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA.

Wayne Deutsch

Great information, awesome people ?

Rob Russell

Article 26 of the Code of Alabama establishes the Echota Cherokee Tribe of Alabama as a State Recognized Tribe, recognized by law in the state as a Tribe. They do not claim to be Federally Recognized, just that they are a Tribe recognized by the State of Alabama.