What Cherokee Nation is known for

Known for being the largest Cherokee Indian Reserve, the Cherokee Nation Region includes various attractions outside of the Native American cultural activities often found in the surrounding area. Over 100,000 annual visitors visit the Cherokee Nation, with visitors coming from all over the world, but primarily throughout the states of the United States of America. Approximately 141,000 tribe members live in the boundaries of Oklahoma, with over 380,000 tribe members located throughout the United States.[3] 

Tourists and residents often visit the Cherokee Nation Region for the city of Muskogee, which holds the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame, which honors Oklahoma native singers and bands. Each year, inductees are presented as well as perform in the city of Muskogee. Another attraction found within the city of Muskogee is the Castel of Muskogee. This time-piece entertainment showcases the Renaissance era by hosting various fairs throughout the year as well as having fireworks, Zombie runs, Halloween festivals, Boare's Head Feaste, and a Castle Christmas event.[2] 

The peak travel season in the destination is listed as the months of May through September, where the weather is listed as being warm and humid, with popular activities including water parks, walking, and hiking trails, and more. The top employers in the city of Muskogee include the U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs, Jack C. Montgomery VA Medical Center, and St. Francis Hospital.[9] The city of Tahlequah presents a variety of Native American cultural activities, including the Cherokee National Prison Museum and Cherokee National Supreme Court Museum. Within the city, river boating is a popular activity, with access to the Illinois River being found near the city of Tahlequah.[10]

Geography

The destination includes the right-hand corner of the state of Oklahoma near the borders of Missouri and Arkansas. The Cherokee Nation, a popular native American tribal point, is located in the area. Tahlequah and Muskogee are the most populous cities within the boundaries. Highways 59, 62, 64, and 412 run throughout the region, giving tourists and residents access to various parts of the state of Oklahoma. The zone ends its southern border near the city of Sallisaw, with the eastern borders ending at the city of Siloam Springs. The western edge ends at approximately 10-15 miles out of Muskogee, and the northern borders land at approximately 10-15 miles out of the cities of Vinita and Grove. Interstate 40 is the local interstate that connects travelers to various parts of the state and is the only interstate that channels through the destination. 

The weather in the area averages out at 72 degrees Fahrenheit annually, with the peak travel occurring during the months of May through September, where the weather averages at 88 degrees Fahrenheit. During the offseason, listed as October through April, the weather averages at 61 degrees Fahrenheit. Throughout the year, the Cherokee Nation Region receives 69 days of precipitation on average, with the highest months including the months of May, where it averages nine days of rain. April and June average seven days of rain individually, making up the second-highest months. 

Animals that are local to the state of Oklahoma include several types of bats, such as the gray bat, Indiana bat, big brown bat, and more. Other animals include the armadillos, woodchucks, porcupines, skunks, and various types of mice. Snakes, turtles, crows, sparrows, bluebirds, and wrens are found inhabiting the sky and ground.[5] Plants in the area include azaleas, junipers, maple trees, Ohio buckeye, junebush, and more.[6]

History

Based on tribal history, the Cherokee Nation has existed since time immemorial, a point in time that was so long ago that people have no knowledge or memory of it. The first recorded contact with Europeans occurred during 1540 with Hernando DeSoto's exploration of the country's southeastern portion. Treaties were signed between these Europeans and the Cherokees in 1725, with several of the tribe members choosing to become Christians based on the influence of missionaries and other European travelers. Throughout the next centuries, the Cherokee Nation was involved in various treaties with the United States of America, moving around the area due to land loss and the Civil War. 

During 1907, when Oklahoma officially became a state, resistance from the Cherokee Nation occurred based on the tribal members being forced to follow a new government and laws of the land. It wasn't until the 1960s Civil Rights Movement that the Cherokee tribe took part in trying to gain back those rights of government and laws that they used to own. With the passing of the Principal Chief's Act of 1970, the Cherokees, among other Native American tribes, were granted the right to take back their government and properly elect tribal officials once again. In 1971, the Cherokee Nation's first election in the last 70 years was held, with a new Constitution ratified in 1975.[7] Cherokee Indians make up a significant portion of the ethnic groups in the area, with others including White(Non-Hispanic), Alaskan Native, White(Hispanic), and Black or African American. Approximately 200,000 people live within the region, with the largest universities including the Indian Capital Technology Center-Muskogee, Bacone College, and Virgil's Beauty College.[8]