The Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma would have many people believe that they are the sole authoritative governing body of the Cherokee people, but that is simply not true. In fact, the Cherokee people have three tribal governments which have all received Federal recognition. Aside from the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in the Cherokee ancestral homelands to the East which achieved recognition in 1868, the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma was granted Federal recognition as a tribal government of the Cherokee people in Oklahoma on October 3, 1950 and has operated in a reluctantly shared jurisdiction with the much larger and more powerful CNO ever since. 

          However in the last 50 years the CNO has demonstrated they have strayed from the core values of the Cherokee people. Values that could often be characterized as honest, humble, and selfless can no longer been seen in the leadership of the CNO as it has become dishonest, seemingly corrupt, greedy, and self-serving. This apparent shift in the governance of the Cherokee people first became apparent with the adoption of a new constitution in 1976 as it began to prioritize economic growth and political influence over traditional communal values. 

          In 1983 despite harsh criticism regarding the dilution of Cherokee identity from both the UKB and EBCI, CNO lowered the required blood quantum for tribal membership from 1/4 to 1/8, but this was only the first step towards disregarding the blood quantum altogether in favor of traced lineage ancestry. This drive to increase enrollment numbers seeking an increase both to Federal funding and political power demonstrated greed within the leadership, a value at complete odds with the teachings of traditional Cherokee values and principles. This change saw enrollment numbers in 1983 go from 65,000 to over 460,000 in the present day with the vast majority of citizens possessing less than a quarter of Cherokee ancestry. 

          Additionally, controversies arose in the early 2000s regarding issues such as the management of tribal funds, economic development projects, and the influence of outside interests on tribal governance. These tensions led to divisions within the community and highlighted differing perspectives on the direction of the Cherokee Nation, creating a contentious political atmosphere.

          However in the most recent years leadership began making blatantly false statements regarding its fellow Cherokee tribal governments and in recent weeks even withdrawing from their tri-council of the Cherokee governments. This has demonstrated a further change in leadership to abandon the traditional values of truthfulness and communal well-being to embrace dishonesty and selfishness. Making it clear they should no longer claim to represent the Cherokee people as their membership not only shifted primarily to a Non-Cherokee ancestry in its membership but also the actions taken that contradict traditional Cherokee values and the very identify of the Cherokee people itself,  proving the fears of the UKB and EBCI correct.            It is for this dilution of our tribal identity and demonstrates betrayals of our ancestral values that bring shame upon the Cherokee people that the citizens who have chosen to sign this petition hereby request that Congress revoke the status of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma as a Federally recognized tribal government of the Cherokee people. Furthermore we request the immediate transfer of all its members with a 1/4 blood or more of Cherokee ancestry to be added to the rolls of the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma.