Cherokee Nation legislative act (RLC.Ms.572)

Biographical note

The Cherokee Nation (of the nineteenth century) was an autonomous, legal, tribal government recognized from 1794 to 1907. This Nation consisted of the Cherokee people and other Native American tribes originally from the southeastern United States who were either forced to or voluntary relocated to Indian Territory. The Indian Territory was land set aside by the U.S. government and comprised present day Oklahoma.

Tahlequah, Oklahoma, was established as the capital of the Cherokee Nation and by 1827 a written constitution was adopted, creating a government with three branches, similar to the U.S. government. The National Council served as the legislature of the Nation and every four years they elected a Principal Chief, whose office was similar to that of a state governor or U.S. President. Beginning in 1898, the U.S. government was laying the groundwork to dismantle the Cherokee Nation in order to incorporate the Indian Territory into a new state, Oklahoma. In 1906, the tribal government of the Cherokee Nation was dissolved.

T. M. (Thomas Mitchell) Buffington (1855-1938) was born in Goingsnake District of the Cherokee Nation, Indian Territory (present day Adair County, Oklahoma). He served as the Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation briefly in 1891 and was elected to the office in 1899, serving until 1903. Following his term as principal chief, Buffington was the mayor of Vinita, Oklahoma, until 1917. He died in Vinita on February 11, 1938.