Cherokee Nation holiday begins with State of the Nation Address in Tahlequah

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. opened the annual Cherokee Nation holiday with a State of the Nation Address focused on progress in healthcare and unity for the future.

Hoskin said annual patient visits in the Cherokee Nation health system have increased by about 700,000 over the past five years. Access to behavioral health care has also grown by more than 330 percent during that time.

The chief said the tribe is in a “period of great strength through unity” even as the country faces political division and uncertainty.

“We gather in a time of change in the country, a season of American division, and a period of uncertainty in the United States,” Hoskin said. “That makes me all the more grateful that it is a time of progress, a season of unity, and a period of great strength in the great Cherokee Nation.”

This year’s Cherokee Nation holiday theme is Gadugi, Unity Through Generations. Leaders said the theme honors the work of the tribe’s ancestors for the common good and emphasizes continuing that legacy for the next seven generations.

The Cherokee Nation holiday includes a weekend of cultural activities, events, and gatherings in Tahlequah.