The Cherokee Nation, also known as the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, is the largest of three Cherokee federally recognized tribes in the United States. It was established in the 20th century and includes people descended from members of the Old Cherokee Nation who relocated, due to increasing pressure, from the Southeast to Indian Territory and Cherokee who were forced to relocate on the Trail of Tears. The tribe also includes descendants of Cherokee Freedmen, Absentee Shawnee, and Natchez Nation. Over 299,862 people are enrolled in the Cherokee Nation, with 189,228 living within the state of Oklahoma. In 2009 Larry Echo Hawk, former head of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, said the current Cherokee Nation is not the historical Cherokee tribe but instead a "successor in interest" which was rejected by the Cherokee Nation. In 2010, Larry Echo Hawk withdrew his previous statement regarding "successor in interest".
Early History of the Cherokees, Embracing Aboriginal Customs, Religion, Laws, Folk Lore, and Civilization Illustrated by