Cherokee Nation observes Juneteenth with announcement of Historic Archive Map Agreement, Advisory Committee on Freedmen Art and History Updates

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. - The Cherokee Nation observed Juneteenth at the Cherokee National Peace Pavilion in Tahlequah, marking the holiday with updates from the Principal Chief's Advisory Committee on Freedmen Art and History and the announcement of a loan agreement with Northeastern State University on an archive map created by students at the Cherokee Freedmen High School in 1903.

"On Juneteenth we join with governments, institutions and people across the United States to celebrate the end of slavery in the United States as well as our own declaration of black slave emancipation," said Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin, Jr. "Like the rest of the county, Juneteenth is about celebrating that moment of liberation, looking back at the progress towards true equality and knowing that work to remove the stain of slavery is the work of generations and work that must continue."

Chief Hoskin noted that Cherokee Nation took its own formal emancipation action in 1863, followed by signing a treaty in 1866 that secured equal citizenship in the nation for freedmen and their descendants.

Nationally, Juneteenth commemorates the June 19, 1865 enforcement of President Abraham Lincoln's January 1, 1863 Emancipation Proclamation. Cherokee Nation issued its own emancipation order on February 20, 1863. Cherokee Nation signed the Treaty of 1866 with the United States promising to grant equality to Black people formerly enslaved under Cherokee Nation's laws as well as their descendants.

"On July 19, 1866, Cherokee Nation signed a treaty giving people enslaved under our former laws, and all of their descendants, 'all the rights of native Cherokees," Chief Hoskin said. "The Treaty of 1866 didn't say 'some' of the rights of native Cherokees. It didn't say 'some of the rights, some of the time,' and most assuredly, the Treaty of 1866 doesn't say that Cherokee descendants have to beg for their rights at the ballot box. Equality is the order of the day at the Cherokee Nation. The work toward equality and freedom goes on at the Cherokee Nation."

During the ceremony, the tribe also announced that Northeastern State University has loaned the Cherokee Nation a hand-sewn, blue silk map depicting the nine districts of the Cherokee Nation, complete with railroads, rivers, and boundaries rendered in white and gold thread. The map is one of the only known surviving objects from the Cherokee Freedmen High School, making it a singular artifact of both craft and history.

The blue silk map came to NSU as part of the A.S. Wyly Historical Collection, donated in 1961 by Lillian Wyly, widow of A.S. Wyly, the first president of the institution. The map has remained in the university's care ever since. The loan agreement between NSU and the Cherokee Nation reflects a shared commitment to preserving Cherokee heritage in its entirety, including the chapters that history has nearly erased. Beyond its visual and historical value, the map represents an act of belonging by the students who made it with their own hands.

Chief Hoskin credited historic researchers David and Missy Earls and Cherokee Nation Freedmen Liaison Melissa Payne with the initiative to bring the map to the Cherokee Nation.

"The map is home, at least for the time being, because of the research by David and Missy Earls and because of the advocacy of Melissa Payne, and because of our great relationship with NSU and President Rodney Hanley," said Chief Hoskin.

Chief Hoskin said the loan of the artifact will all NSU and Cherokee Nation to have discussions about the possible eventual repatriation of the item as a permanent part of Cherokee Nation's archives.

The Juneteenth ceremony also featured updates from the Principal Chief's Advisory Committee on Freedmen Art and History. The committee works to ensure that the voices and histories of Cherokee Freedmen descendants are elevated in Cherokee Nation museum exhibits and historical records.

"The Cherokee Nation will continue to identify the gaps that exist today for Cherokee citizens of Freedmen descent and make more informed decisions that better their experience. Equality for all citizens is a critical part of how we should be serving," said Deputy Principal Chief Bryan Warner.

The Cherokee Nation currently counts more than 17,000 citizens of Freedmen descent, with more than 9,000 residing in Oklahoma. In 2020, Chief Hoskin signed the Executive Order on Equality, reaffirming the tribe's commitment to equal protection and equal opportunity under Cherokee law. In February 2024, he expanded the order and created a task force to study whether Cherokee citizens of Freedmen descent receive equal access to tribal programs and services.

"Juneteenth is a reminder that freedom is not only about what was gained in the past, but about what we choose to build together today. When we have the courage to embrace truth, we create opportunities for healing. When we create healing, we strengthen belonging. My hope is that future generations inherit a Cherokee Nation where every citizen knows their history, understands their value, and feels they have a place within the story of this Nation," Cherokee Nation Freedmen Community Liaison Melissa Payne said.