The Cherokee Dispatch

When we study American history, we find that Cherokee history is already woven into its foundation—shaping laws, treaties, and rulings that still guide federal Indian policy today. From the Indian Removal Act to the rebuilding of a constitutional government in 1839 and the modern affirmation of treaty rights in McGirt v. Oklahoma, this story reveals a legacy of sovereignty that endured every attempt to erase it. Drawing insight from Chad Smith’s Cherokee Nation: Proceed Undau

In an exclusive interview with Cherokee 411, former Cherokee Nation firefighter David Comingdeer shares his story of courage, retaliation, and an unexpected reversal of justice. After a Cherokee Nation jury awarded him $615,000 for whistleblower retaliation—the first civil jury trial in the Nation’s modern history—the verdict was later nullified by the same judge who presided over the case. Comingdeer’s fight has become a powerful symbol of the struggle for transparency and a