Cherokee Nation Reclaims Historic Cemetery Where Early Leaders Are Buried

Staff Report Cherokee 411

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. — The Cherokee Nation has acquired ownership of the Park Hill Mission Cemetery, also known as the Worcester Cemetery, from the Oklahoma Historical Society, returning the historic burial ground to tribal control for the first time in more than 70 years.

The cemetery, located near the Cherokee Nation capital in Tahlequah, has been under state stewardship since 1952. It is the final resting place of several prominent figures in Cherokee history, including Elias Boudinot, the editor of the first Cherokee language newspaper, and Samuel Worcester, the missionary whose name is attached to the 1832 U.S. Supreme Court case Worcester v. Georgia, a landmark ruling affirming tribal sovereignty.

Dozens of Cherokee citizens who survived the Trail of Tears and helped establish the nation in Indian Territory are also buried at the site.

Tribal officials said the transfer will allow the Cherokee Nation to manage preservation, access and long-term care for one of its most historically significant cemeteries. The nation has prioritized restoring and protecting Cherokee burial grounds in recent years, viewing the Park Hill Mission Cemetery as a key cultural site.