When a nation’s story is told by someone who helped shape it, you listen.

That’s exactly what Chadwick “Corntassel” Smith invites us to do in Cherokee Nation: Proceed Undaunted. This book is a sweeping, 800-page work of legal, historical, and moral insight. As a Cherokee historian, constitutional law attorney, and former Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation (1999–2011), Smith brings unmatched authority and lived experience to the task of understanding how tribal governance succeeds—and fails. His voice is not just credible, it is essential.

This book is more than a history; it’s a roadmap, a mirror, and in many ways, a warning. Smith, also the author of Leadership Lessons from the Cherokee Nation (McGraw-Hill, 2013), brings forward a career’s worth of lessons to underscore a central message: without accountability, purpose, and respect for constitutional principles, even the most resilient nation can falter.

Smith begins with an emotional appeal grounded in Cherokee tradition. From the legacy of the Keetoowah wampum belts to its ancient symbols of moral guidance and societal direction, he uses this cultural foundation to frame a sharp and urgent discussion about modern governance. Throughout the book, Smith shows how the Cherokee Nation Constitution, first adopted in 1827, has long served as the community’s “white path.” He shows how the white path becomes a moral and legal framework designed to preserve identity, autonomy, and collective dignity.

But Smith is no sentimentalist. He is deeply critical where it matters. Using firsthand experience and meticulous documentation, he recounts incidents of corruption, legal overreach, political retaliation, and constitutional betrayal. He dissects the controversial Lucy Allen case (2006), the suppression of whistleblowers (2016), and the explosive 2021 decision where the Cherokee Supreme Court erased the phrase “by blood” from the Constitution, despite overwhelming voter support for that requirement in 2007. These are living challenges to the Cherokee people’s right to self-govern according to their own laws.

Still, Cherokee Nation Proceed Undaunted is a call to action. Smith argues that history is not just a record of what happened, but a guide to what must be done. In his telling, the Cherokee Nation is not simply a government. It is a living, breathing society, what he often calls a “family of families” and a “community of communities.” This relational lens is what sets his leadership philosophy apart.

The book offers a comprehensive synthesis of tribal history, legal theory, and intensely personal introspection for general readers. For Cherokee residents, it will be both a challenge and an affirmation that will serve as a reminder that their Constitution must be more than their votes and voices count. For those in tribal, civic, or corporate leadership, Smith’s book offers an example of how principles, when held firmly, can guide even the most complex organizations through crisis.

Chad Smith is not just chronicling Cherokee history. He’s extending itwith Cherokee Nation: Proceed Undaunted. By presenting this book to the general audience, he invites us to reflect on the nature of good government and what it truly means to serve the people.

For more information and insight, please read the book.

Order your copy from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FN47D586/