When a government forgets its purpose, it begins to serve power instead of people. The Cherokee Nation knows this lesson too well. And by recognizing it in the current times, we can learn a lot to make America great again!
In Cherokee Nation: Proceed Undaunted, Chadwick “Corntassel” Smith, who led the Cherokee Nation from 1999 to 2011, pulls back the curtain on his nation’s legal, political, and cultural journey. This book is a compelling, sometimes painful, but ultimately hopeful reflection on what it means to build—and rebuild—trust in governance.
From its 1827 Constitution to its modern-day documents, the Cherokee Nation has repeatedly turned to written law in moments of crisis. These moments were acts of cultural survival. The Constitution became the anchor when federal policies tried to dismantle the nation, when internal factions threatened unity, and when leadership lost its way.
Smith emphasizes that the Constitution is moral. It is meant to reflect the will of the people, their history, and their identity. In Cherokee tradition, law was inseparable from values like balance, kinship, and responsibility. When these values guided leadership, the Nation prospered. When leaders violated the Constitution for personal or political gain, the people suffered.
Smith chronicles how, after 2011, a wave of internal corruption swept through Cherokee leadership. It was a time when Whistleblowers were silenced, the Constitution was manipulated, elections were influenced, and court decisions were rewritten. One of the most egregious instances occurred in 2021 when the Cherokee Supreme Court overturned the obvious will of voters and removed the phrase “by blood” from the Constitution. As Smith puts it, this was a betrayal of democratic values rather than merely judicial overreach.
But that is not the end. Smith reminds us that Cherokee history is full of rebirth. For example, after the Trail of Tears, after allotment, after statehood, Cherokees rose again. They rebuilt their schools, communities, and councils. They reclaimed their language and traditions. They wrote and rewrote constitutions that preserved what mattered most. This ability to adapt without forgetting is one of the Cherokee Nation’s greatest strengths. It is a powerful example for all governments to uphold their values.
Perhaps the most universal lesson in Cherokee Nation: Proceed Undauntedis that good leadership requires more than intelligence or ambition. It requires humility. It requires listening. It requires a commitment to serve not just today, but seven generations from now.
Smith’s vision is clear. He argues that governments should serve with integrity, citizens should participate with purpose, and communities must never forget the values that define them and their forefathers.
Whether you are a Cherokee citizen, a local council member, or a national leader, Cherokee Nation: Proceed Undauntedoffers a deeply informed, morally grounded guide for how to lead when things go wrong. It reminds us that every nation has a choice: serve the people or serve the powerful. Live by your values or lose them. The choice is ours to make.
To read these values in detail and to know more about the Cherokee Nation, their heritage, culture, customs, and other aspects, please read Cherokee Nation: Proceed Undaunted.
You can purchase a copy from Amazon : https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FN47D586/