What happens when a nation forgets its own rules, and its people are no longer heard?

In 2024, the Cherokee Nation failed to convene a long-overdue constitutional convention. It was an event offered every 20 years by its own laws. This wasn’t just a missed meeting. It was a silencing of Cherokee voices and a dangerous erosion of constitutional legitimacy. In Cherokee Nation: Proceed Undaunted, Chadwick “Corntassel” Smith identifies this failure as one of the gravest recent threats to Cherokee sovereignty and self-determination.

According to the Nation’s 2003 constitution, a convention must be held every two decades to review and revise the governing document. The last was in 2003. By 2024, Cherokee citizens had every right to expect that the process would begin again, but it didn’t. There were no official calls, no dates set, no delegates chosen. In essence, the law was ignored.

Smith views this not as a clerical oversight but as a calculated decision by leadership to avoid the risk of reform. A constitutional convention opens the door for citizens to challenge the status quo and propose changes to government structure, transparency, and accountability. It’s a moment for the people to speak. By letting it lapse, those in power kept control and kept the public out.

What’s more troubling is the lack of public outrage. Smith argues that the Cherokee Nation’s civic muscle has weakened. Years of court decisions that favored centralization, suppression of dissent, and manipulation of electoral processes have left many citizens feeling unheard and unempowered. The missed 2024 convention didn’t spark a protest because many no longer expect their voices to matter.

But they must. Constitutional law is only alive when it is practiced. A convention is not a luxury; it is a legal and moral obligation. The people must demand their voice.

The 2024 silence is a call to action. The Cherokee Nation’s strength depends on its constitution, and its constitution depends on its people. Understanding its values and challenges will help us survive and thrive, as well as become more sustainable and influential as a nation.

Cherokee Nation: Proceed Undaunted by Chadwick “Corntassel” Smith is a powerful and detailed account of the legal, political, and cultural journey of the Cherokee Nation. Spanning 800 pages, this book serves as both a constitutional history and a call to civic engagement. Smith, a former Principal Chief, and constitutional law attorney, examines pivotal moments from the adoption of the Nation’s first constitution in 1827 to the missed constitutional convention in 2024. With sharp legal insight and deep cultural grounding, Smith explores the successes, crises, and moral dilemmas faced by the Cherokee Nation.

The book blends personal experience, historical research, and constitutional commentary to shine a light on the fragile balance between leadership, sovereignty, and public trust. Proceed Undaunted is a blueprint for any society seeking to preserve democracy, uphold justice, and lead with integrity.

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