UKB Supporters Plan Peaceful Protest at Cherokee National Holiday Address
By Cara Cowan Watts
Cherokee 411
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. — Supporters of the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians (UKB) are planning a peaceful protest at the 2025 Cherokee National Holiday’s State of the Nation address Saturday, Aug. 30, at 11 a.m.
Protestors are being asked to arrive by 10:45 a.m. at the Cherokee National Peace Pavilion in Tahlequah, where Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. is scheduled to deliver his annual address. Demonstrators have been encouraged to carry signs or wear shirts showing support for the UKB.
The media contact for the protest is Ahnee Christie-Vangen, a citizen of the UKB, member of the UKB Military Honor Guard and a combat veteran. She said her involvement is deeply personal. Christie-Vangen may be reached at [email protected].
“I am doing this for my children who are UKB so they never have to face this same oppression, and for my grandchildren and generations after that,” Christie-Vangen said.
In a press release, UKB Chief Joe Wacoche urged members and supporters to take a stand against recent congressional language that he said threatens the tribe’s sovereignty and ability to place land into trust. Wacoche called the measure, reportedly backed by the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma and U.S. Sen. Markwayne Mullin, “a deliberate, targeted act of tribal termination.”
“Access to trust land is not merely a legal issue; it is the cornerstone of our economic empowerment,” Wacoche said. “It means our ability to build homes, foster businesses, and create opportunities for our members. It means the freedom to honor our traditions and invest in our future.”
Wacoche added that the proposal, framed by its supporters as a way to avoid jurisdictional confusion, is instead a tactic to consolidate power at the expense of the UKB. “This maneuver does not serve the broader Cherokee people, it divides us,” he said.
The UKB is calling on members to write to Mullin and to contact Hoskin’s office directly.
The Cherokee National Holiday, held annually on Labor Day weekend, commemorates the signing of the 1839 Cherokee Nation Constitution and regularly draws thousands of Cherokee citizens and guests to Tahlequah.
