Articles

Cherokee Nation in Georgia: Experts identify rightful, most legit tribe

By Bill Torpy
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Jan. 7, 2008

A long-standing feud among four groups claiming to be the true descendants of Georgia's exiled Cherokee Nation may be heading for resolution.

In recent years, all the groups have laid claim to the title of the Georgia Tribe of Eastern Cherokee, one of the few tribes recognized by the state. As with any family squabble, emotions run hot. Taunts of "fraud" and "illegitimate" are common among the groups.

To help settle matters, the state Council on American Indian Concerns hired experts to identify the rightful tribe and recently took a step toward determining which one is most legit. That step undoubtedly will lead to another battle during the upcoming session of the General Assembly, when legislators will be asked to sort out this mess.

At stake for the largely ceremonial title is bragging rights, some government grants and the right to legally sell Indian arts and crafts. But those feuding often accuse their rivals of getting in the game just to land a casino.

Before going into the experts' findings, here's the lowdown on the groups:

• The Georgia Tribe of Eastern Cherokee, of Dahlonega, is run by Johnny Chattin, who wears unnaturally black braids, calls himself the tribe's "Attorney General" and has held court hearings in his dining room.

• The Georgia Tribe of Eastern Cherokee Inc., of Cumming, is fronted by Lucian Lamar Sneed, a former attorney who bragged he "tied up 67 dot-com names, every combination of Georgia and Cherokee and Indian you could think of" to keep rivals off the Internet.

• The Georgia Tribe of Eastern Cherokee Indians Inc., of Dahlonega. This group is run by the Davis family, a longtime Dahlonega clan that has applied for federal recognition, which could lead to a bid for gambling, although they deny wanting that.

• The Georgia Tribe of Eastern Cherokee, Echota Fire Inc., a sub-charter with connections to an out-of-state tribe, which was quickly excluded as a contender by the Indian council's expert.

The experts' study determined that Davis' group was most legitimate, a designation that the Indian Council accepted during a vote in November.

"Our purpose was not to hurt anybody; we're trying to seek the truth," said Nealie McCormick, chairman of the Indian Council and chief of police in Pelham in South Georgia. "It's a sad situation in a way, because you have some people who are in and some people out."

To determine which was the most "true" tribe, experts looked at long-standing social and community ties, as well as the tribes' records of self-governance. Their study said Sneed's and Chattin's groups appeared to be more "heritage" organizations, unable to prove their roots.

The study notes that the former head of research at the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs, as well as two anthropologists, support the Davis group's contentions that they had the deepest roots in North Georgia and the most proven history.

Dola Davis, wife of "Chief" Walker Dan Davis, said she was "excited to see the state council ruled the right way, that we were the originals."

The next step is the state Capitol, where legislators will be asked to put the official seal on the Davis group.

Chattin vows to fight to bottle up any such legislation in committee. His group is seen by some government agencies as the rightful tribe because of a bizarre set of circumstances concerning a post office box.

In 1993, the Legislature recognized three "lost tribes" of Georgia, including the Georgia Tribe of Eastern Cherokee. The code listed the tribe's address as P.O. Box 1993, a number that didn't exist. When a new post office was later built in Dahlonega and the P.O. box numbering system was expanded, the opportunistic Chattin snatched the number, arguing it made his group the legally recognized tribe.

McCormick discounts that move as a basis for legitimacy. "You don't put a tribe in a P.O. box," he said.

Chattin's group has gotten a small grant to perpetuate Indian heritage and was ruled eligible to apply for $2.6 million in rural development funds through the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The tribe is seeking money to build a Cherokee museum. That plan now is in doubt.

Davis says her group, if recognized by the state, will continue seeking federal recognition, which is a much more an arduous process.

Federal recognition could ultimately bring gambling, although tribes that are newly recognized have a much harder time getting gaming.

Davis said her tribe is seeking federal recognition as a point of communal pride and to provide services for senior citizens.

Chattin and Sneed vow to keep fighting to be "the" recognized tribe. Chattin complains of conspiracies against him and argues that 19th- century treaties and obscure case law provide the basis for his group's legitimacy.

The Davis clan, he said, quickly swore allegiance to the state in the late 1830s after other Cherokees were marched from the state at gunpoint.

"I've done the best I can to perpetuate my culture," said Chattin, who sells arts and crafts and puts on cultural exhibitions for schools and civic groups. "And until the legislation changes, we are the tribe."

Davis says Chattin is a Johnny-come-lately to Dahlonega who cannot prove his heritage.

The battle continues.

Copyright 2008 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Source: http://www.ajc.com/search/content/metro/
stories/2008/01/06/whatever_0107.html

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