WHAT:
The Cherokee Nation will hold a celebration to declare it Juneteenth in the Cherokee Nation Reservation.
WHEN:
Thursday, June 19, 2025 at 1 p.m.
WHERE:
Cherokee National Peace Pavilion
177 S. Water Ave.
Tahlequah, Okla.
WHO:
Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr.
Deputy Chief Bryan Warner
Council of the Cherokee Nation
Community members
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – The Cherokee Nation is holding a Juneteenth celebration Thursday, June 19 in Tahlequah.
Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. will declare it Juneteenth in the Cherokee Nation Reservation and will join other leaders and community members in celebrating the history and inclusion of Cherokee citizens of Freedmen descent.
The Cherokee Nation has more than 17,000 Cherokee citizens of Freedmen descent.
In 2020, Chief Hoskin signed an Executive Order on Equality, reiterating Cherokee Nation’s commitment to equal protection and equal opportunity under Cherokee law. In February 2024, Chief Hoskin expanded the executive order and created a task force to study whether Cherokee citizens of Freedmen descent are provided equal access to tribal programs and services. The task force gathered data and worked to identify where gaps in services may exist, and during the Cherokee Nation’s 2024 Juneteenth celebration, proposed strategies that will help to address any deficiencies for Cherokee citizens of Freedmen descent.