Sovereign Kin: A History of the Cherokee Nation

Preparation of a coauthored book on the history of the Cherokee Nation (pre-1600 to 2010). (36 months) The most recent comprehensive history of the Cherokee Nation was written in 1963; it continues to sell more than 500 copies a year through an academic press. It fails to address key issues, such as gender and race, raised by social and cultural historians since the 1960s, let alone cover the last sixty years of Cherokee history. Cherokee Nation citizens, journalists, and academics understand its limitations and have requested an up-to-date book written in accessible, engaging prose. We are working with an agent to pitch this project to presses able to bring this book to the widest audience. As we identify a publisher and seek funding, we already are writing 'Sovereign Kin: A History of the Cherokee Nation.' With the support of the NEH Collaborative Grant, we intend to conduct research trips to the Cherokee Nation and the Oklahoma Historical Society and collect interviews with key Cherokee Nation citizens. We will complete a draft of the manuscript by August 2025.