The annual celebration of the signing of the Cherokee Nation Constitution will be a virtual one this year.
The tribe will stream online important events of the 68th annual Cherokee National Holiday, like Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr.’s state of the nation address. Hoskin said the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is behind the move.
"COVID numbers are increasing across the state and across the country. Public health experts predict a spike in infections as fall begins. An event as large as our holiday requires careful planning. A decision on the holiday had to be made now," Hoskin said.
"We simply cannot take the risks associated with bringing in over 100,000 visitors from all over the country to the Cherokee Nation all at once," Hoskin said.
Cherokee National Holiday takes place in Tahlequah over Labor Day weekend. The 2020 theme celebrates tribal sovereignty.
Cherokee Nation begins a phased reopening of cultural sites later this month, when the national history museum reopens July 15.
