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The '''Cherokee''' are a tribe of [[North American Indians]] ([[Native Americans]]) who originally lived in the area of the southern [[Appalachian Mountains]] from the western Carolinas and eastern [[Tennessee]] to northern [[Georgia]], and now reside primarily in [[North Carolina]] and [[Oklahoma]]. It can also refer to the Iroquoian language spoken by the Cherokee. There are "Cherokee Counties" in several states, including [[Texas]], [[South Carolina]], Oklahoma, and Georgia. The Cherokee were the largest Native American (Indian) group in the [[United States]], several tribes formed the "Cherokee Nation".

The '''Cherokee''' are a tribe of [[North American Indians]] ([[Native Americans]]) who originally lived in the area of the southern [[Appalachian Mountains]] from the western Carolinas and eastern [[Tennessee]] to northern [[Georgia]], and now reside primarily in [[North Carolina]] and [[Oklahoma]]. It can also refer to the Iroquoian language spoken by the Cherokee. There are "Cherokee Counties" in several states, including [[Texas]], [[South Carolina]], Oklahoma, and Georgia. The Cherokee were the largest Native American (Indian) group in the [[United States]], several tribes formed the "Cherokee Nation".

In 2006, the Cherokee High Court ruled in favor of a [[same sex marriage|same-sex]] couple, stating that the tribal elders did not have the authority to invalidate their marriage.<ref>[http://www.nclrights.org/site/PageServer?pagename=press_pr_cherokee_010406 Cherokee High Court Rules in Favor of NCLR and Same-Sex Couple]</ref>

While some Indian tribes, notably the Coquille, allow same-sex marriage, the Cherokee and [[Navajo]] do not. <ref>http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26344598/</ref> In 2006, a same-sex Cherokee pair in Oklahoma got married (although they never submitted the marriage certificate to government officials outside the tribe) and shortly afterward, the Cherokee Tribal council adopted a law banning same-sex marriage. <ref>

http://www.edgeboston.com/index.php?ch=news&sc=glbt&sc2=&sc3=&id=79241</ref> <ref>http://www.redorbit.com/news/general/348373/top_us_indian_court_upholds_first_gay_marriage/index.html</ref>  

==References==

==References==

*http://www.cherokeehistory.com/

*http://www.cherokeehistory.com/