The cherokee nation is a sovereign tribal government upon settling in indian territory present day oklahoma after the indian removal act the cherokee people established a new government in what is now the city of tahlequah oklahoma a constitution was adopted on september 6 1839 68 years prior to oklahomas statehood. The cherokee nation settled into indian territory with other tribes who had also been driven away from their homes in the southeast they developed a constitutional government their own written language and a newspaper and ratified the cherokee nation constitution in september of 1839 they also built a supreme court building schools and businesses the cherokee people had created a new