TAHLEQUAH, Okla. — The Cherokee Nation is holding a Juneteenth celebration Wednesday, June 19 in Tahlequah.
Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. will declare it Juneteenth in the Cherokee Nation Reservation, give updates on the Cherokee Nation Executive Order on Equality, and celebrate the history and inclusion of Cherokee citizens of Freedmen descent.
The Cherokee Nation has more than 15,000 Cherokee citizens of Freedmen descent.
“Juneteenth represents emancipation, the journey toward equality and confronting difficult truths. While we celebrate Juneteenth in the Cherokee Nation, we also acknowledge our own troubled history with slavery,” Chief Hoskin said. “Equality is now the order of the day, and Cherokee citizens of Freedmen descent are equal citizens. I encourage all of us to put the joy and passion we feel about Juneteenth into civic action and advocate for social justice at all levels of government, including tribal government.”
The celebration event will also be streamed on the Cherokee Nation's official Facebook and YouTube channels.