David Cornsilk facts for kids

David Cornsilk is a member of the Cherokee Nation and the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians. He is an expert in finding family histories, which is called a genealogist. He also helped run an online news website called Cherokee Observer.

In the 1990s, David started a group called the Cherokee National Party. This group wanted to make the Cherokee Nation a stronger political group. While working at a pet store, he took on a big challenge. He helped people in a major case against the Cherokee Nation, which is the second-largest Native American tribe in the U.S. He was a "lay advocate," meaning he could argue cases in court even without being a lawyer. Before this, he worked for the Cherokee Nation helping with tribal membership. He also did research for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, which is a U.S. government agency. Today, he runs his own family history research business. In 2023, he ran for the leader of the Cherokee Nation, called the Principal Chief. He lost the election to the current chief, Chuck Hoskin Jr..

Standing Up for Cherokee Freedmen

David Cornsilk has strongly supported including the descendants of Cherokee freedmen in the Cherokee Nation. Freedmen were formerly enslaved people who were set free and made citizens of the Cherokee Nation by a treaty with the United States in 1866. David believes the Nation should be a strong political group. He thinks it needs to be big enough to include all people who should be part of it. He also believes the Nation must keep its promises to the freedmen descendants.

He once wrote that everyone with even a small bit of Cherokee heritage should thank the Freedmen. This is because the Freedmen showed that Cherokee citizenship is not just about blood. It is a legal idea based on the right of the Cherokee people to decide who is a Cherokee citizen. However, he also believes that current Cherokee citizens should have the right to vote on who becomes a citizen. He disagreed when the tribal court changed the rules to let Marilyn Vann, a freedman citizen, run for office. He thought this change should have been decided by a vote of the people.

Other Work and Ideas

In 1999, David Cornsilk was chosen to be a delegate. This meant he helped write the new rules for the Cherokee Nation at their Constitutional Convention.

In 2015, David was one of several Native American writers who spoke about Andrea Smith. She was a professor who claimed to be Cherokee. David disagreed with her claim. He said that being Cherokee is based on being recognized and accepted by other Cherokee people. He also said that Cherokee family histories are very well-documented. He could not find any records to prove Andrea Smith's claim of Cherokee ancestors. Smith had actually hired David to research her family tree. But when he found no Native ancestors, others began to question her claims. This led David to speak publicly about his research for Smith.

Election Results

See also

• Cherokee freedmen controversy
• Chuck Hoskin Jr.
• Wilma Mankiller