Goals of the
Tsalagiyi Nvdagi
The Tsalagiyi Nvdagi hope to be able to purchase land in Southern Smith County, Texas or Northern Cherokee County, Texas for our tribal headquarters.
On April 20, 2013, 174 years after being forcibly removed from our original land grant territory the Tsalagiyi Nvdagi Tribe purchased a portion of our land back. Land of Spirits located 4 ½ miles East of Troup, Texas off highway 135N was declared Tsalagiyi Nvdagi Tribal sovereign territory in a Homecoming Ceremony.
Since regaining a small portion of our original treaty land back we have cleared paths, improved waterways, created ceremonial areas including a traditional Medicine Wheel and continue to improve the land for future generations.
Our projected programs for the benefit of our people are:
To give grants to members who are qualified to go to higher education.
To procure funds to build a living village on the style of the Tsalagiyi Nvdagi during the early 1800’s for visitors and vacationers. The living village will be of educational value and provide financial support for the tribe.
To establish a medical clinic that will provide our members with medical care by a full time nurse, from traditional Medicine Doctors, by Medical Doctors (MD) on call, and by visiting Medical Doctors (MD).
To help our elderly and give assistance to those who are in a physically impaired status.
To build an administration building, a seven sided Council House of traditional architectural style.
To provide facilities for teaching our language to children and adults. This will keep our traditional language, the Southern Iroquois, which is thousands of years old, alive. Archaeologists believe that the Northern and Southern Iroquois language was separated over 3,000 years ago. The language will be taught by personal instructors, by tapes, and videos.
To assist our members in buying homes.
To build a Library and Museum which will provide researchers a source for valuable material on the Cherokee. There will be material on the culture, on what religion there is left, and on the history of the Cherokee from the earliest times to the modern day.
To provide motel-type accommodations for members who bring their ill family member to be medically treated.
Our tribe is known to our people as Ani-Tsalagi. An individual is called Tsalagi. Nvdagi is “Texas” in our language. We are known to the rest of the world as Cherokee, a name given to us by the Choctaw. The word comes from the ancient Choctaw trade language word “Chuliki,” “People from the Cave country.”
If you wish to help us attain our goals for the future, our mailing address is:
Tsalagiyi Nvdagi Tribe
PO Box 433
New Summerfield, TX 75780
The buffalo shield was created by Sam Silverhawk.
The chevron divider and dream catcher was created by:
