OCTOBER 8, 2025 — The Cherokee Nation has officially designated October 8 as Cherokee Nation Flag Day, following an executive order signed today by Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. and Deputy Chief Bryan Warner, according to FOX23 and Anadisgoi, the Cherokee Nation Official News.
The proclamation honours the historic date in 1977 when the Council of the Cherokee Nation began discussions to develop the modern design of the Cherokee Nation flag.
The Cherokee Nation flag, first approved by the Council in August 1978 and officially raised over tribal offices on September 30, 1979, features the tribe’s seal surrounded by seven yellow stars on an orange background bordered by a green rope design.
In 1989, a black seven-pointed star was added in the upper right corner to commemorate Cherokee citizens who perished during the forced removal known as the Trail of Tears.
The flag’s original designer, Stanley John, a Navajo artist who worked for the Cherokee Nation during the 1970s, created a lasting emblem of cultural resilience. Chief Hoskin praised the design as one that “has stayed with us ever since and truly represents the resiliency of the Cherokee Nation.”
