Abstract:
This ethnographic thesis describes the attempt to create a sense of community among strangers who have a common ancestry and who live in a geographic region distant from their common ancestral homeland. The author describes the two-year process of forming a Cherokee Nation satellite community, from the first organizational meetings with representatives from the Cherokee Nation to the final announcement of official status. The author documents and assesses the progress of becoming a true “community” and creating a “sense of community” among the members, previously strangers, who live in the Washington Metropolitan region and who have common ancestry. In researching and writing this thesis, the author conducted a literature search and interviewed members of the new organization. The timeline matrix of historical Cherokee events and histories of members’ families will become a tool for the CCCC to assist new members in creating a sense community through knowledge of common heritage and shared history.
