"In this survey of Cherokee history, the authors have used select stories and key leaders to trace the challenges and opportunities that have shaped tribal identity. The narrative spans more than four centuries with an emphasis on individual leadership, the struggle for internal unity, and the fight against the forces that attempted to destroy the sovereignty of the Cherokee Nation. Hopefully, the reader will connect the dots of history to gain a better understanding of what it means to be a Cherokee in the Twenty-first Century."
Authors: Dr. Bob Blackburn, executive director of the Oklahoma Historical Society. Dr. Duane King, former director of the Helmerich Research Center at the Gilcrease Museum. Dr. Neil Morton, retired educator who has worked with leaders in the Cherokee Nation since W.W. Keeler.
Designer: Roy Boney, Jr., award winning Cherokee artist, who joined the book project as designer and production assistant.