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People group profile · PG050679

The Eastern Cherokee of the United States

The Eastern Cherokee of the United States, numbering about 15,000 people, are No Longer Unreached. They are an Indigenous people of the southeastern United States. The Eastern Cherokee are descendants of the Cherokee who remained in the Southeast or later returned from forced removal during the Trail of Tears (1838-1839).

They are an indigenous people in the North American Indigenous people cluster of the North American Peoples. Their primary religion is Native American religions, and they primarily speak English.

Pray for the Eastern CherokeePrint profile

AI-generated illustration representing the Eastern Cherokee people
AI-generated illustration, not a photograph. Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 3.1 Flash: Eastern Cherokee

Fast facts

Country
United States
Population
15,000
Affinity group
American Peoples
People cluster
North American Indigenous
Primary language
English (eng)
Primary religion
Native American religions
Strategic Progress Index ?
No Longer Unreached
Evangelical
2% or Greater but Less than 5%
GSEC ?
2% or Greater but Less than 5% Evangelical
Lostness priority ?
Marginally Reached People Group
Also known as
Eastern Cherokee
Region
Northern America, Americas
Location
North Carolina: Great Smokey Mountains area

Where they live

Gospel status

The Eastern Cherokee are No Longer Unreached, which means 2% or more are evangelical Christians. In GSEC terms, this people group is greater than or equal to 2% evangelical.

  • Congregations exist Yes
  • Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted

Next steps for the Eastern Cherokee

  • Pray for the churches among this group to grow in faithfulness and maturity
  • Equip believers to reach the unreached peoples around them
  • Send out laborers from this people to the nations

Primary religion

Native American religions · Ethnoreligion

50% adherents

Primary language

English

100% speak English

Gospel resources in English

Films

  • JESUS (English, North American Indigenous)

Bibles

Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.

Pray for the Eastern Cherokee

  1. Revelation 7:9. Pray for the day when people from this group stand before the throne with every nation, tribe, people and language.
  2. John 17:3. Pray that many will come to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom he has sent.
  3. Psalm 27:1. Pray that new believers will be strengthened in the face of persecution, with the Lord as their stronghold.
  4. Romans 12:4–5. Pray that believers from many cultures will work together as one body so that the church is built up.

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