On September 13, 2007, the United Nations adopted General Assembly Resolution 61/295, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, with just four negative votes coming from Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United States. However, since the adoption in 2007, all four dissenting votes have reversed course and expressed support for the Declaration. At the December 16, 2010 White House Tribal Nations Conference, President Obama announced that the United States is now recognizing and has fully endorsed the Resolution. The Declaration finally reaffirms Native Americans and other Indigenous Peoples inherent right to practice and sustain traditional culture and way of life.

As a federally-recognized tribe, the Cherokee Nation requests that the United States respects, protects and fulfills the provisions of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. It is essential that all levels of government are informed of the human rights obligations of the federal government as a means of ensuring that the rights of Indigenous peoples are upheld and respected. Additionally, Congress must uphold the promise of President Obama to protect government-to-government relations as prescribed in his full endorsement of the UN Declaration.