Although much of the land on which the Cherokee tribal headquarters once existed in Monroe County, Tenn., is now underwater and out of sight, that doesn't mean it is out of mind.
If U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, R-Chattanooga, has his way, 76 acres of the American Indian tribe's original land along the Little Tennessee River and elsewhere in the county soon could be returned and put into a trust that would make it essentially reservation land.
The congressman's Eastern Band of Cherokee Historic Lands Reacquisition Act is reportedly ready for the House floor, where a vote, subsequent passage in the Senate and the signature of President Donald Trump would finish the job.
We remember nearly three years ago when Fleischmann was visiting the newspaper for a brief, off-the-record discussion. After he talked over the pressing issues of the day, we asked him if there was anything else interesting on the horizon.
"Well," he said, "we're trying to put something together that would give the Cherokees back some of their land along the Little Tennessee River in Monroe County."
That, in fact, was intriguing.
Fleischmann explained how part of the land, long out of tribal hands, had been purchased, or condemned and purchased, by Tennessee Valley Authority for construction of the Tellico Dam and the creation of 15,560-acre Tellico Lake in the late 1970s. It flooded the 18th-century Overhill Cherokee towns of Chota, Tanasi (namesake of the state of Tennessee), Toqua, Tomotley, Citico, Mialoquo and Tuskegee. Now the remaining land TVA purchased at the time was surplus.
Chota and Tanasi were principal towns and de facto capitals of the Overhill Cherokees in East Tennessee. Tuskegee was the birthplace of Sequoyah, a Cherokee who fought alongside Gen. Andrew Jackson against the British and Creek Indians during the War of 1812, invented the Cherokee written language and established its first bilingual newspaper.
The land includes an 18-acre tract encompassing Tanasi and Chota memorial sites along the Little Tennessee and a 46-acre tract that includes the Sequoyah Birthplace Museum and historic grounds in Vonore.
Fleischmann said the bill, upon original introduction in the 2015-2016 Congress, had overwhelming community and Monroe county government support.
"I remain steadfast in my dedication to protecting the historic home of the Cherokee Indians and promoting the economic development of the region," he said.
Fleischmann deserves the public's thanks for moving this action along.
Now, we hope the measure is able to swiftly move through both houses of Congress and allow the land to be returned to its original owners, who cannot establish any gambling operations there but would be able to preserve and/or develop it as they determine its highest and best use.