[3] Some of these heritage groups, notably the authorized satellite communities of the federally recognized tribes, seek to preserve Cherokee language and culture.
[1] While some groups are steadfast in their desire to be culturally accurate, and to find documented family connections to the living Cherokee communities, many others may incorporate non-traditional elements such as stereotypes of Hollywood Indian dress, New Age beliefs (cf.
"[1] The origins of these groups can sometimes be found in fraudulent tribes formed by those whose ancestors were rejected from the Dawes Rolls due to not being Cherokee.
[1][4][5] In other cases, there are only vague family stories, sometimes told to explain differences in appearance and hide the existence of African-American ancestors.
[4] In the Indian Territory in what is the present-day state of Oklahoma, the Choctaw, Muscogee Creek, Cherokee, and Natchez formed the Four Mothers Society to resist the federal government's attempts of forced assimilation and allotment of tribal lands.
[2] This identification may be based on documented distant heritage, or family rumors, or on unfounded myths about Native American history.
[12] The rise of Social Media has helped connect individuals with interests in genealogy and heritage,[13] while white members of "I am Cherokee and I can prove it" meet only on Facebook and have "virtual hog fries".