A case study of two Cherokee newspapers and their fight against censorship.

This study attempts to illuminate an injustice to the Cherokee Nation through denial of First Amendment rights in newspapers and communities. Through case studies and in-depth interviews it examines the avenues by which other Native American newspapers can gain independence and publish free from censorship. The study focuses on The Cherokee Phoenix and Indian Advocate and The Cherokee Observer. Studying The Cherokee Phoenix and Indian Advocate allowed for the examination of the Cherokee tribe’s official newspaper before and after the Independent Press Act of 2000, and how the landmark legislation has changed the newspaper and its relationship to the tribal government. The establishment of The Cherokee Observer shows why some members of the Cherokee tribe felt that an alternative newspaper was necessary before and after the legislation was passed, and as they continue to feel the need to publish even five years after the Cherokee press was freed.