Aniyunwiya Nation — The Principal People
Clan Anichocogee
Guardians of heritage · Keepers of the sacred flame · One people, one nation
Aniyunwiya Clan Anichocogee
We are the Aniyunwiya — the Real, Principal People. Our nation has endured, persisted, and reclaimed its sovereign standing through centuries of resilience.
Clan Anichocogee is one of the seven sacred clans of the Aniyunwiya Nation, organized under the traditional clan system that has governed our people since time immemorial. Each clan carries specific responsibilities, rights, and ceremonial duties within the broader nation.
Our governance operates through the Aniyunwiya Nation Indigenous Security Service (ANISS), which administers citizenship, maintains lineage records, and upholds the constitutional framework of the nation. The clan structure reflects the matrilineal traditions of the Southeastern Woodlands peoples.
Aniyunwiya Nation
Clan Anichocogee
“We are a distinct community, occupying our own territory, in which the laws of no external authority shall have force.”
— Worcester v. Georgia (1832)
Four Pillars of Sovereignty
Aniyunwiya sovereignty rests upon a multilayered legal framework — federal statute, supreme treaty law, international declaration, and the inherent rights of Indigenous self-governance.
U.S. Code Title 25
The primary body of federal law governing the government-to-government relationship between the United States and tribal nations. Title 25 codifies tribal self-determination, land trust protections, civil rights, child welfare, and justice system authority.
25 U.S.C. § 1 et seq. · P.L. 93-638
Indian Treaties
Under Article VI of the U.S. Constitution, ratified treaties with Indian nations are the supreme law of the land. The Aniyunwiya people entered into multiple binding treaties from 1785 forward. Worcester v. Georgia (1832) affirmed that tribal sovereignty cannot be overridden by state law.
U.S. Const. Art. VI · Treaty of Hopewell (1785)
UNDRIP
The UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (2007) establishes global minimum standards for Indigenous survival, dignity, and well-being. Articles 3 and 4 affirm the right to self-determination; Article 33 recognizes the right to determine citizenship in accordance with customs.
UNDRIP Art. 3, 4, 33 · ILO Convention 169
Clan & Tribal Law
The Aniyunwiya Nation operates under its own constitution, administered through the ANISS. Clan governance is rooted in traditional matrilineal structures predating any federal or state legal system, affirmed by the doctrine of inherent sovereign powers recognized in Santa Clara Pueblo v. Martinez (1978).
ANISS Charter · 25 U.S.C. § 1301–1303
A People Who Endure
The history of the Aniyunwiya is one of resilience. Through displacement, policy, and time, the Principal People have never ceased to exist as a nation.
Time Immemorial
Origins in Turtle Island
The Aniyunwiya people have inhabited the Southeastern Woodlands of North America since time immemorial. Known to European colonizers as the Cherokee, the name "Aniyunwiya" — the Principal People — reflects the nation's own understanding of its place among the peoples of this land.
1785
Treaty of Hopewell
The first formal treaty between the Aniyunwiya Nation and the newly formed United States. The U.S. formally acknowledged Cherokee sovereignty, established territorial boundaries, and committed to a government-to-government relationship that remains legally binding to this day.
1832
Worcester v. Georgia
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Cherokee Nation is a distinct community with boundaries within which state laws have no force. Chief Justice John Marshall established the foundational doctrine of inherent tribal sovereignty that continues to anchor Indigenous rights law.
1838–1839
The Trail Where They Cried
Federal forces carried out the forced removal of the Cherokee people from their ancestral homelands, resulting in the deaths of thousands. Known to the Aniyunwiya as Nunna daul Tsuny — "The Trail Where They Cried" — this atrocity is central to understanding the nation's modern struggle for sovereignty and recognition.
1934
Indian Reorganization Act
The IRA ended the allotment era and restored tribal self-governance rights. Tribes were authorized to organize formal governments, adopt constitutions, and resume administrative control over their communities and lands.
1975
Indian Self-Determination Act
P.L. 93-638 formalized the right of tribal nations to directly administer federal programs serving their citizens — a landmark shift in the government-to-government relationship and a cornerstone of modern tribal sovereignty.
2007
UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
The United Nations adopted UNDRIP, establishing international standards for Indigenous sovereignty, self-determination, and cultural rights. The Aniyunwiya Nation's governance structures are consistent with the rights affirmed in this declaration.
Present
Clan Anichocogee — Active Governance
The Aniyunwiya Nation continues to exercise sovereign governance through its clan system, ANISS administration, and citizenship processes. Clan Anichocogee actively maintains records, heritage, and the rights of its citizens under federal, treaty, and international law.
Aniyunwiya Citizenship
Citizenship with the Aniyunwiya Nation is an act of reclamation — a formal recognition of your heritage, your lineage, and your place among the Principal People.
Primary Eligibility
You are 18 years of age or older and identify as a Copper-Colored American Indian. Eligibility is established through bloodline and identity as an Indigenous person of this land.
By Parentage
If your biological or legal adoptive parent is an Indigenous Copper-Colored American Indian by birth and a sworn-in Aniyunwiya citizen, you may already hold citizenship and simply require the oath ceremony.
The Process
Complete all 15 parts of the ANISS-001 application. ANISS will schedule a biometric appointment for fingerprints, photograph, and signature. Upon approval, you will take the Oath of Allegiance at your State Clan Chief's office.
Questions? Contact ANISS at your nearest State Clan Chief office.