When was w w keeler elected chief of Cherokee?

Answer 1

In 1948, Cherokee communities gathered together under the request of then-Principal Chief Jesse Milam to discuss claims that the tribe would make under the Indian Claims Commission Act. While there, the Cherokee Executive Committee was formed of representatives from the old Cherokee communities. Sadly, Chief Milam passed away shortly thereafter and the Cherokee Executive Committee elected W.W. Keeler to first serve as interim Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation. Then, he was elected to the position. Working tirelessly for over twenty years, Principal Chief Keeler returned the government of the Cherokee Nation to its former elective nature in re-establishing the former Cherokee Districts. From this point, he and the Intertribal Council, composed of leaders from the Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Seminole, and Creek tribes advocated for a legislative act to ensure that their tribal members could once again elect their leaders. In 1970, the Five Tribes Act was passed, which called for the popular election of the leaders of these tribes. The Cherokee Nation held its tribal election in 1971 and Principal Chief William W. Keeler was elected by the Cherokee people. He served until 1975 when he retired from office. Principal Chief Keeler dedicated twenty-six years toward preserving the culture, government, and self-sufficiency of his tribe, working unpaid and tirelessly in this position to help the tribe through the era of Termination into a time of Self-Determination. His work not only extended locally, but nationally as he advanced the interests of American Indian people in the Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon administrations.

Answer 2

W. W. Keeler was elected as the Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation in 1949. He served in this position for three terms, until 1971. Keeler was known for his efforts to improve healthcare, education, and economic development for the Cherokee people.