(Originally published Feb. 7 as part of the Hot off the Wire podcast.)

An 1835 treaty between the Cherokee Nation and United States that led to the death of thousands on the Trail of Tears included a provision that would allow the Cherokee to seat a delegate in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Nearly 200 years later, the Cherokee have renewed calls for Congress to honor the treaty and seat its delegate.

But what would that mean for the Cherokee Nation as well as other tribes not covered by that treaty? What issues would a delegate focus on as a non-voting member of Congress?

Dr. Julie Reed, an Associate Professor in History at Penn State University and a citizen of of the Cherokee Nation, recently wrote an article for The Conversation called: 

Cherokee Nation wants to send a delegate to the House – it’s an idea older than Congress itself.

That article serves as an entry point for a discussion on the topic between Reed and Terry Lipshetz, senior producer for Lee Enterprises and host of Hot off the Wire.

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