• Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr.

  The 2024 Moccasin Bend Fall Lecture Series continues on Monday, October 14th at 7 p.m. as we welcome Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr., delivering the keynote address for the annual Trail of Tears Association Conference and Symposium being held in Chattanooga. Chuck Hoskin Jr. serves as the Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation, the largest tribe in the United States with more than 450,000 citizens. Prior to being elected in 2019, and re-elected in 2023, he was Cherokee Nation’s Secretary of State and also served as a member and Deputy Speaker of the Council of the Cherokee Nation. As Principal Chief, he increased minimum wage at Cherokee Nation and Cherokee Nation Businesses and secured the largest language investment in the tribe's history to expand Cherokee cultural preservation. He appointed the tribe's first delegate to the U.S. Congress. He prioritized health and wellness initiatives, including record investments in behavioral health and addiction treatment. Chief Hoskin has also expanded tribal workforce training programs, sustainable housing, protections for natural resources, and educational opportunities for Cherokees of all ages. He, along with First Lady January Hoskin, has elevated the voices of women and children, and their safety, within the Cherokee Nation Reservation.