The Cherokee, indigenous to the southeastern part of what is now the United States, are historically one of the most prominent Native American tribes in North America. Notable Cherokee include the following figures:

John Martin Thompson (1829–1927) was a successful lumberman who organized Cherokee military forces to support the Confederate States during the American Civil War.

Stand Watie (1806–1871) was a prominent military leader who became the only Native American to obtain the rank of Major General in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War.

Clement Rogers (1806–1871) was a notable Cherokee civic leader who served as a delegate to the Oklahoma Constitutional Convention.

Will Rogers (1879–1935) was a famous Cherokee actor and entertainer who became one of the highest-paid motion picture stars of his generation.

One of the designated "Five Civilized Tribes" in the United States during the 19th century, the Cherokee Nation is the largest of the nation's Native American groups today. Among the most famous Cherokees in history:

Sequoyah (1767–1843), leader and inventor of the Cherokee writing system that took the tribe from an illiterate group to one of the best educated peoples in the country during the early-to-mid 1800s.

Will Rogers (1879–1935), famed journalist and entertainer.

Joseph J. Clark (1893–1971), a Rear Admiral in the United States Navy, Clark became the "highest ranking Native American in the US military."

Stand Watie, or Degataga (1806–1871), was a Confederate general who commanded a brigade of Native Americans during the Civil War. His command was the last group to surrender to Union forces.