Since the, "Trail of Tears", have the Eastern and Western Cherokee eve

Question:

Since the, "Trail of Tears", have the Eastern and Western Cherokee ever gotten together?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: They talk bi-annually about Indian affairs- internal affairs and stuff like that (nothing about merging the two Cherokee Nations).

After the 1838 "Trail of Tears," some of the Cherokees that were forced west with the Cherokee Nation (Oklahoma) returned to Western North Carolina (from whence they were removed- it was illegal but they did it). The Eastern Band of Cherokee, however, has never had any desire to combine or merge with the Cherokee Nation (Oklahoma).
The United States Cherokee Indian Agents (Federal Bureau of Indian Affairs), representing the Eastern Band, had strived on numerous occasions to convince the Eastern Cherokee to join with Cherokee Chief John Ross in Oklahoma.
Years prior to the Treaty of New Echota in 1835, Cherokee Chiefs Junaluska and Yonaguska had commanded the Eastern Cherokees (aka Qualla, Oconaluftee and Lufty Indians) to NEVER move west. The present-day Eastern Band still obey the old chiefs' commands.