The Cherokee Nation Capitol, is a historic tribal government building in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. Completed in 1869, it served as the capitol building of the Cherokee Nation from 1869 to 1907, when Oklahoma became a state.  The building was used as the Cherokee County Courthouse from 1907 to 1979 when a new courthouse was built, and the structure was returned to the Cherokee Nation.  It now serves as the site of the tribal supreme court and judicial branch. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1961 for its role in the Nation's history.

The Cherokee Nation first established a republican form of government in 1820, while still occupying their ancestral lands in the southeastern United States. The tribe was one of several forcibly relocated to what is now Oklahoma during the Trail of Tears of the 1830's. The Nation reestablished its government quickly, in 1838, following the removal, with Tahlequah as its capital.  In addition to establishing its courts and council, the Nation built seminaries for both male and female students, as education was highly valued.

Early government meetings of the Nation were held out in the open, with later meetings in log structures. A courthouse was built in the 1840s, but most of the city's public buildings were destroyed during the American Civil War. This building was constructed from 1867-1869, after peace had been restored to the region. The building's style, a late interpretation of the Italianate, is unusual for Oklahoma. The architect was C. W. Goodlander. Originally it housed the nation's court as well as other offices and was used for tribal council meetings. It served the tribal government until 1907, when the state of Oklahoma was established and the tribal government was abolished by an act of the United States Congress.  

The 1884 Saline District Courthouse is the last remaining of nine courthouses for the districts of the Cherokee Nation in Indian Territory.  The entrance to the building was originally on the gabled end of the building with two interior rooms on the first floor and the courtroom on the second floor.  In the 1950's, the old courthouse was converted into a residence, taking its current form with the entry on the side and additions on the rear.  The courthouse serves as a reminder of the well organized and effective judicial system brought by the Cherokees from their homeland in the Southeast and reestablished in Indian Territory. 

The site sits on 14 acres where three fresh water springs meet. It was recently designated as The Saline National Park, the first Cherokee national park.