The Western (Old Settler) Cherokee Indians have filed a claim against the United States for the value of lands they allege were taken from them without adequate compensation. The lawsuit is brought by descendants of the group for the benefit of all members or their descendants. The Commission must determine if the Western Cherokees are an identifiable group of American Indians as defined by the Indian Claims Commission Act. The claim is based on a treaty from 1817 where part of the Cherokee Nation ceded land in exchange for land in Arkansas.