All articles tagged with #cherokee
Stellantis has unveiled a redesigned 2026 Jeep Cherokee to revitalize sales after six years of decline, introducing its first hybrid system and a technology-rich interior, with production starting in Mexico and pricing beginning at $36,995, as the brand aims to regain market share amid industry challenges.
Jeep has unveiled the new 2025 Cherokee SUV, which will feature a hybrid powertrain option and is expected to be produced in Mexico, aiming to boost the brand's sales and competitiveness in the midsize SUV segment.
Questions have been raised about the Native American ancestry of Hollywood film producer Heather Rae, known for her activism for Native and Indigenous creators and projects in Hollywood, after a group published public family records that do not show evidence of Native ancestry. Rae has produced multiple films that center around Native characters and stories, including Frozen River in 2008, which won awards from the Sundance Institute and was nominated for two Oscars. She serves on the Academy of Motion Pictures’ Indigenous alliance and previously directed Sundance’s Native program.
Native American watchdog group the Tribal Alliance Against Frauds (TAAF) has accused Hollywood producer Heather Rae of lying about her Cherokee background. According to TAAF's research, Rae has no ancestors recognized by the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, the Eastern Band of Cherokee and the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians. The closest connection TAAF could recognize as a possible Cherokee connection was Rae’s fourth great-grandparent, which would make her 1/2048th Cherokee. Rae has previously stated that she came from an "Indian" mother and a "cowboy" father while several news outlets reported her as having a "Cherokee" parent.
Heather Rae, a prominent Native American figure in Hollywood, is being accused of faking her claims of Cherokee heritage by a watchdog group called the Tribal Alliance Against Frauds. The group is demanding that the Academy of Motion Pictures and the producer drop her "false claims" while activists insist she's at best 1/2048th Cherokee. Rae, who has burnished her credentials, which center on a claim that her mother, Barbara Riggs, was Cherokee, is accused of profiting from usurping "real American Indian voices and perspectives" and being a fraudulent so-called "Pretendian."
Jeep has officially ended production of the Cherokee after nearly 50 years, with the plant being idled indefinitely as negotiations with the United Auto Workers union continue. The name "Cherokee" will still be used for the Grand Cherokee, which was recently overhauled, but it's unclear if Jeep has plans to replace the midsize crossover. The new Alfa Romeo-based Hornet may fill that spot in Stellantis's lineup.
The Jeep Cherokee has been discontinued after 49 years in production, leaving a void in the ultra-competitive midsize SUV segment. The Cherokee served as the template for the modern unibody SUV and helped popularize a body style that is now a bestseller around the world. Jeep claims it won't be abandoning the segment, but it's unclear whether its next midsize SUV will bear the Cherokee label or when it might arrive. The Grand Cherokee, with its plug-in hybrid drivetrain, carries on the name but it's unclear whether it too may be on the chopping block in a few years.