Burial Assistance

In 1988 the Cherokee Nation implemented a burial assistance program designed to totally eliminate the financial hardship associated with burial expense for some low-income households that meet eligibility standards and selects a funeral home that has a contract with the Cherokee Nation to provide this service.

This program is funded through the Bureau of Indians Affairs (BIA), and is designed to serve families that have no resource to pay toward the cost of funeral expense. This program is not an entitlement program, meaning that being of Cherokee /Native American descent does not automatically make a person eligible for benefits from this program. If a family does not select a contracted service from one of the funeral homes that is contracted with Cherokee Nation, the family would not be eligible for any form of burial payment.

Contracted Burial Services

The Cherokee Nation developed contracts with a number of funeral homes (Listed Below) throughout the Tribe's jurisdictional service area to provide a complete funeral service package to eligible families for a payment amount not to exceed $2400.00. This contract provides the following merchandise and services:

If a family has an interest in this contracted funeral service and it would appear that they meet the eligibility requirements, the family needs to contact one of the Cherokee Nation offices and ask to speak with a Family Advocate before final funeral arrangements are made with the funeral home. Remember, if a family does not select the contracted service, they WILL NOT be eligible for any portion of the burial assistance program.

If any portion of the contract service outlined above is changed, the contract is null and void. Services/merchandise cannot be upgraded (unless it is done with no expense to the family), and the family cannot pay the funeral home for any service or merchandise above the $2400.00 paid by the Cherokee Nation.

All burial payments will be made directly to the funeral home. A family cannot be reimbursed for a payment already made to the funeral home. Any amount paid to the funeral home for these services by the family or other resources is considered a resource, and is deducted from the total cost of the contracted service.

If a family chooses to honor their loved one with a *traditional wake service and the family has selected the contracted service and meets all eligibility requirements, the program can allow a small cash advance for the wake.

* Please note that a traditional wake service would involve the custom of taking the deceased to a location away from the funeral home for an all-night service to honor the life of the loved one that passed on.

Contracted Funeral Home Listing

The following funeral homes have contracted with the Cherokee Nation to provide the $2400.00 contracted service. Please inquire about this service because the list of contracted funeral homes listed below could have been updated since this publication. If a funeral home is not listed below and the family chooses to use services from a non-contracted funeral home, the family WILL NOT be eligible for any benefits from this program.