... Such was the intent of the non-profit Cherokee Artists Association, Inc. (now Southeastern Indian Artists Association), of which Irla is one of the founding members. Incorporated in 2004, and based in Tahlequah, Ok, the volunteers of the Cherokee Artists Association (CAA) were instrumental in the business, legal, and administrative branches of the Cherokee Nation adopting policies and enacting new laws in 2007 (Cherokee Nation Arts & Crafts Act of 2007 passes), and (Amendment of 2012) to protect Cherokee artists' copyrights in the sale of art to Cherokee Nation. In 2008, the CAA’s modest, but successful fund-raising campaigns enabled the group to establish physical offices in which the group holds meetings, offers artists workshops, and conducts seminars. In that same year, the CAA also established an art gallery where CAA members have the opportunity to show and sell their works direct to the public, year round.