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Opinion:: Cherokee Freedmen play the race card
Monday, March 19, 2007
Filed Under: Opinion

"Today, Indian Nation leaders are having to take a hard look at who cannot and should not be a member of their nation. Under their government sovereignty they have every right to do so. Concerning the Freedman Group and Intermarried Whites, Indian Nation leaders are stating their tribal nation membership was set up and based on Indian blood quorum proof and tribal roll number linking a person to that Indian nation.

The Freedmen Group is playing the race card, calling the action from Indian Nations as racist toward them. Fact: there are full blooded Indians today that cannot join their Indian Nation because their past family members did not take a tribal roll number of their nation. The Indian roll number system came about because of the U.S. Government's illegal "Indian Removal Act of 1830." That law brought about the "Trail Of Tears", 1838-1839. Tens of thousands of Indians from many tribal nations were pushed West of the Mississippi River together in one area now called Oklahoma. Each tribal member was required to take a roll number at the time of forced relocation to prove they were by blood a member of that Indian nation.

Dropping the Freedman group and Intermarried Whites as tribal members puts them on equal footing with millions of other American Indian descendants that have to prove their Indian heritage by blood and tribal roll number linkage. Something to think about: "What If Indian Nation leaders open up their tribal membership to anyone? If this happened it would change the political and economic structure of America. This action by Indian Nations would open up a Pandora's box the federal government never thought it would have to deal with again, after it's "for real holocaust" against American Indian Nations.

Today, some African Americans claiming Indian heritage are calling themselves Black Indians. There is no such thing as a Black American Indian or White American Indian! You're American Indian or you're not! If you're Black or White and have Indian heritage, that is all you can and should claim. It's an insult to the American Indian community for people of another race to claim their Indian heritage while doing so through their dominant race color."

Get the Story:
Cherokee Nation Vote: No Such Thing As A Black Or White Indian (The Amercan Chronicle 3/18)

Sovereign Immunity Court Decision:
Vann v. Kempthorne (December 19, 2006)

Jim Cason Letter:
Cherokee Nation Constitution (August 30, 2006)

Cherokee Nation Judicial Appeals Tribunal Decision in Freedmen Case:
Allen v. Cherokee Nation (March 7, 2006)

Relevant Links:
Cherokee Nation - http://www.cherokee.org
Freedmen Of The Five Civilized Tribes - http://www.freedmen5tribes.com
Freedmen Conference - http://www.freedmenconference.com

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