The Cherokee Freedmen are entitled to citizenship in the Cherokee Nation, a tribal court judge ruled today. The Freedmen are the descendants of former slaves held within the Cherokee Nation. An 1866 treaty stated they are entitled to citizenship but the tribe in 2007 adopted an amendment to its constitution that denied them membership. “The Cherokee Constitutional Amendment of March 3, 2007, by virtue of the provisions of the Treaty of 1866, and subsequent actions taken in furtherance thereof, are hereby determined to be voided as a matter of law,” Judge John Cripps said in the decision. About 2,800 Freedmen are affected by the decision. Get the Story:
Judge grants Cherokee citizenship to non-Indian freedmen (The Tulsa World 1/14) Court Decision:
Nash v. Cherokee Nation (January 14, 2011)
Join the Conversation
