Cherokee Freedmen will get an update on litigation and legislation concerning their status as citizens of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma at a meeting on July 19.

The Freedmen, who are the descendants of former slaves, were made Cherokee citizens under an 1866 treaty. The tribe, however, claims it has a right to determine whether the Freedmen membership continues..

The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals recently heard a lawsuit over the Freedmen's status. Several members of Congress are pushing legislation to cut funds to the Cherokee Nation under the Freedmen are restored to citizenship.

Get the Story:
Cherokee freedmen meeting set (Tulsa Today 6/30)

Cherokee-Related Legislation:
H.R.2786 | H.R.2895 | H.R.2824 | H.R.3002

BIA Letters:
August 9, 2007 | July 11, 2007 | June 22, 2007 | May 21, 2007 | March 28, 2007 | August 30, 2006

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

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

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