About 30 Freedmen descendants and their supporters marched in the recent Cherokee Nation holiday parade. The Freedmen are descendants of former slaves. They were made citizens of the tribe by an 1866 treaty but the tribe says it has the right to legally remove them. On July 29, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the tribe itself can't be sued for its treatment of the Freedmen. But the court said individual tribal officials can be held liable. The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation will host a forum on September 26 in Washington, D.C., to address Freedmen issues. Get the Story:
Freedmen descendants march in Cherokee Holiday parade (The Native American Times September 2008) Recent D.C. Circuit Decision:
Vann v. Kempthorne (July 29, 2008) Related Stories:
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