Two Creek Freedmen applied for citizenship in the Muscogee Nation after a tribal judge ruled their rights were violated.

Fred Johnson and Ron Graham trace their ancestry to the Dawes Roll. They are descendants of Freedmen, the former African slaves of the tribe, and of Creek Indians.

Both were previously denied citizenship multiple times in the last 20 years. But the tribal judge ruled that the tribe applied the wrong criteria when it rejected the men.

It is unclear whether the decision will affect other Creek Freedmen who may or may not have sought citizenship prior to a new tribal law that requires documentation of Creek Indian blood.

Get the Story:
Freedmen descendants apply for Creek citizenship after ruling (The Oklahoman 3/22)
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Cherokee Nation Judicial Appeals Tribunal Decision:
Allen v. Cherokee Nation (March 7, 2006)

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

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