Cherokee Nation wants election to go forward

Friday, June 1, 2007  

The Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma wants a federal judge to reject an attempt to halt an upcoming election.

The tribe will be going to the polls on June 23 to choose a new chief. But the Cherokee Freedmen, the descendants of African slaves, asked the court to halt the election after they were ousted from the tribe.

The tribe has since agreed to reinstate the Freedmen so they can vote in the election. The Interior Department is backing the effort.

Judge Henry H. Kennedy in Washington, D.C., will hold a hearing on June 11 to consider the issue.

Get the Story:
Cherokees want freedmen's motion tossed (AP 6/1)
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BIA Letters:
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)

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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