Cherokee Freedmen headed to court for injunction

Monday, June 11, 2007  

The Cherokee Freedmen are back in federal court today to seek an injunction against the Interior Department and the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma.

The Freedmen want Judge Henry Kennedy to order DOI to halt funding to the tribe and to sever the government-to-government relationship with the tribe. They also want the tribe to halt the tribe's upcoming June 23 election.

The Freedmen were kicked out of the tribe in a March referendum. But the tribe has reinstated them so they can vote in the election, in which Principal Chief Chad Smith, who advocated for the removal of the Freedmen, is seeking another term.

Get the Story:
Freedmen seek injunction against Cherokees in case (The Muskogee Phoenix 6/9)

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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