Sen. Coburn backs Cherokee Freedmen citizenship

Friday, August 10, 2007  

Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Oklahoma), a member of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, says the descendants of former slaves are entitled to citizenship in the Cherokee Nation.

Coburn says Congress should ensure the tribe lives up to its treaty responsibilities. The Freedmen were made citizens of the tribe following the Civil War.

“I’m supportive of the freedmen,” Coburn told The Tulsa World. “It is part of their deal, and it is breaking a contract. I think they (the tribe) are wrong.”

The tribe says it has a right to define its membership criteria. Voters changed their constitution to deny citizenship to the Freedmen but they have been reinstated pending a tribal court challenge. A lawsuit in federal court also seeks to address the Freedmen's status.

Get the Story:
Coburn: Congress should force Cherokees’ decision (The Tulsa World 8/10)
Coburn: Congress should force Cherokees' decision (AP 8/10)

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

BIA Letters:
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)

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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