Rep. Watson schedules meetings on Freedmen

Wednesday, August 15, 2007  

Rep. Diane Watson (D-California) will attend two meetings in Oklahoma next week to discuss the Freedmen of the Cherokee Nation.

Watson is sponsoring a bill to strip the tribe of its federal funds until the Freedmen are restored to citizenship. She says the tribe has to comply with an 1866 treaty that extended citizenship to the former slaves and their descendants.

"We invite the public to air their views, thoughts perspectives and questions on this important issue of law," Watson said. "This issue affects not just Cherokees or Freedmen, but all people who recognize that our great nation is nothing without the rule of law."

The schedule for the August 20 meetings follows:

Tulsa, Oklahoma
12:00 – 2:30 pm
Rudisill Regional Library
1520 North Hartford
918-596-7280

Muskogee, Oklahoma
5:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Muskogee Civic Center
425 Boston St
(918) 682-9131

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

BIA Letters:
August 9, 2007 | 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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