A day before leaving office, former assistant secretary Carl Artman said the Bureau of Indian Affairs won't take action on the status of the Cherokee Freedmen until courts resolve the issue.

Artman was pressured by the Congressional Black Caucus to punish the Cherokee Nation for denying citizenship to the Freedmen, who are the descendants of former slaves. At one point, Artman told the tribe it must abide by an 1866 treaty that protected the Freedmen's rights.

But in a May 22 letter, Artman said the BIA won't act on its views until the federal and tribal courts have resolved lawsuits affecting the dispute. He left office the following day.

Get the Story:
BIA won't act until Freedmen court case resolved (The Tulsa World 6/13)

Cherokee-Related Legislation:
H.R.2786 | 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)

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