The Delaware Tribe of Oklahoma will vote on May 26 on a new constitution that supporters say will lead to restoration of federal recognition.

The tribe was made a part of the Cherokee Nation under an 1866 treaty. When the Bureau of Indian Affairs, during the Clinton administration, said the Delawares were a separate entity, the Cherokees won a lawsuit in federal court.

The two tribes have since signed a memorandum of agreement that addresses land, jurisdiction and other issues. The document is part of a new constitution that tribal members will consider at the May election.

If approved, the constitution will be used to reorganize the tribe under the Oklahoma Indian Welfare Act. The BIA will then recognize the tribe once again.

Relevant documents, including the Delaware-Cherokee agreement, can be found at http://www.delawaretribe.org/news.htm.

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Delaware Tribe sets vote in independence effort (The Tulsa World 4/12)