The Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma won't drop a lawsuit against the Freedmen descendants, the tribe's attorney general said.

The tribe sued the Freedmen during the administration of former chief Chad Smith. Bill John Baker, the new chief, hasn't stated his position on the case but he has said he will abide by any court decisions on the matter.

“While the attorney general is tasked with controlling the nation’s litigation, this issue is bigger than just the pending litigation,” Diane Hammons, the tribe's attorney general, told The Tulsa World.

The tribe filed the lawsuit in federal court in Oklahoma. It was temporarily joined with a different Freedmen lawsuit that was filed against the federal government in Washington, D.C.

Both cases are now back in federal court in Oklahoma.

Get the Story:
Cherokee Nation moving on with freedmen lawsuit (The Tulsa World/Associated Press 11/28)

Cherokee Nation Supreme Court Decisions:
Vann v. Salazar (October 11, 2011)
Cherokee Nation Registrar v. Nash (August 22, 2011)

Related Stories:
Cherokee Nation chief mindful of funding in Freedmen dispute (11/8)
Cherokee Nation regains access to $40M in housing funds (10/28)
Steve Russell: Move the Cherokee Nation forward again (10/26)
Kenneth Cooper: Cherokee Freedmen awaiting new era (10/26)