Cherokee Freedmen dispute appears headed toward resolution

Tuesday, July 17, 2012  

A long-running dispute over the status of the Freedmen within the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma could be headed toward resolution in federal court.

The Freedmen are the descendants of former African slaves who were granted citizenship by an 1866 treaty. The tribe now says it can change its membership criteria to exclude them.

Citing the treaty, the Obama administration is siding with the Freedmen. A federal judge in Oklahoma is due to rule on the dispute in the coming months.

Get the Story:
Tribe Fights With Slaves' Kin (The Wall Street Journal 7/17)

Related Stories:
Cherokee Nation awaits decision in Freedmen citizenship dispute (7/3)
Freedmen attorney claims Abramoff influenced BIA position (3/14)
Opinion: Tribes in Oklahoma struggle to deal with Freedmen (3/8)
Cherokee Nation won't drop lawsuit over Freedmen citizenship (11/29)