Advocates for Americans with HIV and their allies in Congress are vowing to “fight like hell” in the face of funding cuts that they say will cost lives.

The Cherokee Nation, Chickasaw Nation, Choctaw Nation, Muscogee Nation and Seminole Nation signed treaties that include provisions addressing formerly enslaved persons in their territories.

The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs holds an oversight hearing titled “Select Provisions of the 1866 Reconstruction Treaties between the United States and Oklahoma Tribes.”

The leader of one of the largest tribes in the U.S. is fighting a behind-the-scenes battle with Congress that pits racial justice against tribal sovereignty.