Thread by @rebeccanagle

Happy #NativeAmericanHeritageMonth. Everyday this month I am sharing a little lesson. #WeAreStillHere #NativeIn2019

This week's theme is Cherokee history and today’s lesson is about the CHEROKEE FREEDMEN!

Descendants of the Cherokee Freedmen are citizens of Cherokee Nation based on their rights as granted by a treaty signed by both Cherokee Nation and the United States in 1866.

Starting in the early 1800’s, Cherokees adopted the institution of slavery from the American south. And no, it wasn’t “kinder” because we’re Indians. There is no kind way to treat a person like property.

After the Civil War, Cherokee Nation signed a treaty that guaranteed all freed slaves -- or “Freedmen,” citizenship in the tribe.

Just like any sovereign nation, Cherokee Nation can grant citizenship to people without “Cherokee blood” and have done so repeatedly.

In 1867 we adopted a group of Delaware and in 1869 a group of Shawnee, and in our pre-statehood history, we granted citizenship to White spouses of Cherokee citizens.

The Cherokee Freedmen and their descendants have been documented citizens of our tribe for over 150 years.

Their families are also found on an 1880 census of Cherokee Nation citizens administered by Cherokee Nation.

Before Oklahoma became a state a roll was taken of all Cherokees living within Indian Territory.

The Fed commission created separate rolls for Cherokees “by blood” and for the Freedmen. Many people put on the Freedmen roll also had Cherokee ancestry, but if they looked Black were categorized as Freedman.

For decades, descendants of the Freedmen were denied citizenship in our tribe. In the early 2000s, they organized and formed the Descendants of Freedmen of the Five Civilized Tribes Association and their President, a woman named Marilyn Vann filed a lawsuit.

After a decades long legal battle, in 2017, they won. Today, all descendant of the Cherokee Freedmen have the right to citizenship. There is still work to be done in to address the legacy of racism from both the history of slavery and denying Freedmen descendants citizenship.

For people who want to learn more about this issue, below are some resources.

The organization that is continuing to fight for the rights of Freedmen descendants of all the 5 tribes: freedmen5tribes.com/cherokee

A great documentary: worldchannel.org/programs/episo…

A podcast about the Sept 2017 court ruling: nativeamericacalling.com/?s=CHEROKEE+FR…

A book about the history of Black Cherokees: amazon.com/Oklahoma-Black…