Cherokee Nation News Release
(918) 207-3896 Fax (918) 458-6181
E-mail: srusco@cherokee.org
September 25, 2008
U.S. Senate Agrees to Let Courts Decide Freedmen Issue
Washington, D.C.— The United States Senate passed a measure today preserving Cherokee Nation’s federal funding for housing services as long as a tribal court order allowing citizenship for non-Indian Freedmen descendants remains in place throughout the tribal court case that will determine their eligibility for citizenship in the Cherokee Nation.
“The language in the bill is a sign that Congress recognizes the sovereignty and authority of tribal courts to settle internal disputes, which should be considered a victory for not only the Cherokee Nation but all tribes,” said Chad Smith, Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation.
The provision was included in the Native American Housing and Self-Determination Act reauthorization passed by the Senate today. Currently, more than 300 non-Indian descendants of Freedmen are suing the Cherokee Nation in tribal district court over a Constitutional amendment passed by Cherokee voters in March 2007 that restricted citizenship to people who had an Indian ancestor listed on the Cherokee Nation’s base roll. That amendment effectively ended a one-year period in which non-Indians were allowed to register as citizens based on a 2006 tribal court ruling. Those non-Indian Freedmen whose citizenship is in question have full citizenship rights, including access to social services and the right to vote, because of a May 2007 tribal court order that continues citizenship while the case is pending.
“While it is unfortunate that Congress voted to single out an Indian tribe over a disagreement about the tribe’s internal citizenship criteria, it is a good sign that they have decided that this is a matter that should be decided by the courts and not by politics,” said Smith. “I want to thank Senators Coburn, Dorgan and Murkowski (Republican, Democrat, Republican, I think) for their leadership and for proposing this solution in a way that is not punitive to Cherokees who need housing assistance, since the matter is still being decided in a court of law.” (considering Fanny Mae, Fredie Mac and all those Wall Street firms holding toxic mortages for houses in or going into foreclosure - I'd say every Cherokee in the US ought to have at least a 2 story house - no income needed.)
More information on the Cherokee Nation and the issue of non-Indian Freedmen citizenship is available online at
http://www.cherokeenationfacts.org/ and http://www.meetthecherokee.org/.
(this went to the House Floor on 9/27/2008 and I'm not sure if just the amendment passed, to wait for a court decision in the freedmen case or the entire bill H.B. 2786 passed)
from the House web site:
THIS SEARCH THIS DOCUMENT GO TO
Next Hit Forward New Bills Search
Prev Hit Back HomePage
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The text of H.B. 2786 has not yet been received from GPOBills are generally sent to the Library of Congress from the Government Printing Office a day or two after they are introduced on the floor of the House or Senate. Delays can occur when there are a large number of bills to prepare or when a very large bill has to be printed.
to track the bill:
http://thomas.loc.gov/
(918) 207-3896 Fax (918) 458-6181
E-mail: srusco@cherokee.org
September 25, 2008
U.S. Senate Agrees to Let Courts Decide Freedmen Issue
Washington, D.C.— The United States Senate passed a measure today preserving Cherokee Nation’s federal funding for housing services as long as a tribal court order allowing citizenship for non-Indian Freedmen descendants remains in place throughout the tribal court case that will determine their eligibility for citizenship in the Cherokee Nation.
“The language in the bill is a sign that Congress recognizes the sovereignty and authority of tribal courts to settle internal disputes, which should be considered a victory for not only the Cherokee Nation but all tribes,” said Chad Smith, Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation.
The provision was included in the Native American Housing and Self-Determination Act reauthorization passed by the Senate today. Currently, more than 300 non-Indian descendants of Freedmen are suing the Cherokee Nation in tribal district court over a Constitutional amendment passed by Cherokee voters in March 2007 that restricted citizenship to people who had an Indian ancestor listed on the Cherokee Nation’s base roll. That amendment effectively ended a one-year period in which non-Indians were allowed to register as citizens based on a 2006 tribal court ruling. Those non-Indian Freedmen whose citizenship is in question have full citizenship rights, including access to social services and the right to vote, because of a May 2007 tribal court order that continues citizenship while the case is pending.
“While it is unfortunate that Congress voted to single out an Indian tribe over a disagreement about the tribe’s internal citizenship criteria, it is a good sign that they have decided that this is a matter that should be decided by the courts and not by politics,” said Smith. “I want to thank Senators Coburn, Dorgan and Murkowski (Republican, Democrat, Republican, I think) for their leadership and for proposing this solution in a way that is not punitive to Cherokees who need housing assistance, since the matter is still being decided in a court of law.” (considering Fanny Mae, Fredie Mac and all those Wall Street firms holding toxic mortages for houses in or going into foreclosure - I'd say every Cherokee in the US ought to have at least a 2 story house - no income needed.)
More information on the Cherokee Nation and the issue of non-Indian Freedmen citizenship is available online at
http://www.cherokeenationfacts.org/ and http://www.meetthecherokee.org/.
(this went to the House Floor on 9/27/2008 and I'm not sure if just the amendment passed, to wait for a court decision in the freedmen case or the entire bill H.B. 2786 passed)
from the House web site:
THIS SEARCH THIS DOCUMENT GO TO
Next Hit Forward New Bills Search
Prev Hit Back HomePage
Hit List Best Sections Help
Contents Display
The text of H.B. 2786 has not yet been received from GPOBills are generally sent to the Library of Congress from the Government Printing Office a day or two after they are introduced on the floor of the House or Senate. Delays can occur when there are a large number of bills to prepare or when a very large bill has to be printed.
to track the bill:
http://thomas.loc.gov/