[Native News] 'Freedmen call Cherokees racist'
Carol
'Freedmen call Cherokees racist'
Senator Coburn Supports Group
Mike Graham
August 16, 2007
Got Indian blood?
Some U.S. Congressional Black Caucus members are claiming the Cherokee
Nation and its citizens are not honoring an abandoned 1866 treaty. They are
referring to article nine of a federal 1866 treaty that pertains to in part
toward an African American group going by the name Freedmen. Some members
of the group claim the 1866 treaty gave them full citizenship to the Indian
nation.
Members of the U.S. Black Caucus have taken it upon themselves to attach
amendments to federal tribal funding bills to halt their passage until
Freedmen affected by the vote (2,700) are reinstated. Congresswoman Watson
of California introduced H.R.2824, calling for federal termination of the
Cherokee Nation.
Fact:
The Cherokee Nation citizenship March 2007 vote requires anyone wanting to
be a citizen of the nation to have Cherokee blood heritage regardless of
race affiliation. Whites and so-called Freedmen with Cherokee heritage that
have met these requirements remain citizens of the nation. Facts concerning
the Cherokee Nation are that, there are several thousand African Americans
with Cherokee heritage among its citizens, including more than 1,500
citizens who are descendants of Freedmen who have proven their Cherokee
Indian ancestry.
Congresswoman Watson contends that today's federal funding programs and
recognition of the Oklahoma Cherokee Nation are done so through federal
treaties with the Cherokee Nation.
Fact:
The federal government has from its formation maintained a government to
government relationship with the Cherokee Nation. Representatives of the
Cherokee Nation state "We have never asked the federal government to
recognize our nation, the federal government has always maintained that the
Cherokee Nation is a sovereign nation.
Congresswoman Watson also stated on Native America Calling radio talk show
"That the Cherokee Nation operates around one hundred casinos in the state
of Oklahoma. If the Cherokees want to keep operating them, they should
honor the 1866 treaty." Congresswoman Watson made no references as to the
federal governments' obligation to fully honor the 1866 treaty. It's the
same old Indian federal policies of, do as we say, not as we do!
Fact:
The Cherokee Nation does not own one hundred casinos! They own and operate
seven casinos within the state of Oklahoma. Congresswoman Watson's
knowledge and facts about Cherokees today obviously mirrors her false
perception of Cherokees past true history!
Oklahoma Senator Tom Coburn states "I'm supportive of the freedmen," Coburn
said. Indians in Coburn's District knows all about Senator Coburn's
anti-Indian attitude, if he had his way there would not be a Cherokee
Nation to deal with, as he is also against Native Hawaiians reinstating
their "historical" Native Hawaiian Government. Senator Coburn declined to
add his support and name to Kansas Senator Brownback's resolution calling
for an official apology to the American Indian community from the federal
government for its "Past misguided policies against Indians." Senator
Coburn's official stand on Native Americans having a federal holiday is,
they "Indians" do not deserve one! Indians in Oklahoma Senator Tom Coburn's
district somewhat jokingly say, our issues would fair better before the
Grand Wizard of the KKK than Senator Coburn!
California Congressman Joe Baca and Oklahoma Congressman Dan Boren leads
the "fight" to bring about National Native American Day. Support for the
holiday measure from the U.S. Black Caucus is equal to that of Senator Tom
Coburn's.
Fact:
The "federal government" broke all treaties made with the Cherokee Nation
and terminated all treaty obligations to include the 1866 treaty. The
federal government in the mid-1950s did terminate its relationship with
several Indian nations across America. Today for the most part, Federal
government funding programs are based on the 1975 Indian Self-Determination
and Education Assistance Act. Shortly after passage of the 1975 Act, tribes
which had been terminated (Cherokee Nation not included) mounted efforts to
restore their federal sovereign nations status using the Indian
Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act. The Federal Bureau of
Indian Affairs oversees those tribal nations recognition. (Cherokee Nation
not included) http://bluebook.state.or.us/national/tribal/tribal.htm
Also read: The Indian Reorganization Act of 1934
http://www.infca.org/tribes/IRA.htm
Fact:
American Indians are taxpayers too! Indian nations receive federal funds in
support of their programs as do states and local governments to include
other countries. Democrat Congresswoman Watson H.R. 2824 resolution calling
for termination of the Cherokee Nation should be viewed as racially
motivated and extremist! Indian tribal groups in Congresswoman Watson's own
state of California have recently elected to change their tribal
citizenship requirements, all without fan fair or concerns coming from
Congresswoman Watson.
Congresswoman Watson's California constituents' issues will take a back
seat while she travels to Oklahoma in August. Watson plans on visiting
several cities around the state showing her support of the Freedmen members
that have not proven their Cherokee heritage. No doubt, her trip expenses
will be at taxpayer expense.
U.S. Representative Melvin Watt, a democrat of North Carolina states he
will attach an amendment to H.R. 3002 related to H.R. 2895 before the House
Committee on Financial Services. The amendment would call for blocking all
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development funds going to the
Cherokee Nation. Watt stated he will give the Cherokee Nation one month to
address the Freedmen issue, congress will reconvene in September. Note:
Wouldn't it be great if our U.S. Congress acted that fast on issues before
them!
In March 2007 citizens of the Cherokee Nation voted to expel any person
that had not proven they had Cherokee heritage to at least one family
member listed on the nations roll books. Indian Nations forced from their
Eastern home lands by the federal government in 1838-1839, established a
tribal roll number system to determine citizenship to their nation, this
action is referred to as the Dawes Roll Act. Intermarried Whites and
Freedmen were placed on a separate roll. The Cherokee Nation has always
maintained that, to be a citizen of the nation a person had to prove their
Cherokee blood heritage to one citizen listed on the roll books.
A lot of misinformation surrounding the Cherokee Nations citizenship vote
is running rampant throughout the country. The worst of the worst is, some
people are calling the Cherokee Nations heritage citizenship vote racist.
Marilyn Vann, head of the Oklahoma Freedmen Association refers to 1861,
when the Cherokee Nation severed their relationship with the United States.
The Cherokee Nation allied itself with the Confederate States and waged war
against the United States to defend the abominable practice of slavery. To
make amends, they signed the Treaty of 1866, promising us full citizenship
rights. We plan to hold them to that promise." Marilyn Vann said.
Fact:
The Cherokee Nation entering into "Another treaty" with the federal
government in 1866, only came about to prevent the U.S. Army from attacking
them again. Treaties were written by and for the federal government's
benefit, not Indians. Nowhere in the 1866 treaty does it state
"citizenship" for Freedmen, only protection and equal rights under tribal
nation laws covering its citizens. That wording of the 1866 treaty would
also cover a Japanese tourist on Cherokee land.
ARTICLE 9. 1866 treaty
http://digital.library.okstate.edu/KAPPLER/VOL2/treaties/che0942.htm
Fact:
The Cherokee Nation did sever their relationship with the United States
during the U.S. Civil War.
Fact:
The Cherokee Nation did not sever their relationship with the United States
in support of slavery. Members of the so-called Five Civilized Tribes of
Oklahoma fought on both sides, Union & Confederate, just as Whites and
Blacks did. Members of the five nations that did fight against the U.S.
Union Army did so under the Cherokee Braves Flag. The Cherokee Braves Unit
did so because of the federal governments forced removal of them from their
Eastern home lands, the Trail of Tears atrocity that cost the lives of over
five thousands Indian men, women and children. They further stated the
federal government would continue its holocaust against all Indians after
the U.S. civil War. History has proven them right.!
CHEROKEE NATION DECLARATION OF CAUSES; 1861
http://www.unitednativeamerica.com/cherokee.html
Marilyn Vann is fully aware of U.S. historic atrocities against American
Indians. She is also aware of all the devastating federal policies forced
on American Indians before, during and after the U.S. Civil War. She has
made a personal choice to depict Cherokees as "The bad guys," less than
honorable. All because Cherokees were forced to stand up for their civil
rights to exist as a free people to include protecting their people against
the U.S. Army hell-bent on destroying them. If Marilyn Vann is a citizen of
the Cherokee Nation by blood heritage, they should ban her.
http://ngeorgia.com/history/nghisttt.html
Fact: Human slavery was at one time practiced world wide, to include Africa
tribal nations.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavery
Fact: The federal government abandoned the 1866 treaty in 1889 when it
authorized non-Indian settlement in Indian territory now known as Oklahoma.
http://marti.rootsweb.com/land/oklands.html
Fact: During the U.S. Civil War, President Lincoln authorized the largest
mass hanging in U.S. history. On December 16, 1862 in the Northern state of
Minnesota, thirty-eight Sioux Indian men were hanged. Minnesota authorities
were set to hang 303 Indian men, Lincoln wanted the number lowered for good
reasons. President Lincoln promised to kill or remove every Indian from the
state and provide Minnesota with 2 million dollars in federal funds.
http://www.unitednativeamerica.com/hanging.html
Fact: Cherokee Chief John Ross: On June 25, 1863, two years before the
Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, The Cherokee
National Council Act outlawed any form of slavery within the boundaries of
Cherokee Nation lands.
http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/constitution.amendmentxiii.html
Fact: American Indian Educational information: American Indian tribal
governments developed the fundamental principles of freedom of speech,
federalism and separation of powers that form the foundation of the United
States Government. http://www.unitednativeamerica.com/resolution.html
AMERICAN INDIAN CITIZENSHIP Act 1924
http://digital.library.okstate.edu/kappler/vol4/html_files/v4p1165.html
An action alert H.R.2824 form letter to congress members has been set up:
http://capwiz.com/cherokee/issues/alert/?alertid=10085201
Mike Graham, citizen Oklahoma Cherokee Nation
Founder United Native America.
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