Descendants of Freedmen Association Host First Treaty Celebration

DESCENDANTS OF FREEDMEN ASSOCIATION AND AFRICAN INDIANS FOUNDATION CO HOST FIRST TREATY CELEBRATION BANQUET APRIL 23, 2010 IN BARTLESVILLE OKLAHOMA The Descendants of Freedmen of the Five Civilized Tribes Association and the African Indians of the 5 Civilized Tribes Foundation will co host the First Annual Treaty Celebration banquet on Friday April 23 2010 in Bartlesville Oklahoma. The Banquet will be held at the Bartlesville Community Center, 300 Southeast Adams Boulevard, Bartlesville Oklahoma beginning at 6:30pm. The descendants of freedmen of the 5 tribes are descendants of blacks who were enslaved by Indians of the 5 Tribes (Cherokee, Creek, Seminole, Choctaw, and Chickasaw) or were free mixed African Indians who were legally living within the tribal areas prior to the Civil War. The freedmen and their descendants received tribal citizenship rights through treaties signed by tribal leaders and the US government in 1866 after the 5 tribes joined the Confederate States at the beginning of the Civil War. The descendants of tribal freedmen now face discrimination in registering as tribal citizens, accessing benefits such as housing and education available to members of federally recognized Indian tribes, and also battle disenrollment movements led by tribal leaders. Featured speaker at the banquet is Tulsa Attorney Hannibal Johnson, who will speak on the Tulsa 1921 Race Riot. Attorney Johnson is the author of the book “Black Wall Street”. Music will be furnished by Mrs Whitfield of Muskogee, Oklahoma. To obtain banquet tickets or to find out more about the program, please contact Reverend Adair at the contact numbers listed above or Mrs Ruth Adair Nash at: 918-333-9683 (email contact: dengoree@yahoo.com ). To learn more about the freedmen and their struggle for Civil Rights, please visit the website: www.freedmen5tribes.com