Press alert -
DC Federal Appeals Court denies Cherokee Nation/Cherokee Chief request to reconsider overturn of Dismissal of Vann V Salazar (Cherokee Freedmen Case).
Marilyn Vann, President of the Descendants of Freedmen states that "The Cherokee freedmen tribal members are grateful for the decision made by the honorable judges of the DC Appeals Court.
We hope and pray that we and our children will be able to serve our nation as citizens of the tribe as did our fathers and grandfathers based on our rights guaranteed by both the tribe and the US government in the 1866 treaty".
Marilyn Vann
President - Descendants of Freedmen Association
www.freedmen5tribes.com
That is good news for the Descendants of Freedmen Association. I am not against tribal governments, tribal sovereignty, nor the right of self-determination to own and benefit from gamming or other economic interest. I am against those who subvert and corrupt tribal governments for their own personal gain. It is evident that even a once proud people are just as corruptible as those who caused so much harm to the indigenous of this land. This does not mean that all tribes are guilty of this abuse of power, yet the evidence proves that when greed of money and power take hold of a few in tribes like Pechanga, and others the effect to the community is devastating. People are stripped of their heritage and birthright, and those who remain lose their spirit and pride for fear of retribution.
ReplyDeleteI think this case sets a terrible precedent. The Cherokke Tribe has every right to establish who they are and how their bloodlines are to be recognized. The Cherokee Freedmen are not connected to the tribe through any bloodline. Although, the treaty that was signed by the Cherokee to recognize Black Freedmen and their decendants as Cherokee was for a political and historical context that no longer is needed. If the Cherokee wants to decide who and how their citizenry is to be represented, then they should. Ironically, the Cherokke right to practice gaming, to receive federal funding for health care, tribal government, etc. were all threatned by a Political Action Committee in Congress that represented African-American interests. The Black Causcaus utilized key COngress members to put pressure onto the Cherokee Tribe to accept the Black Freedmen or they would lose their gaming rights, their federal funding, and their tribal status. This is wrong, why and how can a PAC group of non-Indians utilize politicalpower to constrain and limit tribal governemnt options. Tribal sovereignty is inhernet and pre-dates any European-American presence or African American presence on this continent and should be recognized and protected as such. The only thing that I can see as being the casue of the Cherokke Tribe having to abide by this ridiculous ruling is due to the treaty provisions, as treaties between tribes and the federal governemtn are still actively binding documents, and only COngress has the power to abridge and abrogate those treaty provisions. I think it is a shame that Congress and non-indians politcal groups can exert such abuses of power of tribel soverign governemnts in America, and that is why I think this is a dangerous precedent that is being set.
ReplyDelete