Cherokee Nation Kicking Out Black Descendants?

Here is a chapter of US History that you won't read in the books!

For a long time the Cherokee Nation embraced the descendants of "Freedmen", African-American slaves that the tribe used to own. The Freedmen did not have Cherokee blood but an 1866 treaty between the US and the Cherokee nation made it law that all Freedmen and their descendants would receive the same benefits as an ethnically Cherokee person (including suffrage).

It was voted that this treaty COULD NOT be changed under any circumstances at any time! But in 2007 the Cherokee Nation passed an amendment that one must be of Cherokee blood to obtain tribesmanship.

What does this mean? That the 2,800 registered descendents of Freedmen are at risk of losing their tribal status! Usually the US Government stays out of tribal affairs but it has intervened to make sure that the 1866 treaty is still fairly enforced.

Tribal leaders are not trying to hear it! And they plan on proceeding with the 2007 amendement by disregarding all non-blood members. Tribe leaders are especially eager to get these members out because they feel that Freedmen are unfairly taking advantage of suffrage benefits.

This story is disappointing and saddening. Honor and integrity are irreplaceable, it is terrible to see that a whole nation is willing to back out on it's word.