New Delhi: Despite recent gains, tribal citizens descended from slaves face disparate treatment
MCLOUD, Okla. — Tribal citizens whose ancestors were enslaved by citizens of several tribal nations in Oklahoma are starting to see more inclusive access to Native American health care, education and other social services, but barriers remain.
Federal and tribal agencies have worked in recent years to clarify eligibility requirements and train on-the-ground staff, but a report released by the Government Accountability Office ahead of Black History Month shows there is more work to be done when it comes to the treatment of Freedmen descendants.
The COVID-19 pandemic helped to lift the veil on what longtime activist Marilyn Vann called disparate treatment of the descendants. She pointed to high-profile cases in which people were denied vaccines and financial aid while the virus was surging.
“Certainly there are more doors open now, but that doesn’t undo the harm,” Vann said, adding that a “chilling effect” prevents many Freedmen descendants from seeking out services they’re entitled to.
The Cherokee, Seminole, Muscogee, Chickasaw and Choctaw nations are among those whose citizens enslaved people in the 19th century. Following the Civil War, each signed treaties with the United States that abolished slavery and guaranteed tribal citizenship to Freedmen and their descendants.
Today, only the Cherokee Nation extends full citizenship to Freedmen descendants equal to “by blood” citizens under tribal law. The Seminole nation allows descendants to vote and sit on the general council but restricts their access to certain benefits of tribal citizenship. Freedmen descendants of the Muscogee, Chickasaw and Choctaw nations currently are denied tribal citizenship altogether.
The GAO report found that enrolled Cherokee and Seminole Freedmen descendants are sometimes asked for proof of “Indian blood” when seeking aid, and that the Seminole Nation has effectively blacklisted the descendants from receiving federally funded housing, education and elder assistance.
“It’s important to shine a bright light on this 21st century racism,” Vann said.
John Beecham, a Freedman citizen of the Cherokee Nation, knew he was eligible for a low-cost education at Haskell Indian Nations University. In 2020, he decided to apply when the school shifted to remote learning.
A few weeks later, he received a letter from the federally run tribal college in Kansas asking for documents proving his degree of “Indian blood.”
“It felt wrong, like I was being treated unfairly,” said Beecham, who had provided his enrollment card as proof of tribal citizenship.
Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin stepped in to verify Beecham’s citizenship and urged Haskell to consider his application. After months of delay, the school reversed course and said Beecham should reapply.
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