Ruling paves way for freedmen's citizenship in Cherokee Nation. [View all]

'The descendants of Cherokee freedmen have a right to tribal citizenship, a federal court ruled Wednesday.

The ruling by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia is an important victory in the freedmen's longstanding legal battle to secure rights to Cherokee citizenship.

In its 78-page decision, the court ruled that the Treaty of 1866, which entitled freedmen to "all the rights of native Cherokees," takes priority over the tribe's constitution.

"The Cherokee Nation's sovereign right to determine its membership is no less now, as a result of this decision, than it was after the Nation executed the 1866 Treaty," the decision states.'>>>

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/courts/ruling-paves-way-for-freedmen-s-citizenship-in-cherokee-nation/article_bff0f932-dbd1-5dea-9870-4674a400dd5d.html