pb, tulsa (8/21/2007 5:50:36 AM)

Watson is right but so are the cherokees. If they want to take them off the roles then let them. It is their decision. But if they can violate treaty we can pull our federal funding. Sounds like an excellent trade.

Marvin James Summerfield, (8/21/2007 6:13:16 AM)

Chad Smith didn't even show up for the press conference instead he sent his lackeys to do his talking..and they did a bad job. One of them even got thrown out of the conference..Chad should have been there to defend his position but he chose to hide behind women who didn't know what they were talking about..they still don't get it..it is a treaty right for the Freedmen to members of our great Nation. For a lawyer, Chad sure does a bad job of interpreting the law. Congress is getting ready to come down on the CNO like a ton of rocks..and Chad started the landslide.

Cherokee full-blood

AW, Park Hill Cherokee Nation (8/21/2007 6:41:14 AM)

Chad two wife Smith is the one who started this you can watch him do it on the Council Video.

He needs to tell the Proud Cherokee why he does not like Black Cherokees.

I am glad to see that we will soon see where the Money goes in the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma.

The Global Energy Group purchase he made is what people should be asking about. Chad 2 wife used Federal Money to buy the GEG Company but that money was too be used for job's for the Proud Cherokee ?

This is why the FBI and other Federal Agency's

are looking into the deal.

Will he have to repay the Millions lost on Global? I hope so and why did Chad get two Indian Homes when 5000 people where waiting on the list for one for years?

Why does he hide his other set of children from view ? The way I see it he is A Bigamist and had broken the Law.

The Freedmen Fiasco is just A Smokescreen to hide what is really going on in my Hometown of Tahlequah.

JW, (8/21/2007 7:30:01 AM)

pull the funding, if it makes the people of cherokee nation pull themselves up and kick out the crooks running them then more power to them.

Drummajor, Tulsa (8/21/2007 8:30:29 AM)

I'm curious as to who chose the picture to be used in the paper. My question would be Why?

D.Y. Wiley, Tulsa, OK (8/21/2007 8:40:54 AM)

Of the 4 comments posted here not a single one had foresight of the big picture. Look at the overall picture of what is happening and the potential for what can happen to all tribes in the future. So a U.S. elected official does not like the way a Tribal Council votes on a particular issue and then they think they have the 'right' to pass law to change the way a Tribal Council votes? Ummm, what just happened to your sovereignty? Do we really want this precedence set for the future? 2) This is NOT an issue of race. Either one has 'Indian blood' traceable to the Dawes Rolls or they don't. If one cannot trace their descendency to someone on the original Dawes Rolls then they are not able to enroll. Period. Even if they are Indian by blood they still have to trace their descendency to the Dawes rolls. The Freedman were enrolled as Freedman on the original Dawes rolls. They were not enrolled as Indian. Yes,they recieved the 160 acre allotment of land just as those that were 'Indian by Blood' but the Freedman, unless they had mixed with an Indian were not enrolled as Indian.

Now, do you really want non-Indian politicians making law for your tribe? Today it is the Freedman issue but who knows what it will be tomorrow? Is that what you want?

Kathy, Tulsa (8/21/2007 8:41:12 AM)

Congresswoman's comments were straight to the point and she spoke very eloquently. Another thing, Chad Smith and his cohorts should be very worried at this point. If they are using 300 millions dollars in federal funds illegally in and the money is not going to the needy Cherokee citizens, somebody is going to jail. I also agree with the comments above that they are using the freedmen issue as a smokescreen to cover up their illegal dealings.

D.P., Tahlequah (8/21/2007 9:06:05 AM)

#7 STATES EXACTLY WHAT THIS IS ABOUT!!!!!

This in not a race issue... IT IS HAVING CHEROKEE BLOOD ISSUE!!!! You either do or you don't.... IT IS THAT SIMPLE!!! THE BOTTOM LINE IS YOUR ARE INDIAN (WITH TRACEABLE LINEAGE) OR YOU ARE NOT (NO DEGREE OF INDIAN BLOOD TRACEABLE)!!!!! ALL OF YOU WITH THE EXCEPTION OF #7 NEED TO BUTT OUT!!!!!!

Steve, Oklahoma (8/21/2007 9:09:20 AM)

The freedmen are Cherokees. Otherwise they wouldn't be on the rolls. And they are adopted by the treaty. Learn to read!

D.P., Tahlequah (8/21/2007 9:11:39 AM)

To AW from Park Hill..... YOU ARE SICKENING WITH YOUR CONSTANT REPEATED (TAHLEQUAH DAILY PRESS BLOGS) HARASSMENT OF DEAD ISSUES!!! IF YOU ARE RETIRED FIND SOMETHING ELSE TO B!%$# ABOUT..... "GET A LIFE/WIFE"!!!!!!!

John, (8/21/2007 9:16:18 AM)

I wonder how Rep. Watson feels about illegal immigration?

pm, tulsa (8/21/2007 9:34:12 AM)

the tribe is violating an 1866 treaty with the U.S. government by denying citizenship to the descendants of freed slaves. That treaty assured tribal citizenship for freedmen descendants, It didnt mention they had to have indian blood! Why would they want to go back on their word. Indians speak with a fork tongue or what

D.P., Tahlequah (8/21/2007 9:45:36 AM)

THE FEDS HAVE BROKE EVERY TREATY MADE WITH/TO INDIANS SINCE THE BEGINNING OF TIME!!!! LET THEM MAKE GOOD ON ALL OF THEIR "BROKEN PROMISES/TREATIES, THEN WE WILL SEE WHOS SQUALLING!!!!!

Michael Phillips, Tulsa (8/21/2007 9:50:26 AM)

I keep reading that this issue has nothing to do with race. If some organization were to suddenly choose to ban all of its members who did have Cherokee blood, would that be about race? I think so.

David Cornsilk, Tulsa (8/21/2007 10:14:33 AM)

D. P. in Tahlequah (messages 9, 11 and 13) needs to learn the meaning of the word "race." Calling for a "blood" requirement is the very definition of race. Calling for an "all Indian tribe" is the very definition of race. As a Freedmen descendant stated yesterday, "The Cherokee Nation claims to be a nation when they want federal recogntion, but claim to be a tribe when they want to kick out the freedmen."

Well folks, Rep. Diane Watson knows with clarity that the representatives of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma who spoke with great anger yesterday are first, mostly white women with thin strains of Cherokee blood ancestry. She also is well aware that an ALL CHEROKEE INDIAN TRIBE already exists for those who seek to belong to one. It is the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma. She also is well aware that the CNO organization is nothing more than a vehicle whereby ALL citizens of the Cherokee Nation are suppose to be provided an opportunity to vote for the office of Principal Chief in accordance with the 1970 Principal Chiefs Act (PCA). She is also aware that the CNO does not have the authority to change its membership requirements and cannot deny any of its members the right to vote for the office of Principal Chief, as that would place the Nation in violation of federal law, ie the Treaty of 1866 and the PCA! Chad Smith has opened the proverbial can of worms that will lead the federal courts and Congress to finally reach the inescapable conclusion that the Cherokee Nation (note I did not say CNO) remains the ONLY valid government of the Cherokee whole Cherokee people (including the Freedmen). The Cherokee Nation remains disabled by previous federal acts and the "blind eye" the BIA has turned to the CNO that has allowed it to inappropriately act as if it were a true government will come to a screeching halt. In fact, the BIA, having approved removing itself from the constitutional process of the CNO and then stating that they don't want or need Congressional oversight is only their attempt at keeping Congress from poking their eye out. The Watson bill is only the first of many attacks on the bogus CNO and when it has been weakened politically and financially the Cherokee people will be poised to reclaim our government from the crooks who have worked in tandem with the state of Oklahoma to grind the Cherokees into poverty while enriching themselves. In the meantime, there will be those such as P.D. who choose to live in ignorance when the truth is right there for the reading.

KAW, Tulsa (8/21/2007 10:50:12 AM)

David, I agree! Let's see how many idiots will have the nerve to post and argue with the facts! What some don't seem to grasp is that a TREATY WAS SIGNED! This case will not be decided on blood or race. This case is going to be decided on the LAW. Period! Cherokee tribal courts, the supposed "LAW OF THE LAND" based their decision last year that the Freedmen were indeed citizens of the Cherokee nation based on the LAW and so will Congress. I attended the meeting in Muskogee last night and was shocked at what was coming out of the mouths of some of these people. Some were even on the Cherokee council. These are some ignorant, backwards people. Where was their leader, Chad Smith? What a embarrassed! But at least Ms Watson has now heard for herself what type of mindset that the Freedmen are having to deal with.

KRAIG, TURLEY (8/21/2007 11:13:04 AM)

Let's put an end to all this blood right and roll card. Let's do a historic dna testing. Those who have Indian blood gets a card and those whose blood don't match gets the hatchet:)

rc, tULSA (8/21/2007 11:25:03 AM)

There are alot of people which would test DNA and would show up Native American that are not on the rolls. That is probably why they don't want to do DNA testing. It seems they don't want anybody else in the tribe. Be careful you don't become what you hate. Like being discriminated against because of your race.

Cendrick Von Copperpenny, (8/21/2007 11:39:30 AM)

Right or wrong, Watson needs to stop showboating and let the tribal/federal govt decide what the Cherokee can do. The end result will be 6000 plus out of jobs in NE Oklahoma. Oklahoma has enough employeement problems with out Mrs California's help.

Eto-Foya, (8/21/2007 11:45:24 AM)

The Cherokee Nation has the right to take Freedman off. Freedman do not have any kind of Indigenious blood of the five tribes of Okla. All they care about it benefits any way. Our health care isnt the best and we has full bloods cant go back in forth from Native to white, black or any other race. A person with more non- Native blood has the abilty to be a non- Native everyday. I am a full blood. Ive been getting discriminated since i was a child. Going to Sapulpa schools in the 1980's and 1900's was a bad experince if you looked Native. Tomahawk chops, racism and mochery of Indigenous people is what I went through. Getting a tribal card does not make you a Native. You are born Native not by paper!

S.M., Wagoner (8/21/2007 12:11:04 PM)

I am ashamed this issue is coming up. It was appalling that my people would vote the way they did. We complain and bitch about how we are discriminated against, yet, here we go and step in the same shoes. We can't prove we AREN'T mixed blood any more than other races, creeds, religions, etc., etc. Let's put the Freedmen back on the rolls, stop all this nonsense, and get back to being proud of our heritage. By the way, "mochery" is spelled mockery. I suppose you were too worried about being discriminated agaist. How goofy can you make us look? Try to show intelligence, not hate.

Mike Graham, (8/21/2007 12:17:45 PM)

Watson is acting like HITLER

The Cherokee Nation signed over millions of acres of land that covered around 15 states today!!

For that land, the federal government said in writing!!

We will protect you, give you food as needed, health care, housing and educational funds and cover other social needs!!!

Right!! We have seen this to be a fact of LAW from the federal government!!!

They said the lands that are now the state of Oklahoma was to be the Indians land till the sun never comes up again......

Right White Man!!!

Now you, the federal and state governments are making trillions of dollars off our Indian land!!!!

The federal government does not give Indians free tax money!!!!

Read the treaties Watson, the federal government in writing by "law" owes Indian payment for the land they turned over in federal treaties!!!!

Your not giving us Indians tax dollars!!!! Just out of the kindness of the federal governments heart!!!

The federal government owes us big time "MONEY" for all our land their now using!!!!!

Get a life Watson, most of all get an education in Indian real history 101

white man, tulsa (8/21/2007 12:24:53 PM)

Hey can i get my twenty back I lost at the casino yesterday??

Cmon get a grip Twila Pennington, (8/21/2007 12:53:25 PM)

Twila Pennington, your sick son still qualifies for health care at the IHS along with all the other documented Indians. You held him up as a pity case to Senator Watson. The Watson Bill will not deny him health care by the IHS if he belongs to a federally recognized tribe. The bill seeks to stop federal funding only to CNO not the IHS! If you are worried about additional funding that could be provided via the CNO, you should have thought about this BEFORE YOU PUT YOUR SICK SON UP AS THE BLACK POSTER BOY FOR CHAD SMITH!!!! I suggest you bend a knee and beg Chad for money now, he won’t have money to throw around anymore after the federal funds are audited.

I bet Chad would not give you a red penny, if he had to dig into his own pockets!

KAW, Tulsa (8/21/2007 12:56:47 PM)

Some people are too ignorant to know they are ignorant. This particular "FREEDMEN" case is going to be decided on the LAW! Not blood, not who's making money on whom, not how much money you feel the government owes you or how much they stole from the indians. It's not about that. If you want it to be about that, then file your own lawsuit. THIS case is about the Cherokee honoring it's obligations to its citizens based on the Treaty of 1866. Now after 140 years, the Freedmen are being ethnically cleansed from the tribe. Not the Delaware or Shawnne. And you have the gall to call Ms Watson, Hitler!