Tulsa World: Final freedmen bill still pending

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Final freedmen bill still pending
Congress has yet to finalize an Indian housing measure linked to Cherokee citizenship issues.

By JIM MYERS World Washington Bureau
Published: 6/7/2008 2:06 AM
Last Modified: 6/7/2008 2:06 AM

Congress has yet to finalize an Indian housing measure linked to Cherokee citizenship issues.

WASHINGTON — The fate of provisions to force the Cherokee Nation to drop efforts to deny citizenship to certain freedmen descendants now rests with those expected to hammer out differences between House and Senate versions of an Indian housing bill.

The House-passed provisions did not make it into a version of the bill passed recently by the Senate.

U.S. Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., chairman of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, declined to comment Friday on what he would like to see in a final bill.

A spokeswoman for Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, said Frank was looking forward to working with the Senate on a final product.

"Mr. Frank will, of course, defend the House position in any negotiations with the Senate," Heather Wong said.

Supporters of the legislation have expressed concern an impasse over the Cherokee provisions could develop and keep the housing bill from passing this year.

Previously, Frank had threatened to kill the bill if it did not include the provisions passed by the House last year to deny housing benefits to the Cherokee Nation until it recognizes descendants of former slaves as tribal citizens.

Those sanctions would be delayed, pending the outcome of an ongoing court case, under an amendment by Rep. Dan Boren, D-Okla.

Since Frank issued his threat, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., came out against any congressional interference at this time, and Obama has become his party's presumptive presidential nominee.

His position puts him at odds with other members of the Congressional Black Caucus, who had warned Senate leadership they would oppose the housing bill if the House provisions were not included.

They believe the tribe is violating terms of an 1866 treaty.

The Cherokee Nation disagrees and believes its stance is backed by actions of previous Congresses.

"The Congress should not subvert the courts and judge the Cherokee Nation without considering the facts or the law, which is exactly what some members are doing through this scorched-earth approach," Cherokee Nation spokesman Mike Miller said.

"For hundreds of our poorest citizens to keep their federal housing assistance, the House bill is saying that the courts must rule a certain way. It is this kind of reckless congressional action that led to the Trail of Tears."

Jim Myers (202) 484-1424
jim.myers@tulsaworld.com
By JIM MYERS World Washington Bureau

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	Report Comment GK, Okmulgee (6/7/2008 3:11:47 PM) My tax dollars should never be used to subsidize a racist policy like the Cherokees have enacted. Let them use their casino income to replace the lost federal money.
	Report Comment Lakota1, Tahlequah (6/10/2008 8:19:26 AM) I agree with the Cherokee people and support their position on this issue. We as United States citizens, through Congress, have the right to amend and ratify our Nations Constitution. We as citizens of State government have attempted to support and pass State legislation that borders on prejudicial issues like English only. We practice and celebrate prejudicial and state mandated issues in our schools like the Oklahoma Land Run with out regard as to the actual history of Oklahoma Statehood. I say INDIAN BY BLOOD NOT BY TREATY!
	Report Comment Consciousone, Mt. Holly (6/11/2008 10:40:46 AM) To Lakota1, Tahlequah - Since you say Indian by blood, then it's Indian by Blood. My suggested solution is the Cherokee Nation can fund (pay for) a DNA test for all people they want to deny. Actually, all people claiming to be Cherokee or Freedmen should have to be DNA tested to verify originality. Just because you look Native Indian American doesn't mean you are Native Indian American. And if you want to have a real discussion on who are the Original Native people to North America. African people have more proof than the Native American Indians that they lived on North American soil 1st (Google "Black (Negritic) Olmecs"). Once you really investigate this information you wonder who came before who? Are the Freedmen really the Cherokee Nations, Mommy & daddy? It's just that in more recent History, the late 1800’s the people that pushed you aside (US government) decided to recognize you as Native and put you on a small plot of land and give you a few bucks to shut you up.

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