Cherokee Funds Bill Delayed Pending Court Decision
Last updated Thursday, August 2, 2007 6:47 PM CDT in News
By Aaron Sadler
THE MORNING NEWS
WASHINGTON -- Lawmakers angry over the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma's ouster of Freedmen from its membership rolls agreed this week to delay legislation that would strip the tribe of some federal money.
Rep. Melvin Watt, D-N.C., agreed to hold off on the bill to give more time for the Cherokees to settle a dispute with the descendants of former slaves who were being expelled.
The Cherokees voted in March to prohibit the Freedmen from full tribal citizenship. A lawsuit over the vote is now in tribal courts. Meanwhile, Freedmen continue to receive full tribal benefits.
"I think the Cherokee Nation is fully aware of the dilemma they face, having disenfranchised what is effectively 2,900 former slaves and their descendants," said Watt, a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, during a House Financial Services committee meeting Tuesday.
Rep. Dan Boren, R-Muskogee, who is also on the committee, urged Watt to wait until after courts act on the dispute before attempting to punish the Cherokees. He said he was not taking a position in the fight.
"Any future amendments to cut off funding to the Cherokee Nation would cut off money to the Freedmen too," Boren said. "What I'm concerned about is Freedmen that might not be getting benefits."
Watt's bill would have kept the Cherokees from receiving federal housing assistance dollars.
Other members of the Congressional Black Caucus have introduced legislation in the House to sever federal ties with the Cherokee Nation unless Freedmen are given full citizenship.
Watt said he and other lawmakers have talked to Cherokee Chief Chad Smith about the issue and hope that it can be resolved by the time Congress returns in September from a monthlong recess. Otherwise, he said he will move forward with the bill.
Committee Chairman Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., said he thinks the panel would pass the bill "by a very large margin" if it were introduced.
The Cherokee Nation is one of the largest employers in Boren's eastern Oklahoma district.
"It is more appropriate to discuss legislation on the Cherokee Freedman issue after the current process in the court system is complete," Boren said.
Freedmen were made part of the Cherokee Nation in an 1866 treaty with the U.S. government.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs has administratively blocked the Cherokees' decision to expel Freedmen from the tribe.
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jcornsilk wrote on Aug 3, 2007 9:30 AM:
ndn Guy wrote on Aug 3, 2007 3:28 PM:
Not already registered?
Don W wrote on Aug 3, 2007 8:19 AM: