The Plight of the Oklahoma Freedmen Told in Congress Again

 

Images from the 2021 Hearing on Capitol Hill

Last year a hearing occurred on Capitol Hill about language pertaining to the Freedmen in the Indian Housing Bill. At issue. was language included in the Indian Housing Bill (NAHASDA) that included mention of the  Freedmen descendants from the Five Tribes. Several individuals from the Freedman community were present at that hearing on July 27, 2021.

Now in 2022, exactly a year later, another hearing pertaining to the Freedmen will occur, and this time the hearing is entitled, "Oversight Hearing on Select Provisions of the 1866 Reconstruction Treaties between the United States and Oklahoma Tribes."

In light of the upcoming meetings on Capitol Hill there is much discussion about the true nature of the hearing, when tribal officials from the Five Tribes will collectively have 25 minutes to tell their story of how they have responded to Freedmen issues. Only one person, Marilyn Vann, a Cherokee citizen who also has Freedmen ancestors, has been invited and she will have only 5 minutes to speak on behalf of Freedmen from all five tribes.

For Choctaw Freedmen coming from one of the five tribal communities, we have 1/5th the opportunity to have our story told. Since the Cherokee Nation now allows descendants of Freedmen to enroll as full citizens, only four groups will have to be addressed by Ms. Vann.

Many questions arise:

1) Why is the "tribal" side can be given 5 times more time, while the Freedmen side has so little time?

2) Are Freedmen being treated as one large group and our own unique tribal affililations be put together because of the commonality of race or color?

3) Because "Freedmen" descendants are being viewed as one large body, is that why only one speaker from the community was invited to speak?

4) Is there any explanable reason that no Freedmen from the ignored Freedmen communities were included in the planning calls?

5) What is the process by which Congress can efficiently address issues pertaining to Freedmen from each group? 

6) Is the unique tribal history of each Freedman community being viewed collectively while each tribal community among the 574 Federally Recognized tribes are seen from their own unique cultural base?

7) Is the collective anti-black raced based policy practiced by the former slave holding tribes the reason why the Freedmen from the same tribes are viewed simply as one large group and treated as such in this hearing?

The questions can go on and on. But there might be a more understandable explanation of this egregious omission of additional voices from the Freedmen descendant community. Many leaders from both Congress to the tribal capitols, have no knowledge of this history in regards to Freedmen in their nations.

For example, when officials from the tribe say, "The Freedmen were forced on us." They do not understand that people freed from bondage did not force themseles on the auction block into a Chickasaw or Choctaw chattel slavery status.

One also hears statements such as "We have done right by the Freedmen already when they got land." Lands were allotted by the Dawes Allotment process and not through any generosity of the tribe. In addition, Choctaws and Chickasaws gave themselves 8 times more land stacking the odds against the Freedmen whose lands did not have the same protections.

Additional Historical Facts about Choctaw & Chickasaw Freedmen:

* Choctaw and Chickasaw Nations signed the same Reconstruction Treaty in April of 1866 in Fort Smith.

* Both nations agreed to end slavery and to extend citzenship to their former slaves. 

* In 1873, the Chickasaw Nation initiated a process for citizenship but it stopped and their abrogation of the treaty was never addressed by the US Congress leaving former slaves of that nation without a country until Oklahoma statehood.

* In the Choctaw Nation it would be 19 years before citizenship would be extended to them in 1885.  Many of the elder ex-slaves died before ever having citizenship in any nation extended to them.

* In 1882Chickasaw Freedmen wrote an eloquent Memorial to Congress adressing their plight, where they had no rights of suffrage, no schools for their children, and no legal standing of any kind recognized in tribal courts.

*Chickasaw Freedmen were never adopted into the Chickasaw Nation, had no rights and were not entitled to any interest in the $300,000 set aside for the benefit of the Freedmen, which was held in trust.

*In the late 1890s, Henry Cutchlow, a Freedman ran for office in the Choctaw Nation. He was elected by vote, but prevented from taking his seat on the council as the council did not want a man with African blood to sit and participate.

*Choctaw and Chickasaw Freedmen were given 40 acres in the Dawes Allotment process, but those declared to be "by blood" as well as inter-married whites---received 320 acres. Having 1/8th of the land given to fellow Choctaws, the Freedmen of the same nation were relegated to second class status.

In Recent Years 

*In 1983 the Choctaw Nation altered their own constitution following the steps of nearby Creeks to put in the "blood only" requirement for citizenship. Aware that the Dawes commissioners ignored those former slaves who had a blood tie, and dismissed the physical tie that all of the Freedmen had to the nation detemined by slavery that they practiced and from which they benefitted.

*Several Choctaw Freedmen descendants have applied to the Choctaw Nation over the years to met only with denial, based on the fact that their ancestors did not have the right blood or as they will say, their names were "not on the blood roll." Does their blood truly make them a disposable people?  This needs to be addressed.

*In 2021 Choctaw Chief Batton wrote an Open Letter regarding an initiative to be launched to explore the possibility of citienship for descendants of Choctaw Freedmen. This instilled a spirit of optimism among the community of Freedmen descendants and dozens submitted letters and reached out to the chief in response. To this date, not one has received a letter of any kind from the chief or  his representatitves, nor had the opportunity to meet him although he said he looked forward to discussions about our share history.

Last year, Freedmen descendants from all Five Tribes were represented at the 2021 hearing listening to the statements. Many sat directly behind the speakers at the hearing listening closely to their statements.

Freedmen seated behind presenters at 2021 Capitol Hill hearing.

Afterwards, many of those in attendance were able to engage with each other, some meeting for the first time fellow Freedmen descendants from each of the Five Tribes. This was the first time in history that such a gathering had occurred. Several had traveled from multiple states to represent their own ties to the Five Tribes. 

Freedmen Descendants from Choctaw, Chickasaw,
Creek and Seminole communities were pesent at 2021 hearing.

At this time, the Choctaw Freedmen now watch as another hearing will occur on Capitol Hill addressing issues that could affect them. No voices from the Choctaw Freedmen community of descendants have been included but thankfully, I shall be there in attendance for the hearing. I have submitted a statement to be a part of the official record and am hoping that we are closer to having our story told and understood.