Muscogee Nation Tribal Court To Hear Arguments On Freedman Citizenship

Descendants of former slaves are fighting for tribal citizenship in Muscogee Nation tribal court on Tuesday.

The attorney fighting for tribal citizenship held a fireside chat event Monday night ahead of the trial at 10 Tuesday morning in Okmulgee. In 1866, a Creek treaty gave citizenship to all of its Freed citizens, who were former slaves but in 1979, the rules changed and citizenship had to be proved differently, which left the Freedmen out. Attorney Damario Solomon Simmons is arguing that the 1979 treaty violated the freedmen's rights.

The Muscogee Nation said in a statement in part, "The matter before the Court is not a question of race. It's a matter of determining whether our government is obligated by treaty to enroll individuals as citizens who are not Creek Indians..."

The trial could last through Thursday.