Cherokee Nation Faces Scrutiny - MR. Chavez's Class



Cherokee Nation Faces Scrutiny For Expelling Blacksby?ALEX KELLOGGSeptember 19, 2011?3:17 PM Every September, the Cherokee Nation celebrates its national holiday. The holiday marks the signing of its first constitution after the Trail of Tears in 1839. The main event, a big parade, features traditional Cherokee music, colorful floats and people singing and dancing in traditional garb.The holiday draws tens of thousands of people to Tahlequah, Okla., the heart of the Cherokee Nation. But this year it was marked by controversy and protests.The Cherokee Nation recently decided to limit its membership to people who can prove they have Indian blood. This strips of their citizenship rights about 2,800 African-Americans who are descendants of slaves once owned by wealthy Cherokees. Those rights include access to health care clinics, food distribution for the poor, and assistance for low-income homeowners.The move prompted protests among these African-Americans, who are known as Freedmen, because for long periods in the past, they enjoyed equal rights in the Cherokee tribe. But in more recent history, their citizenship rights have been repeatedly challenged.The decision has also put the Cherokees at odds with the federal government.The Department of Housing and Urban Development has already suspended more than $37 million in funding to the Cherokee Nation. The Justice Department said last week that a key election for tribal chief later this month will not be recognized by the Department of the Interior, which has oversight over Indian affairs.The Bureau of Indian Affairs declined an interview request, but in a letter sent to the Cherokee Nation earlier this month, it said the Freedmen's citizenship rights cannot be revoked. The Cherokee first agreed to grant the Freedmen equal rights in a treaty signed with the U.S. in 1866, following the end of the Civil War.Emancipation And The Dawes RollsIn 1866, the Cherokee Nation signed a?treaty with the federal government that abolished slavery, except as a means of punishment, and granted former African-American slaves and their descendants "all the rights of native Cherokees." Blacks often had more rights on Indian reservations and territories in the South than they did in the Jim Crow South. Many of these former slaves were later listed by the U.S. government as "Freedmen" on an index known as the?Dawes Rolls.The Dawes Rolls lists the names of Indian citizens who applied for enrollment on the rolls of various tribes in Oklahoma around the turn of the 20th century. Today, the Cherokee Nation requires that a citizen have an Indian ancestor who appears on the Dawes Rolls. The document not only had categories for Indians who were mixed with white, but also categories for whites who married into the tribe, and blacks (Freedmen). The index was finalized on March 4, 1907, though updates would be made later.— Tasnim Shamma, Alex KelloggSource: Oklahoma State University Digital Library, National ArchivesThe Freedmen say they've been kicked out of the Cherokee Nation by people who are no more Indian than they are."The majority of folks who are members of the tribe ... have lived lives of white privilege," says Marilyn Vann, who heads the Descendants of Freedman Association. She says many Cherokees are largely white and are "people who have never been discriminated against in their lives."The Cherokee Nation's Supreme Court ruled in late August that the black Freedmen could be stripped of their citizenship because they can't prove they have Indian blood. The tribe first voted in favor of this effort in 2007. While turnout for Cherokee elections tends to be low, more than 75 percent of all voters were in favor of the move.Cherokee leaders say it's not a matter of race, but a simple matter of narrowing the definition of Indian down to those people who can prove they have Indian blood."This is not a club; you can't just claim to be Cherokee and show up and be included," says Cara Cowan Watts, a vocal member of the Cherokees' tribal council.The Cherokee Nation is the largest of three federally recognized Cherokee tribes. It boasts more than 300,000 members, and like many Indian nations, it fiercely defends its right to self-governance."This is absolutely something that we have to defend. And the Cherokee people overwhelmingly voted in the Constitution that we want to remain an Indian tribe made up of Indians," Watts says.Watts notes that the Cherokee Nation has decided that the Freedmen will be allowed to regain their citizenship if they can simply prove they are part Indian.Watts also points out that there are approximately 1,500 black citizens in the Cherokee Nation who have not lost their citizenship rights, because they are not just descended from Cherokee slaves but also fromIt is a largely forgotten footnote of history that some wealthy Indians in the Deep South owned African slaves. Those slaves joined their Indian masters on the Trail of Tears, when tens of thousands of Indians were pushed out of the Deep South and west into Oklahoma in the early 1800s.The Freedmen say the Nation's decision prevents more than 3,500 blacks from becoming Cherokee citizens, because their applications have never been processed. They claim tens of thousands of Freedmen exist and that many have been discouraged by historic discrimination and other barriers to citizenship blacks have faced, particularly in recent decades.The Freedmen's estimates may be sound — many historians agree that at least 10 percent of all people on the Cherokee Trail of Tears were black. The vast majority were slaves, though some were runaways and intermarried, free blacks.Some Indian tribes have a blood quantum that requires a grandmother or great-grandfather be Indian. Not the Cherokees.They simply require that a citizen have an Indian ancestor who appears on the Dawes Rolls — lists of Indian citizens created by the U.S. government in the early 1900s. They included categories not only for Indians of various blood mixtures but for whites and blacks as well.In fact, the Dawes Rolls included thousands of blacks and whites who had lived with Indian tribes such as the Cherokee for generations. These non-Indians were historically recognized as Cherokee citizens.And that's why some view the tribe's recent decision as unjust."They never said we were lying; they never said that evidence that is in the National Archives, that is in the libraries here, was false," Vann says. "But it's basically, we can do what we want to do — we have casinos; we can buy Washington, D.C., from the top on down — that's the mentality of the folks here."Daniel Littlefield is a historian at the University of Arkansas who has written books on this subject. He says there's another problem with the Nation's decision: Many black Freedman actually have Indian blood."I have to say frankly that when you start making a blood argument for membership in an organization, you are dealing with race whether you want to or not," he says.But the problem, he says, is that blacks — even those who were part Indian — were simply labeled as black on the Dawes Rolls, yet those Indians mixed with white were labeled Indian.That's why Littlefield thinks it's unfair for the Freedmen to be singled out. “There were many Cherokees in the Cherokee Nation and on the Cherokee-by-blood roll who had very little blood quantum," he says. "If you think that one-one-thousand twenty-fourth Cherokee blood makes you a Cherokee, then that to me is one of the most blatant forms of racism."For Native Americans, Losing Tribal Membership Tests Identityby?DAVID NOGUERASApril 01, 2014?3:07 AM ETSome of the 79 people told by the Confederated Tribes of Grande Ronde that they were enrolled in error. Seated on the floor are Russell Wilkinson (left) and Mia Prickett. Seated second row (from left) are Nina Portwood-Shields, Jade Unger, Marilyn Portwood, Eric Bernando, Debi Anderson and Val Alexander. Standing are Antoine Auger (left) and Erin Bernando.Don Ryan/APIn western Oregon, members of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde are engaged in a debate over what it means to belong.The tribe's enrollment committee is considering kicking out an entire family that traces its lineage back to the founding of the modern tribe more than a century and a half ago. The family is related to Chief Tumulth, leader of the Watlala, a tribe that controlled river traffic along a key section of the Columbia River."If you search for 'Chief Tumulth,' you'll find that he's, as some people claim, the most famous Chinookan chief that there ever was," says Jade Unger, Tumulth's great-great-great-great-grandson.After Unger heard about Chief Tumulth as a teenager he began to study the tribal language, Chinuk Wawa, and learned the traditional methods of hunting and fishing. Studying his ancestors, he began to learn about himself.Eventually, Unger was enrolled at the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde. In 1855, his ancestor, Chief Tumulth, played an early role in the confederation's founding by signing an important treaty with the U.S. government.Unger says for nearly 30 years his family was embraced by the tribe — that is, until last September, when everything changed. The tribe's enrollment committee told Unger and 78 members of his family that a recently completed audit showed they were enrolled in error."I'm not worried about me. I know I'm fine economically," Unger says. "I'll make it. But there's people in my family that are going to be devastated by this, people that are dependent on their elders' pensions. There are people that are going to lose their homes."Back in 1995, the tribe opened its Spirit Mountain Casino, and for the first time, members began to see a financial benefit. Within a few years, the tribe began to tighten its enrollment requirements. In fact, under the new standards, Unger's family wouldn't be let in today.His ancestor may have signed a key treaty in the formation of the Grand Ronde, but Chief Tumulth was killed before the reservation was officially recognized in 1857. Unger says that information was well-known to the committee members who approved their applications."There was no error," Unger says. "It was very deliberate, and it was unanimously agreed upon that we had a background and we had a right to belong here in this tribe."Tribal Council Chairman Reynold Leno wouldn't discuss pending cases. But he says the audit was needed to correct inconsistencies in the tribal record."Tribes are made up of families, and families know their own history," Leno says. "And when you have people that don't kind of fit into that family-type scenario, it kind of draws a question. And I think that's what a lot of people wanted looked into."While he says any disenrollments that result from the audit are unfortunate, he says the tribe has a constitution — and it's his job to uphold it."It was given to us by the Supreme Court to set standards and regulations for our enrollment, and I think people should respect that," Leno says.But both in and outside of Oregon, disenrollments are raising questions. David Wilkins, a professor of American Indian Studies at the University of Minnesota and a member of the Lumbee Nation, estimates that as many as 8,000 U.S. citizens have been cast out of native tribes over the past two decades. And Wilkins worries that tribal disenrollments could be putting tribal autonomy in jeopardy."At some point there's going to be enough clamor raised by disenrollees that there is going to be a congressional hearing or there is going to be some presidential proclamation or there is going to be a Supreme Court decision that might seriously impinge on what is a true?sine qua non?of a sovereign nation, that is the power to decide who belongs," Wilkins says.Grand Ronde is still reviewing the results of the audit, which means more disenrollment letters could go out.Unger acknowledges he might lose his federally recognized status, but he says nobody can take away his identity as a native person."That's, hands down, way more important to me than any little chunk of money I might get in a per capita payment," Unger says. "I don't care about that. I care about my tribe. I feel like I belong. We belong."And Unger says that's the one thing he wants to hold on to.Navajo Presidential Race Shaken By Language Gapby?TRISTAN AHTONEOctober 16, 2014?4:57 PM ETAccording to Navajo law, Navajo Nation presidents must speak the Navajo language to hold office.?Chris Deschene?is a strong contender for the position, but there's a problem: He's not fluent in the language.The challenge to Deschene's candidacy has become a window into how the Navajo Nation views itself and its cultural future, as well as how Native people continue to define themselves in the face of cultural change.In August, the Navajo Nation held primaries for candidates hoping to become the next Navajo president. The two men with the most votes were?Dr. Joe Shirley Jr., a two-time former president; and Deschene, a military veteran and member of the Arizona State Legislature.However, within weeks of clearing the nation's primaries with 19 percent of the vote, Deschene was challenged by another candidate who hoped to have him disqualified for lack of language competence.Fifty years ago, almost?90 percent?of Navajo first-graders spoke Navajo fluently. Now, just over 7,000 tribal citizens are monolingual Navajo speakers, and fewer than?30 percent?of first-graders can claim some level of language fluency.Today, the Navajo Nation, much like the rest of Indian Country, faces the prospect of language loss. While the Navajo language is still spoken widely across the Southwest, it's threatened, and Deschene has come to represent that fact for people on both sides of the language divide."It's a really personal issue to me," says? HYPERLINK "" Melvatha Chee, a Navajo language instructor at the University of New Mexico. "I would like to vote for [Deschene], but I feel like I'm voting against myself if I support him. If I support a nonspeaker, I feel like I'm voting against my own work."Others feel that they can support their language?and?Deschene's candidacy."If Deschene is told that he can't be president because he's not Navajo enough because of language, that's like telling a lot of young Navajo people that they're not good enough either because they don't speak the language," says?Meredith Moss, a doctoral candidate at Arizona State University who has focused her studies on Navajo language and sociolinguistics.At the heart of the matter for Deschene, according to Moss, is the need to use English in the context of being a representative to other nations and groups, but also being an authentic, trustworthy voice at home who can represent the positions of the Nation's elders. It is a struggle between an older generation that is genuinely Navajo and a new generation of tribal members who may see themselves more closely represented by Deschene than by his opponent."I think many feel that the youth are being told they're not good enough," said Moss. "They're not Navajo enough, and supporting Deschene is kind of like moving toward the new guard and saying, 'We really are Navajo; we can have that authenticity while moving forward together.' "For many, language is the embodiment of culture, and tribal languages contain history, cosmology, traditional values and identity. Supporters of the language requirement argue that without tribal languages, Native Americans are lost, and distant from the ancestors who came before them.But for much of history, this loss of language was not a choice. For centuries, the policy of churches, educators and government officials has been to stamp out tribal languages, through education, abuse, and any other way possible. As the saying went: Kill the Indian, save the man.By federal government standards, there's no question that Deschene is Navajo, regardless of language. He is a citizen by blood quantum standards. He was born, raised and lives within the borders of the Navajo Nation. He is a participant in cultural events, from social dances to ceremony.Deschene is also a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and a Marine Corps veteran. He has earned a law degree. Yet his lack of fluency in the Navajo language may disqualify him from becoming the next president of the largest Native nation within the United States. And people like Chee think that's fine."How do we approach teaching Navajo language to children so that we can actually produce speakers?" said Chee. "If I support a nonspeaker then I'm saying, 'You're invalid because Navajo language is not needed.' That there's no reason for it. It's not used."Deschene himself has spoken out about efforts to disqualify him. "These decisions have sent a message to our young saying despite all your accolades, success and everything you've done to help our people, you're not welcome," he said. "It's separating, dividing and isolating ... and the people deserve better."As of now, Deschene has been officially disqualified as a candidate by Navajo officials after a series of closed-door hearings. However, election officials have refused to remove his name from the ballot, and early voting is already in full swing in the Navajo Nation. A spokesperson for Deschene says it is unlikely the situation will be cleared up before Nov. 4 and that it's unclear what will happen should Deschene win the majority of votes for Navajo Nation president."The people get to decide what their standards are," said Deschene. "For me, as an individual, I know I'm a member of the Navajo Nation. I know I'm a member of our people."Answer the following questions using the social issues rubric. This will be scored as a test. Use information from the video, notes, articles or any past experience to support your answer. You may combine 2 &3 Race/Ethnicity is not static and is consistently evolving and as it does evolve, do you believe that the African Americans being unenrolled/expelled by the Cherokee Nation and the individuals being unenrolled by Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde , are being robbed of their identity? Furthermore, do we as outsiders have a say on who belong to their tribal groups?“For many, language is the embodiment of culture, and tribal languages contain history, cosmology, traditional values and identity. Supporters of the language requirement argue that without tribal languages, Native Americans are lost, and distant from the ancestors who came before them.”The quote comes from the article regarding the Navajo, do you believe that an individual needs to speak the language of a given cultural group to be considered as belonging to that group? This may even apply to being considered an American.Emily Johnson Dickerson, a full blood Chickasaw who spoke only the Chickasaw language her entire life, died at her Ada, Oklahoma home on Monday, December 30, 2013. She was 93, with her death only 70 fluent speakers are left. What happens to a group that no longer speaks their own language?Answer the following questions using the social issues rubric. This will be scored as a test. Use information from the video, notes, articles or any past experience to support your answer. You may combine 2 &3.Race/Ethnicity is not static and is consistently evolving and as it does evolve, do you believe that the African Americans being unenrolled/expelled by the Cherokee Nation and the individuals being unenrolled by Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde , are being robbed of their identity? Furthermore, do we as outsiders have a say on who belong to their tribal groups?“For many, language is the embodiment of culture, and tribal languages contain history, cosmology, traditional values and identity. Supporters of the language requirement argue that without tribal languages, Native Americans are lost, and distant from the ancestors who came before them.”The quote comes from the article regarding the Navajo, do you believe that an individual needs to speak the language of a given cultural group to be considered as belonging to that group? This may even apply to being considered an American.Emily Johnson Dickerson, a full blood Chickasaw who spoke only the Chickasaw language her entire life, died at her Ada, Oklahoma home on Monday, December 30, 2013. She was 93, with her death only 70 fluent speakers are left. What happens to a group that no longer speaks their own language? ................
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