Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma

Alleged Killers of African-Americans in Tulsa Includes Cherokee Man (Jake England)

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

Here.

Petitioner’s Reply Brief in Support of Cert in Nielson v. Ketchum

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

Here:

Petitioner’s Cert Stage Reply Brief

Cert Opposition Brief in Nielson v. Ketchum

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

Here:

Ketchum Cert Opp

The cert petition and link to lower court materials is here.

South Carolina ICWA Custody Battle

Adrea Korthase2 Comments

This story from CNN is one of several reports on a recent custody battle involving ICWA.

Brad Carson Confirmation Hearing before Armed Services Committee is TODAY

Matthew L.M. Fletcher2 Comments

Here.

Brad Carson is a former Congressman and a member of the Cherokee Nation. He has been nominated for the post of General Counsel of the Department of the Army.

Cherokee Nation SCT Rejects Chad Smith Challenge to Election; Does Not Count Freedmen Vote

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

Here is the order:

Election Decision for Cherokees

News coverage here.

A list of key documents from the Tulsa World here:

View Principal Chief Chad Smith’s final campaign disclosure report.

View Bill John Baker’s final campaign disclosure report.

Read the final order invalidating the election.

View an order from the Cherokee Nation Supreme Court.

View Principal Chief Chad Smith’s June 15 campaign financial disclosure report.

View Bill John Baker’s June 15 campaign financial disclosure report.

Read Principal Chief Chad Smith’s appeal.

Read Cherokee Election Commission chairman Roger Johnson’s resignation statement.

Read Cherokee Election Commission chairman Roger Johnson’s resignation letter.

 

CNN: Cherokee Election Observers Declare Election Fair

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

Here.

New Scholarship on the Cherokee SCT Decision re Freedmen

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

Darryl Omar Freeman has posted “Neo-Colonial Adaptation or Neo-Sovereignty: Oklahoma Cherokee/African Ancestry Freedmen Conflict” on SSRN.

Might want to do some quick fact checking on Ward Churchill’s membership status with United Keetoowah Band.

NYTs “Room for Debate” — Tribal Rights vs. Racial Justice (Cherokee Freedmen Expulsion)

Matthew L.M. Fletcher4 Comments

The New York Times’ “Room for Debate” series has published a series of articles on the Cherokee Freedmen controversy.

Debaters

Cherokee Nation Election Commission Allows Freedmen to Vote Provisionally

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

From WaPo:

The Cherokee Nation’s election commission voted Wednesday to allow descendants of slaves once owned by tribal members to cast ballots for principal chief, but they’ll only count in the event of a court order.

Federal officials objected to a ruling last month by the tribe’s highest court that found only people of direct Cherokee ancestry could be members of the tribe and vote in the upcoming election, essentially denying ballots to some 2,800 freedmen descendants.

While the election commission’s vote doesn’t directly overturn the ruling by the Cherokee Nation Supreme Court, it does allow for freedmen to cast provisional ballots in an effort to make the election results stand, regardless of how the courts ultimately rule.

“If a court decides the freedmen descendants can vote we will have the ability to certify the election,” Election Commission chairwoman Susan Plumb said. “If the court decides they cannot vote, we will still be able to preserve the election.”