~Guess what, US Government?!? Sovereign Beings DON'T NEED YOUR PERMISSION!~
~Recent Freedman ruling concerns federal government~
"The Cherokee Nation will not be governed by the Bureau of Indian Affairs," Crittenden said. "We will hold our election and continue our long legacy of responsible self-governance."
-Acting Principal Chief Crittenden
TULSA - The federal government is at odds with the Cherokee Nation after an Aug. 22 ruling by the Cherokee Nation Supreme Court barring more the 2,000 Cherokee Freedmen from Cherokee citizenship.
“The Department of the Interior has serious concerns about the legality of the Cherokee Nation’s action with respect to the Cherokee Freedmen, as well as the planned Sept. 24 election,” said Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs Larry Echo Haws.
Assistant Secretary Haws sent a letter to Acting Principal Chief S. Joe Crittenden Sept. 9 expressing concern about the decisions made in the 2010 Principal Chief election and recount.
“We are concerned that the recent decision from the Cherokee Nation Supreme Court, together with 2010 election procedures that have not been approved by the Secretary of the Interior as required by the Principal Chief’s Act, will be the basis for denying Cherokee Freedman citizenship and the right to vote in the upcoming election,” Haws said in the letter.
Acting Principal Chief Crittenden said Tuesday the Department of the Interior’s actions “disheartens” him.
“I received no prior notification of the letter, and the federal government did not consult with me before sending their letter,” Crittenden said in a statement. “The Department of Interior’s letter asserts that several amendments to the prior Cherokee Nation constitution were implemented in violation of tribal and federal law. This assertion, if not handled properly, could lead to additional losses of federal funding and severe hardship for the most vulnerable Cherokees.”
Acting Principal Chief Crittenden says he will take every necessary step to ensure that proper policies are followed and completed.
"The Cherokee Nation will not be governed by the Bureau of Indian Affairs," Crittenden said. "We will hold our election and continue our long legacy of responsible self-governance."
Below is a statement released by Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs Larry Echo Hawk:
“The Department of the Interior is committed to ensuring the sovereignty of Indian nations and protecting the civil rights of tribal members. Our position is, and has been, that the 1866 Treaty between the United States and the Cherokee Nation vested Cherokee Freedmen with the rights of citizenship in the Nation, including the right of suffrage. We will not recognize any action taken by the Cherokee Nation that is inconsistent with the Treaty and does not accord its Freedmen members full rights of citizenship. The Department of the Interior stands ready to work with tribal leaders, on a nation-to-nation basis, to explore ways to honor existing rights and to implement the Treaty.”
