Black Creek Freedmen descendants sue Muscogee Nation over delayed citizenship
Federal lawsuit seeks enforcement of tribal court ruling recognizing Black Creek Freedmen descendants as Muscogee Nation citizens
Two Black Creek Freedmen descendants have filed a federal lawsuit seeking to require the Muscogee Nation to issue citizenship cards, according to reporting from the Associated Press. Rhonda Grayson and Jeffrey Kennedy filed the lawsuit July 23 in U.S. District Court in Oklahoma City against Principal Chief David Hill and the Muscogee Nation Citizenship Board. The lawsuit alleges tribal leaders are violating the 1866 treaty between the Muscogee Nation and the United States by refusing to recognize the pair as citizens despite a July 2025 ruling by the Muscogee Nation Supreme Court.
The tribal court ruled Grayson and Kennedy are entitled to citizenship after the board incorrectly denied their applications in 2019. The lawsuit states the delay has prevented them from voting and fully participating as citizens, according to the Associated Press reporting. In a statement, the Muscogee Nation said matters of tribal law and governance should be addressed through the Nation's governmental institutions and that it is committed to following its Constitution and laws fairly and consistently.
- 1.Corey Williams. Black members of Oklahoma Native American tribe file federal lawsuit to gain citizenship rights. Associated Press.
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