Oklahoma Freedmen fight for recognition amid Juneteenth observances

Thousands of descendants of people enslaved by Oklahoma’s Five Civilized Tribes continue to seek full tribal citizenship, even as Juneteenth marks emancipation nationwide, according to The Associated Press. While the Cherokee Nation still fully recognizes Freedmen descendants as citizens, other tribes including the Muscogee and Choctaw nations, have restricted citizenship to those with “by-blood” ancestry, excluding many Freedmen.

The Muscogee Nation Supreme Court is expected to rule this year on a case challenging the tribe’s 1979 constitution that limits citizenship to “by-blood” members, a move that could open membership to thousands more Freedmen descendants. Advocates say the fight is about more than citizenship — it is also about setting the historical record straight.