Tulsa agreement excludes Freedmen descendants from Muscogee Nation jurisdiction

An agreement between the Muscogee Nation and the City of Tulsa will allow most tribal citizens facing municipal charges to have their cases heard in tribal court, but it does not apply to Freedmen descendants, according to The Frontier. The June deal requires citizens to present a certified degree of Indian blood for their cases to be transferred.

Jason Salsman, a spokesperson for the Muscogee Nation, said the exclusion follows a federal standard that “requires Indian blood to be considered an Indian.” Tribal citizenship cards for Freedmen list zero blood quantum, leaving them under state jurisdiction. Michelle Brooks, spokesperson for Tulsa Mayor Monroe Nichols, said the settlement “does not expressly include or exclude Freedmen” but follows federal court precedent. The provision affects cases like that of Marlon Drew, a Cherokee citizen of Freedmen descent, whose misdemeanor charges remain in Tulsa municipal court, according to The Frontier.