Scorched-Earth Policy Again

In 1770, 5,000 American militiamen rode through the Cherokee Nation burning villages and crops to the ground driving thousands of Cherokees, young, old and infirm, into the mountains. Today, Congresswoman Diane Watson attempts to repeat history with another scorched-earth policy aimed at hurting the most vulnerable Cherokee Indians: the young, old and infirm.

Congresswoman Watson's blog entry ("Jim Crow in Indian Country," October 25, 2007) misled readers about the Cherokee Nation's March vote to limit citizenship in the tribe to those with Indian ancestry on the federal base rolls of our people.

The Congresswoman is entitled to her opinion, but she is not entitled to her opinion based on invented facts. It is an injustice to the fundamental principles at stake on both sides when opinions mislead about or omit all together indisputable facts.

Her charge that the Cherokee Nation's March vote was about race is absolutely false. The "Jim Crow" reference in the headline was especially vicious and hurtful. If the Congresswoman was not responsible for the headline, then she has the responsibility to repudiate it.

The Cherokee Nation is one of the most diverse Indian tribes and continues to be so after the March vote. We have thousands of black, Latino, Asian, and white citizens because each has a Cherokee ancestor. Our people only want our Indian tribe to be what we were for well over 1,000 years: an Indian tribe comprised of descendants of Indians.

Consequently, the Nation's vote simply requires a person to identify a single Indian ancestor on the federally established rolls of our people taken in 1906 known as the Dawes Rolls. This means that approximately 1,500 descendants of former slaves who are known as Freedmen descendants are Cherokee citizens today because each has an Indian ancestor on the Dawes Rolls.

Why did the Nation hold this vote? The vote was actually a culmination of tribal action that has been taken over the last three decades to re-establish the Cherokee Nation and prosper after enduring a century of federal policies from the 1860s to the 1960s aimed at destroying Indian tribes. Having survived those policies, and after having survived all that came before them, the Nation simply felt a communal desire to return to our roots as a people.

In addition to omitting these important facts that make her thesis baseless, Congresswoman Watson failed to mention that the Nation will help any Freedman descendant learn whether they have Indian ancestry on our base rolls through the funding of genealogical research.

Congresswoman Watson also made false statements regarding slavery. As the Congresswoman has heard, the Cherokee Nation did not own slaves, and less than two percent of Cherokee citizens held slaves. Moreover, two-thirds of the Cherokee Nation fought for the Union during the Civil War, and the Nation voluntarily emancipated the slaves in 1863 -- two years before the Civil War ended.

Congresswoman Watson says the Treaty of 1866 gave citizenship in the Cherokee Nation to the Freedmen descendants. We disagree, and this is a primary question that is being decided in federal and tribal courts today -- a fact that is never mentioned in her piece.

We believe the Treaty of 1866 never granted citizenship to Freedmen and their descendants and that we have fully complied with our treaty obligations. We also believe that the Congress clarified that today's Freedmen descendants are not entitled to citizenship in the Nation by passing the Five Tribes Act in 1906. Regardless of what the Congress believes, this issue is before the courts.

Even despite our disagreement, the Cherokee Nation supported a court order giving disenrolled Freedmen descendants critical social and health services and the right to vote until all litigation is resolved. As a Nation of laws that recognizes the fact that our March vote raises an equity issue for those who were disenrolled, we felt that reinstating them to citizenship while the courts do their work was the right thing to do.

Congresswoman Watson's bill retaliates against our people's will to define ourselves as an Indian nation -- the same sovereign right that 500 other tribes have. The bill calls for de facto termination of the Cherokee Nation and eliminates $300 million in federal health, housing and other vital services for the neediest Cherokees, including many of the 2,800 Freedmen descendants who were affected by the March vote.

The history of U.S.-Cherokee relations is paved with tragedy. How tragic it would be if, in this day and age, Congresswoman Watson's bill -- which is based on such faulty factual and historical assumptions -- were to create a modern Trail of Tears for the Cherokee Nation. Even more tragic is that such an action could come at the hands of a representative of one of our historic allies in the struggle for civil rights.

The Cherokee Nation will abide by the outcome of the ongoing litigation in the federal and tribal courts. Before rushing to judgment, we hope Congress will also let the courts decide this issue without political interference.

Comments

[redbow40]

To Gayle Ross: con't from the other thread. Checkout the my space site and type in "going home". It's a short documentary movie about a herd of Buffalo that were relocated from Catalina Island back to the Rosebud. It's a great testament to the Lakota people and to all of us as Indian people, enjoy. It's was done by MO'ZART PICTURES.

[redbow40]

Tim Giago just posted a blog entitled "congresswoman Watson attacks the Cherokee nation".

[redbow40]

While you're at it, tell them about the atrocities committed by the so called buffalo soldiers against the unarmed women and children of the plains nations.

[tbone99]

The fact that the freedmen sought out the Black Caucus whose stated aim is "... we are concerned with the needs and concerns of the black population, and we will not allow others to infringe on those objectives."
rather than one of the many indigenous rights groups
says everything about how they regard themselves-black , not indians.

[kurux]

Chad Smith is under investigation by the SEC in the GEG debacle, where he lost over $3.6 mil of the Cherokee people's money. In this case he is defended by our Attorney General DIane Hammonds as his personal attorney, can you conflict of interest? As such she cannot fully disclose what is going on to the tribal council. The old council filed a camplaint last year, and the SEC and FBI confirmed that it needed to be investigated, and they are still in the process of investigating the issues. GEG has been repremanded by the SEC for improper reporting, and Diane hammond often reports to the Council about the investigation. More records can be found at cornsilks.om, including the reports and correspondence between the SEC and GEG.

AS far as Chad hiring his brother here is a link to his brother's website: http://redwindgroup.com/_aboutRedWind.html#History

People who live in glass houses shouldnt throw stones. CHad is also an admitted adulterer, by the way.

Other business debacles include the recent dump in Stilwell, where it is owned by Chad and Brad Carson's friends.

[Rosagrace]

I am thankful that we have an honorable chief who is willing to stand up for the Cherokee people"s vote and the Cherokee constitution. The ones here who attack him personally are simply showing their true color. When Diane Watson came to Oklahoma and held town meetings for the Freedmen, Chief Smith invited her to come to the Cherokee Nation and sit down and talk, but she showed no honor at all by refusing to even meet and discuss the issues. It is interesting that there are over 1500 Cherokee-African Americans who are members of the tribe and Watson doesn't care about them at all. The 2800 or so Freedmen who cannot link to the Dawes Rolls, who will lose their membership from the March vote, are still members of the tribe with full benefits while all this is being hashed out in court. Diane Watson needs to chill out until the courts decide.

[CherokeeCitizenByBlood]

Unfortunatly, the Chief of my Nation, and that of thousands of others, has blinded himself to the fact that perhaps the voter turnout, the disillusionment of the people and the appathy are a product of his adminstration. When others rally to his side, i.e. Gayle Ross, and others, they suddenly appear in the Chief's "favor." Is this some honor? Well, yes it is, to be favored by the Chief of the largest, or second largest, Tribal Nation is an honor; but, if it comes by dishonoring thousdands of others, it is a sad day in OUR people's history. When I think that God is a just God, I pray for the Cherokee Nation.

[CherokeeCitizenByBlood]

Moreover, two-thirds of the Cherokee Nation fought for the Union during the Civil War, and the Nation voluntarily emancipated the slaves in 1863 -- two years before the Civil War ended.
- The C.N. signed alligiance to the Confederate Staes of America... Thus, the harsh consequences to follow. I'm not sure the point Chief Smith was trying to make here.

Congresswoman Watson says the Treaty of 1866 gave citizenship in the Cherokee Nation to the Freedmen descendants. We disagree, and this is a primary question that is being decided in federal and tribal courts today -- a fact that is never mentioned in her piece.
- The courts, as everyone knows, can drag on for a very long time. Watson's actions may be swifter to correct the situation. And her actions are considered appropriate by some Cherokee citizens. Chief Smith does not speak for all citizens. Voter statistics show he is not supported in the C.N. proper by everyone. And, the also show that most do not vote.

Regardless of what the Congress believes, this issue is before the courts.
- Regardless - "We" is the Cherokee Chief, and his administration. He does not speak for me.

The history of U.S.-Cherokee relations is paved with tragedy. How tragic it would be if, in this day and age, Congresswoman Watson's bill -- which is based on such faulty factual and historical assumptions -- were to create a modern Trail of Tears for the Cherokee Nation. Even more tragic is that such an action could come at the hands of a representative of one of our historic allies in the struggle for civil rights.
- And, as tragic as this could become, Chief Smith is willing to sacrifice his people to get his way. We, the people, are not pushing this issue, we are not appropriating millions of OUR dollars to fight this fight. It is tragic... tragic, that he is fighting to win for himself and his administration, NOT the Cherokee people.

[CherokeeCitizenByBlood]

The Chief is entitled to his opinion, but not based on invented facts. It is an injustice when opinions mislead about or omit all together indisputable facts - Which is what was done by the administration of the C.N. when the March vote came about. The government made no attempt to educate the public or to inform them of the possible consequences of their vote.

He says "Her charge that the Cherokee Nation's March vote was about race is absolutely false." - It may have been at one time, but it is now a 'racial' issue.

Smith:"Our people only want our Indian tribe to be what we were for well over 1,000 years: an Indian tribe comprised of descendants of Indians." - Not true, while that may be what 'some' of the Tribe would like, it is not culturally or traditonally what the Cherokee did. We took in others, we identified another as Cherokee by clan, not blood. Smith himself taught in the C.N. history course he developed that being Cherokee was by citizenship, not blood. He argues that Freedman are not citizens, I disagree. I'm a Cherokee citizen by blood, with a CDIB card. Smith does not represent my view.

Why did the Nation hold this vote? The vote was actually a culmination of tribal action ...
- "Tribal action = government action/policy and not necessarily the view of the Cherokee public/peoples (most do not voice an opinon, i.e. voter turnout). I think "communal" is false.

[kurux]

Chad Smith is lying to the American public. It is a known fact that the drafters of our 1975 constitution knew not to exclude the Freedmen because of this exact issue. The Freedmen had previously won a part of the money awarded to the Cherokee Nation in 1969 by the Federal courts, when the Cherokee Nation tried to exclude them from a per capita payment then as well.

Additionally, Chad Smith and his administration has shown disregard for the Court decision above, as well as court rulings from our own tribe. To date, our own courts have ruled twice against Chad Smith's racist policies. After the first time, Chad rallied his troops for the vote on March third to circumvent our own supreme court's ruling.

Chad Smith pushed this issue to a vote dispite set precident by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. in my opinion, he does not care wether he is right or wrong, he is just trying to tie up the issue in litigation, and serve out his term as chief in the meantime. the Cherokee Nation receives $300mil in federal aid, plus brings in $300mil form our casinos. none of this is seen at the people's level, Chad uses these resources to hire his political cronies, and relatives. While he is chief, he direct where this $600mil is spent, and now him and his paid slate on the council are tearing the Cherokee NAtion apart. Currently they are trying to pass a law that will allow them to hire their brothers, spouses, and parents. Chad has already hired his brother and paid him a handsome sum.

[tbone99]

I find it ironic that a government that never paid one cent in billions in reparations promised to a country it simply tore apart (Vietnam) and left poisoned, as well as the uncountable number of worthless treaties made with Indian nations cast aside,THIS government will decide the 1866 treaty.

The government that ignored it's own Supreme Court ruling in order to take Cherokee lands for goldseekers.Lands now home to millions of African Americans who have no clue to the history they stand upon.

Truly their only legitimacy comes from the point of a gun. Knowing this -Freedmen ask them to pull the trigger.

[johncornsilk]

Smith Said:
In 1770, 5,000 American militiamen rode through the Cherokee Nation burning villages and crops to the ground driving thousands of Cherokees, young, old and infirm, into the mountains. Today, Congresswoman Diane Watson attempts to repeat history with another scorched-earth policy aimed at hurting the most vulnerable Cherokee Indians: the young, old and infirm.
The Elder Cornsilk a Cherokee Says!
What a pathetic crock of pure BS, and by a pathetic excuse of a man, never mind a Cherokee, a bold face liar and a purveyor of pure Racism...

In 1770 the Cherokee and white people were at war, and there were skirmishes by both sides, absolutely nothing that would be likened to a scorched earth policy ever, until mid 1830's, only scorched then with respect to the complete removal of the Cherokee from their homeland, at gun point, more liken to the more modern time forced Death March by the Japanese, in the 1940's which was comparable to the act by the Federal Government under Jackson and the Trail of Tears, aid and abetted by a contingent of traitorous Cherokee people, that took their blood money and ran, but, were later executed under the Cherokee law called the blood law, (ANCESTORS OF THE SMITH ADMINISTRATION).
Congresswoman's Bill in no way can be called a scorched earth policy, quite simply because very few poor and needy Cherokee Citizens will be affected, by the simple fact they are already scorched by the the Smith Racist Junta , the taxpayer monies $300 million the smith administration Smith receives as grants for assorted programs is placed in to the general fund of the CNO and consistently wasted on the high cost of administration of the programs, over paid officials of the upper echelons of the administration of the Smith Junta that keeps him in his dictatorial position, never mind the $300 million profit generated by the Cherokee Casinos of which 30% is mandated to come back to the Cherokee that goes into this same general fund and commingled with the federal funs and wasted along with the fed funds.


John Cornsilk

[crusso]

No one was suing our tribe for citizenship when we were all living in abject poverty. Aside from Diane Watson, I don't ever recall an elected member of the U.S. Congress submit a bill that would force a tribe to accept non-Indians as tribal citizens or be terminated? Most Native Americans recall a time when U.S. policy sought to remove Indian people from their tribes and culture so they could be acculturated into the mainstream. Is Watson's House Bill a Trojan horse that seeks to carry out that acculturation policy but this time from within the tribe, one that could lead to termination of all tribes? Forgive me for being somewhat suspicious. The Native American nations of this country have been unlawfully used and abused for more than 500 years anytime they have something of perceived value that others want. Our homelands in the east were taken, then those wanting the gold on our land in Georgia forced the Trail of Tears, then it was the Curtis Act of 1898 after oil was discovered on our lands in Oklahoma and today just as we have began to recover from the adversity of a hundred years of abject poverty to realize a little economic prosperity, and finally getting on our feet and sending our children to college, providing housing and thousands of needed jobs, we are yet again subjected to outsiders wanting what little prosperity we now have, coveting our tribal identity and our culture.

Non-Indians seeking Native American Indian tribal membership is becoming a national trend. The Cherokee Nation is not the only tribe being forced to expend $millions in legal fees to defend their sovereign right to determine their own tribal citizenship criteria. Apparently non-Indian Freedmen descendents that Watson's bill represents want more than citizenship. Demands by two groups of non-Indian Freedmen included the right to form their own tribe, purportedly establish their own gaming facility, and one group sued the U.S. Depart. of Interior for $50 million and land allotments in the Cherokee Nation.

Let our people live in peace!

[ChahtaLusa]

Congresswoman Watson's bill retaliates against our people's will to define ourselves as an Indian nation -- the same sovereign right that 500 other tribes have. The bill calls for de facto termination of the Cherokee Nation and eliminates $300 million in federal health, housing and other vital services for the neediest Cherokees, including many of the 2,800 Freedmen descendants who were affected by the March vote.
The Five Slaveholding Tribes history IS NOT like the other 500 tribes, YOU WERE ACTIVE PARTICIPANTS IN HUMAN BONDAGE!
The bill IS NOT a retaliation against the Cherokee people, IT IS a repudiation of the leaders who have brought the attention of Congress on your racist actions!
The history of U.S.-Cherokee relations is paved with tragedy. How tragic it would be if, in this day and age, Congresswoman Watson's bill -- which is based on such faulty factual and historical assumptions -- were to create a modern Trail of Tears for the Cherokee Nation. Even more tragic is that such an action could come at the hands of a representative of one of our historic allies in the struggle for civil rights.
The history of the Five Slave Holding Tribes and people of African and African-Native ancestry is paved with tragedy. The historical record is clear. The origins of racism is based on this institution of racial superiority, exploitation, miscegenation, lynching, Jim Crow, unpaid labor, segregated citizenship rolls, anti-miscegenation laws, and more add up to a false or at best misleading sense of victimization. It is quite difficult to be the victim when you are the victimizer.

[ChahtaLusa]

In addition to omitting these important facts that make her thesis baseless, Congresswoman Watson failed to mention that the Nation will help any Freedman descendant learn whether they have Indian ancestry on our base rolls through the funding of genealogical research.
What exactly does he mean by "our base rolls?" The Dawes Commission rolls? Read Kent Carter"s book which has a quote by Dr. Charles Gourd, Chairman of the Constitution Convention Committee, Cherokee Nation, Mr. Carter"s book also demonstrates serious doubts about the work and actions of the Dawes Commission, yet, this man recommends it.
This again is not the issue! The issue is citizenship whether on the blood roll or the Freedmen Roll. This bogus offer is only maintaining the status quo which is already rejected on the basis it does not conform to the Treaty of 1866, that is the only document necessary to establish citizenship, not some genealogist of "his" choosing like the election of a Chief Justice of the Cherokee Supreme Court who is totally incompetent as a member of that body.