Muscogee Nation judge rules in favor of citizenship for slave descendants known as freedmen

By SEAN MURPHY
Associated Press

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A judge for the Muscogee (Creek) Nation in Oklahoma has ruled in favor of two descendants of Black slaves once owned by tribal members. The decision Wednesday by Judge Denette Mouser could help pave the way for tribal citizenship for hundreds of other descendants known as freedmen. The issue of freedman citizenship has been difficult for tribes as the U.S. reckons with its history of racism. The Cherokee Nation has granted full citizenship to its freedmen. Other tribes, like the Muscogee Nation, have argued sovereignty allows tribes to make their own decisions about who qualifies for citizenship.