Muscogee Nation leaders are beginning to change tribal policy in response to a court order requiring the tribe to grant citizenship to Freedmen descendants, or those whose ancestors were formerly enslaved by the tribal nation. They submitted their progress through the first monthly status report to a tribal court last week.
The Muscogee Nation Citizenship Board and Principal Chief David Hill have responded to a court order requiring them to comply with the nation's highest court's ruling in favor of Freedmen citizenship. This comes after Hill issued an executive order in August that paused the issuance of citizenship cards to Freedmen descendants.
Hill said the Tribal Council needed to approve new laws and potentially amend the Constitution to remove specified language. The laws that govern the Muscogee Creek Nation stem from the tribe's constitution and the code of laws. The status report indicates that work has now begun.
After citizenship cards for Freedmen descendants were paused and litigation continued, the Muscogee Supreme Court ordered the tribe's Citizenship Board to send monthly status reports detailing how it would implement the legal precedent. The first was due last Friday.
The tribal code regarding citizenship was included in the report shared last Friday.
'"Citizen" means an enrolled Muscogee (Creek) Indian by blood and an enrolled Creek Freedman," said the proposed tribal code in the first report.
Along with the proposed code amendments to what's known as Title 7, administrative policy changes were also proposed in response to those amendments.
Before Freedmen descendants will be able to receive citizenship cards,the tribal code needs to be updated to reflect the MCN Supreme Court's ruling regarding Freedmen citizenship, which needs approval from the Muscogee National Council and Principal Chief David Hill. Additionally, the Citizenship Board needs to amend its internal policies and procedures once the code amendments are approved.
It is unclear what the timeline will be for the changes to become law. But the tribe's Supreme Court says the move must happen, and Muscogee officials must continue to demonstrate progress.
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