Posted on 03/13/2007 5:26:11 PM PDT by mdittmar
they are one of the "civilized" tribes. they were forced out of the southeast by Jackson resulting in the "trail o tears" saga. a large contingent fought for the south during the civil war.
I believe the "treaty obligations" mean that the US government has to treat the freedmen descendants as Cherokees whether the larger tribe does or not and the USG should continue so.
Actually, yes. The freedmen in this case were slaves who went to the Cherokees (and other groups, especially Miccosukees and Creeks. I believe some Cherokees owned some purchased slaves, also. The Seminoles took in many escaped slaves and "owned" some of them though it was a pretty relaxed ownership.
As I understand it there were "white" Cherokee and "black" Cherokee back to the early 19th c. Cherokee territory included a lot more than the areas cleared through the Trail of Tears saga. They were the dominent tribe in the original Virginia territories. I have a great ggg grandmother who was Cherokee but she "gasp" assimilated.
That is my understanding also.
LOL!!
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