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Oklahoma’s identity is built on the histories of both Native and Black people. Yet, for freedmen — descendants of Black individuals once enslaved by Native tribes — this identity has too often been denied. They are both African and Native, yet in the eyes of many, they are neither.
This paradox is not just painful; it is an injustice. House Bill 1118 , titled the Freedmen of Oklahoma Act, presents an opportunity to confront this uncomfortable truth. The freedmen of the Five Tribes — Choctaw, Chickasaw, Cherokee, Creek and Seminole — have lived within Native communities for generations.
Their ancestors were bound to these nations by force, but they also contributed to them, fought alongside them and carried their traditions forward. When the U.S.
government forced our tribes to sign post-Civil War treaties granting freedmen citizenship, it was an acknowledgment of that shared history. People are also reading..
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How does OHP use guns in chases? City adjusts trash pickup schedule after snow; schools announce Friday plans Knotty Pig BBQ, Burgers and Chili House closes Bill Haisten: Finally, Luke Hasz will play at OU – but he’ll do it for Ole Miss Yet, despite those treaties, freedmen have been systematically excluded, their Native heritage questioned while their African ancestry is used as grounds to erase them. This is not just a tribal issue — it is an Oklahoma issue. We are a state where Native and Black histories are deeply intertwined, from the Trail of Tears to Black Wall Street.
Ignoring the freedmen’s struggle means ignoring our own history. HB 1118 would terminate any agreements, compacts and funds of the state of Oklahoma possessed by the tribes if they do not grant fair and equal rights to their freedman citizens. Currently, the Cherokee Nation is the only tribe in Oklahoma fully recognizing freedmen as citizens.
The Seminole Nation recognizes freedmen descendants as tribal citizens but doesn't give them full rights. The intent of HB 1118 is not to force tribes to change their policies but to force us to have a courageous and constructive conversation. If we claim to value history, sovereignty and justice, then we must acknowledge that Black freedmen belong not just in the history books but also in the present and future of our tribal nations.
Freedmen should not have to prove that they are “Native enough” to be seen. They are already here and should be seen for who they are..
