Descendants of Freedmen of the Five Civilized Tribes Association (DF5CTA) sent United States Secretary of Interior Burgum a letter seeking Choctaw freedmen treaty rights protection.
“The letter was sent to stress U.S. government requirements to enforce 1866 treaty rights of Choctaw freedmen and that retaining Federal oversight of Choctaw nation tribal constitutional amendments is critical,” said Marilyn Vann, president of the DF5CTA.
On July 12, 2025, the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma is holding a tribal election. A measure on the ballot proposes to remove the requirement for approval of constitutional amendments by the United States Secretary of Interior. If the amendment passes and is approved by the Secretary of Interior this requirement will end. DF5CTA opposes approval of the amendment, in part, because Choctaw freedmen will not be allowed to vote on the amendment.
“Federal involvement & oversight are needed to enforce freedmen’s rights under the 1866 Treaty,” writes Choctaw freedman Shelby Ward, Tennessee Representative of the DF5CTA.
Choctaw Freedmen are Choctaws with African ancestry descended from people enslaved by Choctaw tribal members & free people of African descent that lived in the Choctaw Nation before 1866. They have sought recognition and civil rights within the tribe for decades.
“I, Donald Harrison of Duncan Oklahoma, am descended from both Choctaw freedmen and Cyrus H Kingsbury, recognized as Choctaw by blood. I believe Federal oversight is essential to safeguard treaty rights of Choctaw freedmen and ensure that the United States upholds its trust responsibilities under the 1866 treaty,” said Donald Harrison, a DF5CTA member.
Letters have been sent to members of Congress, Bureau of Indian Affairs staff, and Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma leadership stating opposition to DOI approval of the ballot measure.
Descendants of Freedmen of the Five Civilized Tribes Association is an Oklahoma based 501(c)(4) social welfare organization. Its mission is to educate the public about the history and culture of Afro-Indigenous freedmen of the Five Southeastern Tribes: Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Muscogee (Creek) and Seminole. The Association also advocates for freedmen citizenship, civil, and treaty rights, click here for more information online, or click here to email.