Choctaw Nation Continues To Ignore Freedmen

(MENAFN- EIN Presswire)

Choctaw Chickasaw Freedmen Association

After one year Freedmen receive no response from Choctaw Chief Batton

Ignoring our extended hand, leaves many Choctaw Freedmen descendants with a feeling that what was said a year ago, was perhaps not sincere.”” — The Choctaw Chickasaw Freedmen AssociationBALTIMORE, MARYLAND, USA, July 26, 2022 /EINPresswire.com / -- After a year, Choctaw Freedmen have been misled into believing that outreach was made to them by sitting Chief Gary Batton.

None of the disenfranchised Freedmen from either Choctaw or Chickasaw Nations have been invited to speak at the upcoming hearing in Washington that pertains to the Freedmen of the Five Tribes.

A year ago Chief Batton wrote an open letter expressing intentions to launch an initiative to consider citizenship for Choctaw Freedmen. In response, CCFA , the Choctaw Chickasaw Freedmen Association wrote a letter to Chief Batton and has never received any response from his office. Also individuals in other sectors of the descendant community have also reached out to the chief yet no one has even received acknowledgement from the Choctaw Nation that their letters have been received.

On July 14th, of this year, Freedmen were informed that on Capitol Hill a Senate Hearing will occur regarding issues pertaining to the Freedmen of the Five Tribes on July 27th, 2022. Tribal chiefs or their representatives will be present at that hearing. However, neither Choctaw nor Chickasaw Freedmen have been invited to speak for themselves at this hearing.

In late June, the CCFA penned an Open Letter to Chief Batton regarding his open letter. Quoting from the the letter the group stated,“...many of us in the Freedmen Descendant community reached out to you, because we took you at your word. However, our extended hand has been ignored, and it is more than puzzling. Ignoring our extended hand, leaves many descendants with a feeling that what was said a year ago, was perhaps not sincere.”

Since that time, CCFA has concluded that the effort was truly not sincere and this profoundly disappointing as the Chief's words believed to be something that was real. A year later, with silence, the lesson has been learned.

A few weeks ago, a Choctaw Freedman descendant made a call to the Choctaw Nation and was told that“tribal lawyers” have advised them not to engage on this topic. We point out that there is no current lawsuit against the Choctaw Nation, however their being“lawyered up” in fear of Freedmen who have never posed a threat of any kind to the nation. This fear of Freedmen is uncalled for and unwarranted. We have maintained an attitude of respect towards the nation and the sitting chief and have been met with silence, and indifference. It is disappointing to see that this is the current sentiment coming from the tribal complex.

Angela Walton-Raji
The Choctaw Chickasaw Freedmen Association
+1 816-313-8287
email us here

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