Contact: State Rep. T.W. Shannon
Capitol: (405) 557-7374

OKLAHOMA CITY (March 27, 2007) – With litigation looming, state Rep. T.W. Shannon today said it’s way too early to become involved in a contentious debate over the Cherokee Nation vote to remove Freedmen from tribal rolls.

"I understand that some Freedmen plan to challenge the vote in court and I don’t believe it’s appropriate for a legislator to be involved while litigation is ongoing," said Shannon, R-Lawton. "While I am sensitive to those who may feel disenfranchised by the vote of the Cherokee people, in general, I don’t think it’s a good idea to insert myself into intertribal workings. I’m not a Cherokee citizen and, while I certainly have my own opinions about the actions of the Cherokee people, I don’t think it’s appropriate for me to use my position as a state legislator to impose my views on them."

In a vote conducted in early March, members of the Cherokee Nation voted to amend their constitution to limit tribal membership to individuals with at least one Indian ancestor listed on the Cherokee’s base roll. As a result, some decedents of former slaves (known as "Freedmen") were removed from tribal rolls.

Some members of the Legislature’s Black Caucus have condemned the vote and urged the Cherokees to reverse course.

But Shannon, who is a member of both the Black Caucus and the Chickasaw Nation, said state officials should be very cautious about interfering with the intergovernmental workings of another federally recognized sovereign state.

"To me, this boils down to a fundamental, basic issue of recognizing the Cherokees’ sovereignty," Shannon said. "The Cherokee Nation doesn’t need me using my position as a state legislator to influence their decisions.

"The Cherokee government preceded the government of this state and preceded the government of the United States. I am confident in their ability to determine their own tribal membership."