🔥 Black Creeks Reclaim Their Roots: A Historic Win for Freedmen Citizenship

@Ronicaronica
21 hours ago
4 min read

A Landmark Victory for Black Creek Indian Freedmen

In July 2025 the **Muscogee (Creek) Nation Supreme Court** issued a unanimous decision affirming that descendants of **Black Creek Freedmen**—those enslaved by the tribe—are entitled to full tribal citizenship, regardless of "blood-quantum" status. The decision overturned a 1979 constitutional amendment that restricted membership to those listed on the "Creek by Blood" Dawes Roll.

🎙️ Attorney Damario Solomon-Simmons Speaks

Lead counsel and Freedmen descendant **Damario Solomon-Simmons** called the victory “a powerful blow against anti-Black discrimination,” reflecting decades of personal and communal perseverance. Solomon-Simmons, who first fought for his own citizenship in 1999, said:

“To know that when I was born, I was born a Creek citizen… and now… I can now once again become a Creek citizen.”([102.3 KRMG][4], [2 News Oklahoma KJRH Tulsa][1])

At a press conference on **July 24, 2025**, he declared:

> “I and all other Black Creeks are now Creek citizens once again.”([Public Radio Tulsa][5])

Black creek Indians are pivotal in the founding of the state of Georgia thanks to Yamacraw (Yamassee & Creek) Chief Tomochichi.

Look closely at the clearly negro son of Tomochichi

🧾 Treaty Roots & Legal Foundations

Under the **Treaty of 1866**, the U.S. and the Muscogee Nation promised that Freedmen and their descendants “shall have and enjoy all the rights of native citizens.” ( I'd like to point out herr that not only did the Creek enslave their own black creeks but other black indigenous natives of warring neighboring tribes as well. They were held as prisoners of war and enslaved) This treaty forms the bedrock of the ruling. The court held that the citizenship board’s refusal to enroll descendants listed on the 1906 Dawes Freedmen Roll violated both the treaty and Mvskoke law.

**House Bill 4637** (117th Congress) defines “Black Creeks” or “Creek Freedmen” as individuals tracing ancestry to those listed on the 1906 Dawes Freedmen Commission Rolls.

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📚 Demographics & Historical Context

According to the *Five Civilized Tribes: Population of Seminole Nation including all races (1890)*, the proportion of **“Negro Creeks”** listed among the Seminole and Creek nations was substantial—the late 19th-century registers show a significant mixed-race population, reflecting a long-standing Black-Indian heritage. This historical context underscores how racism was embedded in post-Civil War tribal enrollment, with Black Creeks relegated to separate “Freedmen” categories despite many having Native ancestry.

🧭 What This Means for Black Indigenous Americans

* **Restored Citizenship & Rights**: Thousands of Freedmen descendants are now eligible for tribal benefits, voting rights, healthcare, housing, and educational assistance.

* **Identity Affirmation**: The ruling affirms the intertwined histories of African and Native heritage, rejecting imposed racial categories that erased Black Indigenous people.

* **Legal Precedence for Other Nations**: This decision adds momentum for Freedmen restoration in Cherokee, Seminole, Choctaw, and Chickasaw nations—all of which signed similar 1866 treaties but continue to restrict citizenship.

🌍 Contrasting Colonial Naming & Erasure

Europeans arriving in the Americas imposed naming systems based on arbitrary racial distinctions. Dark-skinned Indigenous and African-descended peoples were labeled "Africans," "Negroes," or “Freedmen,” erasing centuries of local Indigenous identity. This arrogation of naming was not neutral—it was a tool of **colonial erasure**, aiming to obscure Black Indigenous culture and justify land dispossession.

By contrast, the Creek Freedmen ruling reasserts that descendants of the tribe's enslaved people belong within Indigenous nations not as outsiders, but as bearers of a **shared heritage**.

📹 Watch & Learn

Catch Damario Solomon-Simmons speaking on the significance of the ruling and next steps for implementation:

🔑 In Summary

This victory marks more than legal satisfaction—it’s a **restoration of identity, history, and rights** for thousands of Black Indigenous Americans. By dismantling the “blood only” barrier, the Muscogee Supreme Court reaffirms that **history matters**, that treaties endure, and that descendants of tribal enslaved peoples belong within the nations to which they have always belonged.

🔗 Primary Documents & Further Reading Sources

* **H. R. 4637**, 117th Congress — Defines legal terms for “Creek Freedmen” referencing Dawes Rolls.([Congress.gov][8])

* **Treaty of 1866 text** — Promises citizenship rights to Freedmen and their descendants. (Online via gov archives)

* **Google Books**: *Five Civilized Tribes: Population of Seminole Nation including all races: 1890* – Highlights “Negro Creeks” population data.

* **Background on Dawes Rolls & Freedmen classification via U.S. Dawes Commission**.([Wikipedia][9])

* [The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jul/25/muscogee-creek-supreme-court-ruling?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

* [AP News](https://apnews.com/article/5f60913181fb7edc9a6071d56031da11?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

[1]: https://www.kjrh.com/news/local-news/muscogee-nation-supreme-court-rules-freedmen-are-citizens?utm_source=chatgpt.com "Muscogee Nation Supreme Court rules Freedmen are citizens"

[2]: https://www.kosu.org/local-news/2025-07-23/muscogee-supreme-court-freedmen-are-entitled-to-citizenship?utm_source=chatgpt.com "Muscogee Supreme Court: Freedmen are entitled to citizenship"

[3]: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jul/25/muscogee-creek-supreme-court-ruling?utm_source=chatgpt.com "Muscogee court affirms citizenship for descendants of people enslaved by tribe"

[4]: https://www.krmg.com/news/local/muscogee-creek-nation-supreme-court-rules-favor-creek-freedmen-descendants/AGGLOTS2DRBOZA4BJYM73ULDOI/?utm_source=chatgpt.com "Muscogee (Creek) Nation Supreme Court rules in favor of Creek Freedmen ..."

[5]: https://www.publicradiotulsa.org/local-regional/2025-07-25/creek-freedmen-descendants-celebrate-legal-citizenship-victory?utm_source=chatgpt.com "Creek Freedmen descendants celebrate legal citizenship victory"

[6]: https://www.tag24.com/justice/muscogee-nation-supreme-court-says-black-creeks-are-entitled-to-full-citizenship-in-landmark-ruling-3361953?utm_source=chatgpt.com "Muscogee Nation Supreme Court says Black Creeks are entitled to full ..."

[7]: https://nondoc.com/2025/08/20/muscogee-nation-supreme-court-denies-rehearing-of-freedmen-citizenship-case/?utm_source=chatgpt.com "Muscogee Nation Supreme Court denies rehearing of Freedmen citizenship case"

[8]: https://www.congress.gov/117/bills/hr4637/BILLS-117hr4637ih.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com "TH ST CONGRESS SESSION H. R. 4637"

[9]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dawes_Rolls?utm_source=chatgpt.com "Dawes Rolls"

[10]: https://creekfreedmen.com/?page_id=17&utm_source=chatgpt.com "History - The Official Creek Freedmen"

[11]: https://apnews.com/article/5f60913181fb7edc9a6071d56031da11?utm_source=chatgpt.com "In Oklahoma, Juneteenth highlights tribal slavery descendants' fight for recognition and citizenship"

[12]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherokee_Freedmen?utm_source=chatgpt.com "Cherokee Freedmen"