Restoring Indigenous Rights and Tribal Enrollment
Fighting for our family's rightful place in Creek Nation.
Pathway to Tribal Citizenship for My Family
Reclaiming Our Tribal Heritage
Help Us Restore Our Indigenous Rights: A Fight for Muscogee (Creek) Nation Citizenship
Our family’s journey to gain citizenship in the Muscogee (Creek) Nation is a story about history, resilience, and justice. We’re reaching out for your help to restore the rights of our ancestor and her descendants, ensuring our place in the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. Although our ancestor was recognized as Creek by blood, she was wrongfully placed on the Freedmen Roll—a bureaucratic decision that has kept our family from being fully recognized as citizens, despite her lineage and documented Creek ancestry. Today, we’re working to change that, but we can’t do it alone.
Our Story
Over a century ago, the U.S. government enforced the Dawes Rolls, dividing Native citizens into separate categories based on racial appearance and blood classifications. Our ancestor, despite being Creek by blood, was placed on the Freedmen Roll because of her social standing and appearance, excluding her from the Muscogee (Creek) Nation’s “By Blood” roll. Yet, she was later identified as Creek blood in the final records and received payments on the Creek Judgment Rolls—payments reserved for those of verified Creek ancestry.
This categorization, however, continues to impact her descendants to this day. We’ve been denied citizenship in the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and, along with it, access to resources, cultural heritage, and the sense of belonging that comes from being recognized as part of our community. Knowing our rightful place in the Nation, yet being excluded from it, is a painful legacy of historical injustice that we are committed to reversing.
Why This Fight Matters
This isn’t just about documentation; it’s about reclaiming our family’s heritage and having our voices recognized. Citizenship in the Muscogee (Creek) Nation would connect us with our community, open doors to essential resources, and grant us the rights our ancestor deserved. For generations, our family has been trying to reclaim what was taken from us. This fight is also about standing up for other families facing similar exclusion and advocating for a future where descendants of Creek ancestry are included as full members of their Nation.
Our story, unfortunately, is not unique. Many Freedmen descendants with Creek blood have been wrongfully excluded from tribal membership, denied benefits, and shut out of their heritage. We believe this division has no place in today’s world, and with your help, we can right these wrongs.
How You Can Help
Our fight requires resources we cannot meet alone. We’re asking for your help to cover essential costs, including:
- Legal Representation: The path to citizenship requires expert legal support. An experienced attorney will be crucial in presenting our case clearly and effectively.
- Research and Documentation: We need to collect documents and records proving our ancestor’s Creek lineage, which involves in-depth historical research, travel, and the support of professional genealogists who specialize in Creek history.
- Community Advocacy: To gain wider support, we need to raise awareness, organize events, and educate the public on the issues faced by Freedmen descendants. We want to ensure our family’s case helps inspire greater understanding and justice.
- Travel Expenses: To represent our case, we may need to travel for hearings, meetings, and access to records. Attending these crucial events ensures our voices are heard.
Why Your Support Matters
By contributing to our campaign, you’re not only helping our family—you’re helping to end a legacy of discrimination that affects many Black and Indigenous families across the country. Together, we can honor the legacy of our ancestor, affirm the importance of our history, and ensure that future generations are recognized as full citizens of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation.
This fight is about family, justice, and the right to be recognized for who we truly are. We’re committed to paving the way for a more inclusive, equitable future for all descendants of Indigenous nations.
Our Commitment to You
We will keep you updated on our progress, challenges, and any breakthroughs as we work toward our goal of securing Creek citizenship. Every dollar, word of encouragement, and share of our story brings us one step closer to justice.
Please join us on this journey. With your help, we can honor our ancestors, restore our heritage, and fight for the rights that belong to us and future generations.
Thank you for your support in this fight for our identity, heritage, and rights.