Ouster of Cherokee Freedmen an issue in California

Members of the Cherokee Nation who live in California are concerned about an upcoming vote that would deny citizenship to African descendants.

The potential ouster of the Freedmen was an issue as Cherokees met in Orange County, California, on Saturday. Chief Chad Smith, who called for the vote, spoke at the event.

The tribe's top court ruled that the Freedmen couldn't be denied citizenship so long as their ancestors appeared on the Dawes Roll. Smith and others have contended that membership should be linked to documentable Indian blood.