Well this is unusual (and confusing). The Cherokee Nation has voted to revoke citizenship from descendants of former tribal slaves.
The amendment to the tribal constitution would restrict the definition of a Cherokee descendant to "by blood" and remove 2800 freedman descendants. And while all of the native american nations within the US are sovereign entities with their own constitutions, one has to wonder what triggered the vote to began with. As far as I know, both parties have always gotten along, and some Cherokee do not agree with the vote calling it racism.
One of the little talked about results of slavery in American is that when slaves escaped their masters (or massa, ebonically spoken), all did not head north to Canada, not even northern state. Some went to find refuge within the many indian tribes scattered throught the southeast and west.
At that time, both saw a mutual enemy in the white race that had destroyed both cultures. And for a time, they work together to stand against the spread of slavery especially to the west. I personally know I have Spanish, West African, and Ethiopian blood line. My uncle, who is looking into our family tree on my mom's side is discovering we might also have Cherokee blood. He has been able to track down that some of our slaves ancestors escaped to Cherokee tribes (my grandmother has old pictures, oral history, and tribal items passed on to her from her mother) and began living with them. What is inconclusive is if there was inter-marriage. However, this vote is still confusing.
In my honest opinion, I think this may have something to do with the reparation debate. Native American tribes receive money from the US as restitution for past crimes. And I have heard in townhall debates, about reparations, in using the indian heritage that some african americans have, as way to pressure the the US into recognizing the atrocities africans face in this country and to set up some kind of trustfund like for loans for going to college, or small minority business loans as a way to pay restitution. I personally support the trustfund method, because I don't want direct cash paid out. How can you put a price on trees that bare strange fruit?
In any case just my opinion.....
[UPDATE 1:30 EST] Thanks to cookiebear for the following links.