Black Creek Freedmen Sue Muscogee Nation Over Citizenship Rights

Rhonda K. Grayson and Jeffrey D. Kennedy, descendants of Black people enslaved by the Muscogee Nation, filed a federal lawsuit in Oklahoma City on July 23, 2026. The plaintiffs seek to compel Principal Chief David Hill and the Muscogee Nation Citizenship Board to issue them citizenship cards and recognize their rights as tribal citizens.

The lawsuit follows a July 2025 ruling by the Muscogee Nation Supreme Court, which determined that the Citizenship Board acted contrary to law by denying citizenship based on "by-blood" rules. The court affirmed that the Treaty of 1866 guarantees descendants of African descent equal citizenship rights. Despite this, Chief Hill issued Executive Order 25-01, which allowed applications to be accepted but halted the issuance of cards pending updates to tribal laws and the constitution.

Chief Hill and the Muscogee Nation argue that matters of tribal governance must be addressed through the Nation's own institutions to ensure the integrity of governmental processes. The plaintiffs contend that this delay denies them access to voting, healthcare, housing, and education. The outcome of the litigation could affect over 100,000 Black Creek descendants seeking the same rights as other tribal members.