Editing Five Civilized Tribes (section)

===21st century===
Since the 20th century, the Freedmen have argued that the Dawes Rolls were often inaccurate in terms of recording Cherokee ancestry among persons of mixed race, even if they were considered Cherokee by blood within the tribe. The registrars confused appearance with culture. In addition, the Freedmen have argued that the post-Civil War treaties made between the tribes and the US granted them full citizenship in the tribes. The [[Choctaw Freedmen]] and [[Creek Freedmen]] have similarly struggled with their respective tribes over the terms of citizenship in contemporary times. The tribes have wanted to limit those who can benefit from tribal citizenship, in an era in which gaming casinos are yielding considerable revenues for members. The majority of members of the tribes have voted to limit membership, and as sovereign nations, they have the right to determine their rules. But descendants of freedmen believe their long standing as citizens since the post-Civil War treaties should be continued.

In 2017, the Cherokee Freedmen were granted citizenship again in the tribe.<ref>[https://ecf.dcd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/show_public_doc?2013cv1313-248 ''Cherokee Nation v. Raymond Nash, et al. and Marilyn Vann, et al. and Ryan Zinke, Secretary of the Interior'' ruling, August 30, 2017]</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/08/31/547705829/judge-rules-that-cherokee-freedmen-have-right-to-tribal-citizenship|title=Judge Rules That Cherokee Freedmen Have Right To Tribal Citizenship|newspaper=npr|date=2017-08-31|access-date=2017-09-01|last1=Chow|first1=Kat}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://anadisgoi.com/images/archive/1784/release.pdf |title=Cherokee Nation Attorney General Todd Hembree issues statement on Freedmen ruling, August 31, 2017 (Accessible in PDF format as of September 8, 2017 |access-date=July 30, 2021 |archive-date=November 16, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181116001718/http://anadisgoi.com/images/archive/1784/release.pdf }}</ref> The Cherokee Nation was the first among the five tribes to update its constitution to include the Cherokee Freedmen as full citizens.<ref name="npr.org">{{cite news |last1=Kelly |first1=Mary Louise |title=Cherokee Nation Strikes Down Language That Limits Citizenship Rights 'By Blood' |url=https://www.npr.org/2021/02/25/971084455/cherokee-nation-strikes-down-language-that-limits-citizenship-rights-by-blood |access-date=6 May 2021 |agency=NPR |date=February 25, 2021}}</ref>

In 2018, the US Congress removed the blood quantum requirement for land allotment for the Five Tribes, though it had not been a tribal citizenship requirement.<ref>{{cite web |title=Congress strips blood quantum requirement from Stigler Act |url=https://www.tahlequahdailypress.com/news/national_news/congress-strips-blood-quantum-requirement-from-stigler-act/article_70740408-391b-5ad9-8339-1a3964b0f91e.html |website=Tahlequah Daily Press |date=21 December 2018 |access-date=30 July 2021}}</ref> Historian Mark Miller noted:

<blockquote>Even so-called purely 'descendancy' tribes such as the Five Tribes with no blood quantum requirement jealously guard some proven, documentary link by blood to distant ancestors. More than any single BIA {{bracket|[[Bureau of Indian Affairs]]}} requirement, however, this criterion has proven troublesome for southeastern groups [seeking federal recognition] because of its reliance on non-Indian records and the confused (and confusing) nature of surviving documents.<ref name="Miller172">{{cite book |last1=Miller |first1=Mark |title=Claiming Tribal Identity |date=August 16, 2013 |isbn=978-0-8061-5051-2 |page=172 |publisher=University of Oklahoma Press |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yUFuAAAAQBAJ}}</ref></blockquote>

In July 2021, the [[Cherokee Freedman|Cherokee Freedmen]] asked Congress to withhold housing assistance money until the Five Civilized Tribes addressed the citizenship status of freedmen's descendants. <!-- {{citation needed span|date=October 2021|Discrimination against the Freedmen by the Five Tribes was noted in the [[COVID-19 vaccine]] distribution.}} --> They took this action although the Cherokee Nation had already updated its constitution to end their exclusion of the Cherokee Freedmen as members.<ref name="kosu.org">{{cite web |last1=Herrera |first1=Allison |title=Freedmen Ask Congress To Withhold Housing Assistance Money Until Tribes Address Citizenship |url=https://www.kosu.org/u-s-news/2021-07-29/freedmen-ask-congress-to-withhold-housing-assistance-money-until-tribes-address-citizenship |website=KOSU |date=29 July 2021 |access-date=30 July 2021}}</ref>

Like other federally-recognized tribes, the Five Tribes have participated in shaping the current BIA Federal Acknowledgment Process for tribes under consideration for such recognition. They are suspicious of groups that claim Indian identity but appear to have no history of culture and community.<ref name="Miller7">{{cite book |last1=Miller |first1=Mark |title=Claiming Tribal Identity |date=August 16, 2013 |isbn=978-0-8061-5051-2 |page=7 |publisher=University of Oklahoma Press |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yUFuAAAAQBAJ}}</ref>