Freedmen Fight For Tribal Citizenship On Legal Path Marred By Politics

The descendants of formerly enslaved tribal citizens have been fighting on a rocky legal path for two decades for their right to be citizens.

Ean McCants' family has a long and storied history that stretches back to the days before 1907, when Oklahoma was called Indian Territory.

“My family lived in Sandtown,” McCants said. “My grandmother actually is from Sandtown in Oklahoma City, which is a neighborhood that was founded by Chickasaw Freedmen.”

McCants is a descendant of Choctaw and Chickasaw Freedmen.