Cherokee Nation constitution. Pursuant to the new 
May 2003 constitution, which still has not been ap-
proved by the Department of the Interior, the ille-
gally elected Principal Chief appointed two addi-
tional judges to the Supreme Court. The panel of 
five Supreme Court judges ruled in a 3–2 decision 
that the Cherokee Nation could hold a vote on the 
tribal status of the Cherokee Freedmen. 
(14) Operating under the unapproved Constitu-
tion, the Cherokee Nation held an election in March 
2007, to remove the Cherokee Freedmen from the 
Cherokee Nation. In a vote of less than 4 percent of 
the total Cherokee Nation population, the voters 
elected to remove Cherokee Freedmen not on the 
Dawes blood rolls from the Nation. 
(15) In May 2007, the Cherokee Nation leader-
ship determined that it would allow registered 
Freedmen to vote in the June 23, 2007 election for 
tribal officers. Despite the Cherokee Nation’s deci-
sion to allow Freedmen to vote, Freedmen’s rights 
as members of the Cherokee Nation are severely re-
stricted: Freedmen are not allowed to run for office 
in the June 2007 election in violation of the Treaty 
of 1866; the registration of Freedmen entitled to 
Cherokee citizenship under the 1906 Dawes Rolls 
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has been halted; and the election is to be held under 
provisions of an unapproved constitution and in vio-
lation of the 1970 Principal Chiefs Act that requires 
the Cherokee leadership to submit its voting require-
ments for the election to the Secretary of the Inte-
rior for his approval. Further, the actions of the 
Cherokee Nation in halting citizenship application 
processing and voter registration of Freedmen have 
disproportionately reduced the number of Freedmen 
voters that can participate in the election. 
(16) The manner in which the Cherokee Nation 
is conducting the relationship between the United 
States and the tribal entity is not in the best inter-
est of the United States Government, citizens of the 
Cherokee Nation, and violates existing treaties and 
laws governing the relationship between the United 
States Government and the Cherokee Nation. 
(17) Current efforts of the Cherokee Nation to 
expel members of the Cherokee Freedmen from the 
tribal rolls and abolish Department of the Interior 
oversight are being pursued in violation of the treaty 
rights extended to the Cherokee Freedmen in a trea-
ty agreement between the United States and Cher-
okee Nation in the 1866 Treaty and in violation of 
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Freedmen citizenship under the federally approved 
Cherokee Nation constitution of 1975. 
(18) The Department of the Interior has failed 
to uphold its fiduciary responsibility by recognizing 
the May 2003 Cherokee Nation election for Prin-
cipal Chief in which Freedmen were not allowed to 
vote in violation of the Principal Chiefs Act and the 
Treaty of 1866 and by failing to take any adminis-
trative action against the Cherokee Nation leader-
ship for its decision to sanction a referendum in 
March 2007 in which the Freedmen were expelled 
from the Cherokee Nation. 
SEC. 2. SEVERANCE OF RELATIONS WITH THE CHEROKEE 
NATION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The United States hereby severs 
all relations with the Cherokee Nation, including all finan-
cial obligations or otherwise, until such time as the Cher-
okee Nation is meeting all of its treaty obligations and 
other federal statutory obligations (including all obliga-
tions of the Treaty of 1866, the Principal Chiefs Act, hold-
ing elections for tribal leaders that are in compliance with 
the Act, and has restored the rights of all Cherokee Freed-
men disenfranchised from the Cherokee Nation in the 
March 3, 2007, Cherokee Nation vote), as determined by 
a final certification under section 2(d). 
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(b) COMPLIANCE WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE 
ACT.—The Secretary shall coordinate with all depart-
ments and agencies of the United States Government to 
ensure that every effort is being made by the United 
States Government to comply with this Act. 
(c) REPORTS.— 
(1) FEDERAL AGENCIES.—Not later than 30 
days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and 
continuing annually until the final certification as 
determined under section 2(d), all departments and 
agencies under the jurisdiction of the United States 
Government shall submit a report to the Secretary 
describing— 
(A) all Federal programs under their juris-
diction that provide financial assistance and 
other services to the Cherokee Nation; and 
(B) the efforts that are being undertaken 
comply with all requirements of this Act. 
(2) STATUS REPORTS.—Until the Secretary cer-
tifies to Congress that the Cherokee Nation is in 
compliance with its treaty obligations, the Secretary 
shall submit monthly public reports to Congress on 
the status of the United States Government’s efforts 
to ensure that all departments and agencies of the 
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Federal Government are in compliance with the re-
quirements of this Act. 
(3) OTHER
FREEDMAN
INDIANS.—Not later 
than 6 months after the date of the enactment of 
this Act, the Secretary shall issue a public report to 
Congress on the status of freedmen in the Cherokee, 
Choctaw, Chickasaw, Muscogee (Creek), and Semi-
nole Nations of Oklahoma. The report shall address 
whether each of those Indian tribes is complying 
with all treaty obligations and Federal laws with re-
spect to its freedmen members, the level of partici-
pation of freedmen in tribal leadership positions, 
tribal benefits received by the freedmen, and pre-
vious or current efforts on the part of those Indian 
tribes to disenfranchise its freedmen members. 
(d) CONGRESSIONAL
CERTIFICATION.—After the 
Secretary has certified to Congress that the Cherokee Na-
tion is in full compliance with all its treaty obligations and 
Congress approves the Secretary’s certification by a vote 
taken on a resolution introduced in both chambers of Con-
gress certifying that the Cherokee Nation is in full compli-
ance with its treaty obligations, the final certification of 
the Cherokee Nation’s treaty compliance shall take effect. 
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SEC. 3. SUSPENSION OF RIGHT TO CONDUCT GAMING OP-
ERATIONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Cherokee Nation’s authority 
to conduct gaming regulated under the Indian Gaming 
Regulatory Act and to administer any funds from such 
gaming are suspended until such time that the Cherokee 
Nation is in compliance with all treaty and other obliga-
tions with the United States, as determined by a final cer-
tification under section 2(d). 
(b) REPORT.—Not later than 30 days after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the National Indian Gaming 
Commission shall submit a report to Congress detailing 
the actions that have been taken to enforce subsection (a). 
SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS. 
(a) ‘‘CHEROKEE’’AND ‘‘CHEROKEE NATION’’.—The 
terms ‘‘Cherokee’’ and ‘‘Cherokee Nation’’ mean the Cher-
okee Nation of Oklahoma. 
(b) ‘‘CHEROKEE FREEDMEN’’, ‘‘FREEDMEN’’, AND 
‘‘BLACK CHEROKEES’’.—The terms ‘‘Cherokee Freed-
men’’, ‘‘Freedmen’’, and ‘‘Black Cherokees’’ refer to indi-
viduals who can trace their ancestry to individuals listed 
on the 1906 Dawes Commission Roles for the Cherokee 
Freedmen. 
(c) ‘‘OTHER
FREEDMAN
INDIANS’’.—The term 
‘‘Other Freedmen Indians’’ refers to individuals who can 
trace their ancestry to the 1906 Dawes Commission Rolls 
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