Tribal Justice

The Struggle for Black Rights on Native Land

Imagine being a citizen of a nation and not being allowed to have your case heard in that nation’s courts—because of your race. This is happening now, in Oklahoma, to a group of Black citizens of the Cherokee Nation. They’re called Freedmen, and Michael Hill is one of them.

On September 26, 2020, Michael was in a great mood. He’d recently returned home to Oklahoma after years in the military. He’d bought a house and had a job teaching and coaching basketball at the local high school.

But that night, Michael’s life would turn upside down. Around two o’clock in the morning, he heard people banging on the doors and windows of his home. He called 911 for help.

This is the story of what happened next, and why. To understand it, we have to go back to the Trail of Tears that the Five Tribes were forced to walk. To the enslaved Africans those tribes brought with them on that trail, who became Freedmen after the Civil War. To the 2020 US Supreme Court ruling that Oklahoma had illegally claimed more than three million acres of tribal land. And to what the restoration of that land has meant for policing and the courts.

Tribal Justice is essential storytelling that brings a new lens to understandings of race, sovereignty, power, and belonging.

This documentary is part of the Audible Podcast Development Program.

©2024 Audible Originals, LLC (P)2024 Audible Originals, LLC.

Truth be told

Thank you for doing the story, even though the outcome was probably not exactly what we all wanted. More stories like this should be shared.
The more awareness is brought to these situations the better.

Separate and Unequal

Michael's case is heartwrenching on several levels. Unfortunately, he's not alone. The ugly history of the United States disenfranchisement of Native people and of Black people collides here. I am a Black woman who sees and hears these stories too often. These kinds of outcomes leaves many Black people wary of me calling the police. He called for assistance and was met with officers who escalated the case and arresting him instead of helping Michael protect his property. It sounds like they need training themselves.

Colorism

Thank you for the follow up. Ppl who look like me often know what "Just Us" looks like: partial or simply injustice...
I don't see us ever being "fully inteintegrated" into a society that stole its way to the top & stole us & continuously regressed into either treating us like chattel or ignoring situations when we are treated like chattel. There are days when I hope we all come back as pets (knowing all of the bad actors) & avenge our mistreatment.

When will the US government stop supporting racism?

I liked that the victim was able to tell his story and show that this is current and relevant.

Tribal justice in Oklahoma

Issues today were forged by attitudes toward native Americans a their slave captives a families those sentiments still exist and blur sovereignty and citizenship today with no end in sight. Oklahoma justice simply manipulates an entraps any one who tries to exercise tribal privilege.