Welcome to the official page of the Choctaw-Chickasaw Freedmen Association.
GAO Report on Freedmen Descendants of the Five Tribes
In January 2026, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a detailed report examining the historical background, population size, citizenship status, and ongoing challenges faced by Freedmen descendants of the Five Tribes — the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Muscogee (Creek), and Seminole Nations. Freedmen descendants are the living descendants of formerly enslaved people who were held by tribal citizens prior to the Civil War.
This report provides one of the most comprehensive federal examinations of the status of Freedmen descendants to date. It confirms that Freedmen descendants represent a large, living population with deep historical ties to the Five Tribes and that citizenship recognition and equal treatment remain unresolved issues in several tribal nations.
The findings underscore the continued importance of honoring treaty obligations, addressing historical exclusion, and ensuring that Freedmen descendants have equitable access to citizenship rights and services.
New Book Release Announcements
Two powerful voices emerge from the legacy of resilience, identity, and truth. These books, written by descendants of Choctaw and Chickasaw Freedmen, illuminate stories long overlooked—where African and Indigenous histories intersect in profound and deeply personal ways. Through vivid storytelling and historical reflection, these works reclaim narratives of strength, survival, and cultural pride, inviting readers to witness a legacy that continues to shape generations today.
Both Angela Y. Walton-Raji and Terry J. Ligon are trailblazers and storytellers of Freedmen history. They’ve spent decades researching and identifying Freedmen ancestors and descendants. Look for more exciting updates from these authors soon.
Ready to Share your Freedmen Story?
Are you a descendant of Choctaw or Chickasaw Freedmen?
Your story matters, and it deserves to be told. CCFA invites you to share your family's journey: the ancestors you've traced, the history you've uncovered, and the experiences that connect you to this legacy.
Whether your story is rooted in genealogy research, personal identity, community connection, or the ongoing fight for recognition, we want to hear from you.
Submitted stories may be featured on the CCFA website as part of our growing archive of Freedmen descendant voices . The goal is helping to educate, inspire, and unite our community for generations to come.
Have you identified your Choctaw or Chickasaw Freedmen ancestor on the final rolls? Let us know & Click here to get started.
If you are early in your research and haven’t located ancestors on “The Final Rolls”. Use the searchable database provided by Oklahoma Historical Society site found here.
Who We Are
Choctaw & Chickasaw Freedmen Association (CCFA)
Our group leadership is managed by descendants of documented African & African Native Americans of the Choctaw & Chickasaw Nations.
When the official Dawes Roll was established, our ancestors were segregated to Freedmen Roll.
For over 150 years, Freedmen in these communities have fought for their recognized status within their respective Nations. For Chickasaw Freedmen, the Treaty was broken so they were never citizenship as promised. For Choctaw Freedmen, 19 years after signing the Treaty, citizenship was granted. Today, descendants of both nations face racial discrimination and inequities that have not been reconciled.
CCFA is an association of advocacy and training that will develop and identify resources to those who are interested in gaining more knowledge about their Oklahoma-based Freedmen Ancestors.
Major focus will be on the contributions of Freedmen (including their ancestors), & the roles they played within the Choctaw and Chickasaw Nations.
In addition, CCFA will explore the reasons for the omission of Freedmen history and the group will work to put this history properly on the pages of tribal history.
Plan of Action:
CCFA will educate through webinars, videos and publications.
CCFA will empower through workshops, and question and answer sessions
CCFA will engage members through regular online meetings.
CCFA will embrace the culture and history by studying, language, culture and history of the community from which they come.
Muscogee Creek Indian Freedmen Band News
The Choctaw Chickasaw Freedmen Association (CCFA) extends wishes of congratulations to the plaintiffs Rhonda Grayson, Jeff Kennedy, and Sharon Lindsey Scott for their recent court victory. This is a win for the entire Muscogee Creek Indian Freedmen Band (MCIFB). The members of CCFA were praying for your success, and we all watched the press conference the day after the decision was released and watched with pride and relished in the joy of your court victory!
As fellow descendants of Oklahoma Freedmen, we share similar histories, on the same soil, and although our own struggles continue, we extend with great joy, a hearty congratulations to the plaintiffs, and to the legal team. CCFA admires the impressive honor to your ancestors that your struggle has displayed and hopefully your strategy will become a model for all Freedmen descendants to employ.
Now, the Muscogee Creek Nation must do the right thing and grant citizenship to these documented and disenfranchised population.
"An injustice anywhere - is an injustice everywhere”.
The Plight of the Choctaw & Chickasaw Freedmen
“We must ensure federal funds are not used to perpetuate anti-blackness within the tribes”
Choctaw & Chickasaw Freedmen have always been integrated within the tribes. Prior to the Revolutionary War, labor from enslaved African and mixed Native American citizens contributed to the founding of both Native and United States territories.
Choctaw & Chickasaw Freedmen are documented within the tribal rolls, however they are have been written out of history Native Americans history.
As of today, the descendants of the Choctaw & Chickasaw Nations have ancestry that is proven & documented, but they are still excluded from full citizenship benefits.
“Choctaw & Chickasaw Freedmen are national treasures. These African-Native Americans are well documented within history.
Their contributions were essential to the original U.S. & Native American relations. They served within the army, held high profile jobs, but the history books have not properly documented their stories.
The Freedmen deserve honor, respect, and recognition.
When American history is told, the Freedmen & their ancestors should always be included in the narrative”.
Get in touch with us.
Have questions about your family tree? Would you like to learn more?
For all general inquiries and questions please use the contact fields in this section.
