Biography of Board Members

Marilyn Vann serves as President and Director of the Descendants of Freedmen of the Five Civilized Tribes Association, a non profit corporation which educates the public on the history, culture, and political rights of the African Indian peoples of the 5 nations (formerly known as the Five civilized Tribes) whose ancestors were enrolled as “freedmen” tribal members by the US government Dawes Commission approximately 100 years ago. She is the lead plaintiff in a Federal lawsuit against the US government department of interior, Vann et Al Versus Norton, which deals with the enforcement of the 1866 treaty rights of the Cherokee Indian Freedmen in accordance with the Cherokee Nation constitution.  Marilyn has written articles pertaining to the Indian freedmen issue which have been published in the Native American Times, the Muskogee Daily Phoenix newspaper, and the Oklahoma Eagle newspaper. Marilyn has also been featured in the Los Angeles Times and Wired Magazine, the Daily Oklahoman newspaper, the New York Times, and www.indianz.com . Marilyn has also participated on various panels sponsored or co sponsored by different  Universities and  non profit or civic organizations pertaining to Native American issues, including one on Cherokee freedmen issues which was sponsored by Congresspersons Diane Watson and John Conyers at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Conference on September 28 2007 . Other 2007 presentations have been discussion of the Vann lawsuit before the Michigan State University Law Students and the Federal Bar Association Indian law section conference.

Marilyn Vann graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a Bachelor of Science in Petroleum Engineering with Distinction. She is the first known Female having African Descent to graduate from that discipline at the University of Oklahoma. She has been employed with the Federal Government as an engineer for the past 25 years in Oklahoma City. 

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