The answer is greed, fear, hatred and racism. From the moment there were free blacks in the Cherokee Nation, racists set out to remove them from the Nation. Fortunately the blacks and the Cherokees saw a better way and made citizens of their freed slaves. Every time there was a payment to the Cherokee citizens, the issue of blood and race would raise its ugly head. As recently as 1950 the Cherokee Nation attempted to get repaid for the Freedmen allottments, even though the land they were given was theirs by law. Ross Swimmer feared the Freedmen vote in 1983. He was the first principal chief to seek to oust the Freedmen. Every chief since, except Joe Byrd, fought to keep the Freedmen out. Byrd was so mired in controversy that he was never able to address the issue. Chad Smith, I believe fears the Freedmen vote and as well as hates them. But most of all, Chad Smith wants to hold onto the gravy train he has stumbled into and he believes the Freedmen jeopardize it. Sadly, the driving force behind the expulsion of the Freedmen is GREED fueled by hatred, fear and racism.