Although the Choctaw Slaves were freed in 1866, their status in the Choctaw Nation became that of FREEDMEN of the Choctaw and Chickasaw Tribes in the Indian Territory and were listed on the final Dawes Rolls in the FREEDMEN index. These Choctaw citizens and their descendants could legally lay claim to citizenship of the Choctaw Nation with the same rights and privileges. Many of these FREEDMEN stayed on with their original owners as paid employees while others settled on their own land.