Marilyn is the President of the Descendants of Freedmen of the Five Civilized Tribes Association. She was born in Ponca City, Oklahoma.
She attended the University of Oklahoma and graduated with a degree in Petroleum Engineering. She worked for and retired from the United States Treasury Department as a General Engineer.
In the early 2000's she began her work as an advocate for the rights of Cherokee Freedmen Descendants.
She led the fight for Cherokee Freedmen to make changes against policies of the Cherokee Nation that did not uphold the treaty rights of Freedmen. Subsequently, she became a registered tribal member of the Cherokee Nation.
Marilyn became a primary litigant in a lawsuit argued in the United States Courts of Appeal whose purpose was to obtain a federal judge ruling on the status of Freedmen treaty rights. In 2017, a Federal Judge ruled that Cherokee Freedmen descendants retained their citizenship rights.
Since that time, Marilyn became the first person descended from Cherokee Freedmen to be appointed to a government position within the Cherokee Nation serving on the Environmental Protection Commission. She continues to assist persons obtaining tribal membership and continues to assist tribal members in obtaining tribal assistance, voter registration, and staying connected to the tribe.
Marilyn Vann has received many awards, including the Cherokee Statesman Award for her contributions to the Cherokee Nation.
Threads of Untold History