The change came on Monday after years of racial friction and legal battles
Under a 1866 treaty after the Civil War, descendants of black slaves of the Cherokee tribe - known as Freedman - should have been given equal rights
But a 'blood clause' in tribe's Constitution has contradicted this treaty
The clause based citizenship of the Cherokee Nation on being descended 'by blood' from tribal members listed on a 19th-century census
On Monday, this language was ordered to be removed by tribe's Supreme Court
This should clear the way for Freedmen to have equal rights in the nation
Such rights include the right to run for tribal office and receive full benefits