Okmulgee, Oklahoma - Black Creeks' hopes of having their full citizenship rights restored got a boost on Thursday after a judge ordered the Muscogee Creek Nation to turn over documents crucial for the case by next week.

The hearing at a court in Okmulgee, Oklahoma was the latest stage in a long battle fought by plaintiffs who can trace their roots back to Muscogee Creek Freedmen, people of African descent who were either enslaved by the Muscogee Creeks or lived among them after being freed.

Although the Creek Treaty of 1866 recognized Freedmen and their descendants as full citizens of the Creek Nation, those rights were stripped by a new constitution passed in 1979.

But the story didn't end there. Black Creeks Rhonda Grayson and Jeff Kennedy launched a historic lawsuit against the Muscogee Creek Nation, demanding recognition of their identity and their rights under the 1866 treaty. The trial is scheduled to start April 4, although the plaintiffs have asked the judge to rule in their favor ahead of that date.

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Though that request for an early win wasn't granted, Thursday's ruling put the onus on the defendants to provide the Black Creeks with the documents they need to prepare for the trial by February 17. What's more, according to the Black Wall Street Times, the judge also asked them to explain exactly why the relevant article of the 1866 is being ignored.

With dozens of supporters present at the courthouse, lead attorney Damario Solomon-Simmons emphasized the need to continue the fight for justice. "You can see how important this is to this community, the community of Black Creeks who’ve been disenfranchised going on 44 years now," he said, per KJRH-TV.