{"id":39784,"date":"2026-02-06T20:00:43","date_gmt":"2026-02-07T01:00:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/unitedresourceconnection.org\/cannon-ball-nd-58528\/stitt-renews-push-to-limit-tribal-sovereignty\/"},"modified":"2026-02-06T20:00:47","modified_gmt":"2026-02-07T01:00:47","slug":"stitt-renews-push-to-limit-tribal-sovereignty","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/unitedresourceconnection.org\/cannon-ball-nd-58528\/stitt-renews-push-to-limit-tribal-sovereignty\/","title":{"rendered":"Stitt renews push to limit Tribal Sovereignty"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"Oklahoma<\/a><\/p>\n

Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt (Courtesy photo)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

OKLAHOMA CITY \u2014 Gov. Kevin Stitt used his final State of the State address to again call for limiting tribal sovereignty in Oklahoma, arguing the state should have sole authority over criminal and taxation laws \u2014 a position that immediately drew sharp rebukes from tribal leaders in attendance.<\/p>\n

Stitt told lawmakers that \u201cOklahoma\u2019s laws should apply to every Oklahoman without exception,\u201d adding that the state must \u201cchoose\u201d whether it believes in equal rights. His comments were a direct reference to the jurisdictional landscape reshaped by the U.S. Supreme Court\u2019s 2020 McGirt v. Oklahoma ruling, which reaffirmed that much of eastern Oklahoma remains reservation land.<\/p>\n

Stitt said the current system creates \u201cdifferent sets of laws\u201d for Native and non Native residents, a characterization tribal leaders say is inaccurate.<\/p>\n

Tribal leaders say Stitt is misrepresenting sovereignty<\/strong><\/p>\n

Choctaw Nation Chief Gary Batton said in a statement that Stitt \u201cmisrepresents the relationship between tribes and the state,\u201d noting that tribal sovereignty is grounded in treaties and federal law, not race. \u201cGov. Stitt must recognize this history and respect what it means today,\u201d Batton said.<\/p>\n

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. called Stitt\u2019s position \u201cantiquated,\u201d saying the governor\u2019s remarks amounted to an effort \u201cto erode some of the most meaningful attributes that are left of tribal sovereignty.\u201d Hoskin said Stitt\u2019s approach \u201creally amounts to termination,\u201d adding that the governor has become \u201cthe most anti Indian tribe governor in the history of the state.\u201d<\/p>\n

Muscogee Nation Principal Chief David Hill said tribes expected Stitt to continue attacking sovereignty, but criticized the governor\u2019s reference to the 1889 Land Run as \u201cunassigned lands.\u201d Hill said the Land Run \u201cshould not be aspirational,\u201d adding that \u201cif you read the history, that\u2019s when more land was taken away from Native people.\u201d<\/p>\n

State lawmakers also push back<\/strong><\/p>\n

Oklahoma House Tribal and External Affairs Leader Scott Fetgatter, a Republican from Okmulgee, said Stitt \u201cchose to exacerbate the divide\u201d rather than repair relationships with tribes. House Democratic Leader Cyndi Munson called the governor\u2019s remarks \u201cextremely disturbing,\u201d saying Stitt \u201cdoes not understand the history of our country and our state, and does not respect tribal sovereignty.\u201d<\/p>\n

Stitt continues opposition to McGirt<\/strong><\/p>\n

Stitt, a Cherokee Nation citizen, has spent years challenging the McGirt ruling in court and in public statements. On Monday, he said the decision continues to \u201csplit our state, both literally and figuratively,\u201d and urged lawmakers to \u201cfight for one Oklahoma.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tribal leaders in the chamber did not join the applause.<\/p>\n

Hoskin said afterward that he had hoped Stitt would learn more about tribal nations during his tenure. \u201cYou don\u2019t often see a leader who actually seems to have a lower knowledge base\u2026 than when he started,\u201d Hoskin said. \u201cBut I am his chief, and I\u2019d love him to listen to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

The post Stitt renews push to limit Tribal Sovereignty<\/a> first appeared on Native Sun News Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt (Courtesy photo) OKLAHOMA CITY \u2014 Gov. Kevin Stitt used his final State of the State address to again call for limiting tribal sovereignty in Oklahoma, arguing the state should have sole authority over criminal and taxation laws \u2014 a position that immediately drew sharp rebukes from <\/p>\n

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