Sovereignty for Strong Communities Commission

We oppose Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter's proposal for congressional action following the Supreme Court's ruling in McGirt v. Oklahoma, because it is premature and may prove to be unneeded. We welcome, however, his proposal for additional dialogue. Before we discuss legislation at the national level, we must first lay the foundation for a future framework. The Five Tribes are already doing this through our individual sovereignty commissions, dialogue with elected officials and state agencies, and in partnership with the federal government. We are making substantial progress. We should take the necessary time to reason together through these issues and avoid repeating past mistakes in federal legislation regarding Indian Country.

About

The purpose of the commission is to explore the opportunities that could make the lives of our tribal members and the communities they live in better. The commission will engage subject matter experts on key areas of expected impact and provide leadership with best practices and recommendations for the future of tribal governance within the Choctaw reservation.

Links

• Letter to the Editor: Calls for disestablishing tribal reservations are offensive, troubling
• First modern-day Choctaw jury trial ends in conviction
• Choctaw Nation Forms Sovereignty Committee to Guide Future Efforts
• Supreme Court ruling could rewrite history textbooks
• McGirt v. Oklahoma Supreme Court Decision