“With the leaders of many of our Native American tribes looking on from the House gallery, the governor made a mockery of our state’s unique history and the valued partnership our state has had with our tribal citizens for over 100 years. The governor says he has worked tirelessly to maintain unity of one Oklahoma, however he continues to ignore the reality of who we are as a state and single-handedly has destroyed decades of collaboration between state and tribal leaders.
“When the governor, in his last State of the State speech, had the opportunity to correct the wrongs he has inflicted on our state’s tribes, he instead chose to exacerbate the divide and ignore the partnerships that have benefited Oklahomans for years in health care, public safety, education, infrastructure and many other areas of potential collaboration.
“The Supreme Court ruling did not in any way make half of our state a reservation, and the governor knows it. The McGirt decision simply affirmed the U.S. Constitutional law of citizens who were unjustly removed from their homes and were given a promise of self-governance.
“The end of Governor Stitt’s term gives us an opportunity to build on existing partnerships with our tribes. I hope our state’s next governor embraces and respects these sovereigns and their many contributions to our state.”
Scott Fetgatter serves District 16 in the Oklahoma House of Representatives. His district includes parts of Muskogee, Okmulgee and Tulsa counties.
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