Tribes, lawmakers, oil industry respond to Creek Nation ruling
The U. S. Supreme Court decision that the Muscogee (Creek ) Nation reservation was never terminated will have farreaching implications. Here are some of the statements made Thursday about the longawaited decision.
Muscogee (Creek) Nation:
“The Supreme Court today kept the United States' sacred promise to the Muscogee (Creek) Nation of a protected reservation. Today's decision will allow the Nation to honor our ancestors by maintaining our established sovereignty and territorial boundaries. We will continue to work with federal and state law enforcement agencies to ensure that public safety will be maintained throughout the territorial boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation.”
Chickasaw Nation Gov. Bill Anoatubby:
“Tribal and state law enforcement agencies have worked cooperatively for years to serve and protect our communities. We are accustomed to the unique context of overlapping Tribal and State jurisdictions and will continue to work together to ensure public safety and effective law enforcement throughout Oklahoma.”
Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr.:
“This ruling does not mean that those who commit crimes on reservation lands will not face justice, no tribe would ever welcome that,
and now we will continue to work with the state of Oklahoma and our federal and tribal partners on legal parameters under the decision today.”
Joint statement of the Five Tribes and Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter:
“The State, the Muscogee (Creek), Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, and Seminole Nations have made substantial progress toward an agreement to present to Congress and the U.S. Department of Justice addressing and resolving any significant jurisdictional issues raised by the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in McGirt v. Oklahoma.
“The Nations and the State are committed to ensuring that Jimcy McGirt, Patrick Murphy, and all other offenders face justice for the crimes for which they are accused. We have a shared commitment to maintaining public safety and long-term economic prosperity for the Nations and Oklahoma.”
Gov. Kevin Stitt:
“I am aware the ruling in McGirt v. Oklahoma was handed down this morning by the U.S. Supreme Court. My legal team has been following the case closely and is reviewing the decision carefully. They will advise our team on the case's impact and what action, if any, is needed from our office.”
U. S. Sen. James Lankford:
“The work will continue in the days ahead to clarify a framework for criminal and civil regulatory jurisdiction that provides consistency and predictability for all people living and doing business within the state.”
U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe:
“As we move forward, I have no doubt we can work together with state officials, tribal organizations and the delegation to find a workable solution for everyone that ensures criminals are prosecuted and brought to justice in the most appropriate manner.”
Joint statement from all five Oklahomans in the U.S. House of Representatives:
“We are reviewing the decision carefully and stand ready to work with both tribal and state officials to ensure stability and consistency in applying law that brings all criminals to justice. Indeed, no criminal is ever exempt or immune from facing justice, and we remain committed to working together to both affirm tribal sovereignty and ensure safety and justice for all Oklahomans.”
Washington, D.C., attorney Ian Heath Gershengorn, the lead attorney before the Supreme Court in both cases who argued that the Creek Nation still exists:
“The Supreme Court reaffirmed today that when the United States makes promises, the courts will keep those promises. Congress persuaded the Creek Nation to walk the Trail of Tears with promises of a reservation — and the Court today correctly recognized that this reservation endures. We — along with our co-counsel Patti Palmer Ghezzi and the Federal Public Defender of the Western District of Oklahoma — are immensely pleased for Jimcy McGirt and Patrick Murphy, whom Oklahoma unlawfully prosecuted for alleged crimes within the Creek reservation.”
Brook A. Simmons, president of the Petroleum Alliance of Oklahoma:
“The Petroleum Alliance of Oklahoma is disappointed in today's majority opinion in McGirt v. Oklahoma, but we are moving forward to work with the state of Oklahoma, the tribes and Oklahoma's Congressional delegation to ensure that our members continue to have a stable, predictable regulatory and tax environment consistent with their interests.”