- Details
- By Darren Thompson
Tribes in Oklahoma have taken to Twitter to condemn Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt’s comments made at the Oklahoma History Center during a Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. event on Monday. Gov. Stitt, a member of the Cherokee Nation, used a speaking opportunity to denounce the U.S. Supreme Court's McGirt decision, saying Martin Luther King, Jr. would be "disgusted" by it.
"I believe that freedom fighters like Dr. King would be astounded, maybe even disgusted by the McGirt ruling,” said Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt in a speech on Monday. "Because the ruling created two sets of rules for Oklahomans, based on their race. In eastern Oklahoma right now, there is not equal protection under the law.”
“King believed, as I do, that every citizen of this nation is granted the same rights and opportunities under our constitution," Stitt said.
The McGirt ruling refers to the case McGirt v. Oklahoma. In it, the court considered the case of convicted child rapist Jimcy McGirt. In an effort to overturn his conviction, McGirt claimed he was wrongly prosecuted by the state of Oklahoma because he is American Indian and his crimes occurred on the Muscogee (Creek) reservation. The court agreed in a 5-4 decision that the reservation had never been disestablished, and therefore the state did not have jurisdiction. Jimcy McGirt was eventually prosecuted by the federal government and sentenced to three concurrent life sentences.
In 2020, a Supreme Court ruling determined that parts of eastern Oklahoma are still Indian Reservation lands. However, Stitt has argued that the ruling has brought on chaos for the criminal justice system in eastern Oklahoma.
Stitt’s Martin Luther King Jr. comments come as the Supreme Court is expected to make another determination on the McGirt case, which has brought forth complex, ongoing cases examining tribal, state, and federal issues.
Several Tribes responded to Stitt’s comments on the McGirt decision on Twitter, including the Muscogee Nation.
“Let be clear, Gov. Stitt, you are no Martin Luther King Jr.,” said the Muscogee Nation on Monday via Twitter. “He stood for truth and justice. Your pouting and dishonest fear-mongering about the effect of tribal sovereignty exhibit neither.”
The Chief of the Cherokee Nation also took to Twitter to condemn Stitt’s comments on the McGirt decision. “You can’t make this stuff up,” said Chief of the Cherokee Nation Chuck Hoskin, Jr. on Monday. “I’m certain Dr. King would not join Governor Stitt in his effort to destroy the reservations of Indian nations. In any case, this day should be about unity and joining together to shine a light on darkness.”
The McGirt ruling led to the affirmation of five other reservations in Oklahoma and has changed jurisdiction for criminal matters from the state to the federal government and tribes in cases that involve Americans Indian on Indian reservations. Tribes argue their citizens’ legal rights are better represented and protected in tribal or federal court.
Read more about the ongoing McGirt cases here.
More Stories Like This
House Passes Bipartisan Debt Ceiling Deal; How Native American Members of Congress VotedHistory Made as First Navajo Appointed U.S. Federal Judge in California
California Bill Aims to Increase State Funding for Tribal Housing
Navajo Nation Leaders Recognized the Fallen on Memorial Day
This Day in History — May 28, 1830, Andrew Jackson Signs Indian Removal Act
Native News is free to read.
We hope you enjoyed the story you've just read. For the past dozen years, we’ve covered the most important news stories that are usually overlooked by other media. From the protests at Standing Rock and the rise of the American Indian Movement (AIM), to the ongoing epidemic of Murdered and Missing Indigenous People (MMIP) and the past-due reckoning related to assimilation, cultural genocide and Indian Boarding Schools.
Our news is free for everyone to read, but it is not free to produce. That’s why we’re asking you to make a donation to help support our efforts. Any contribution — big or small — helps. Most readers donate between $10 and $25 to help us cover the costs of salaries, travel and maintaining our digital platforms. If you’re in a position to do so, we ask you to consider making a recurring donation of $12 per month to join the Founder's Circle. All donations help us remain a force for change in Indian Country and tell the stories that are so often ignored, erased or overlooked.
Donate to Native News Online today and support independent Indigenous journalism. Thank you.
