OKLAHOMA CITY – Tribal leaders, Oklahoma State leaders, and guests attended Governor Kevin Stitt’s eighth and final State of the State address on Monday, Feb. 2. The speech was livestreamed on the Oklahoma Educational Television Authority’s website and rebroadcast by local news outlets. In Stitt’s address, he praised his administration’s efforts in reducing budget spending, reducing the state income tax, and capping the state’s cash reserve. Stitt also reiterated his displeasure with the McGirt vs. Oklahoma ruling and its affirmation of the Oklahoma Tribes’ sovereignty.
Key points in Stitt’s address included calling for a state question to codify caps on recurring spending growth, disbanding the Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association (OSSAA), and making the Parental Choice Tax Credit program available to all Oklahoma families.
Diving into the topic of Tribal relations, Stitt emphasized the “one great challenge that will remain.” That challenge is the protection of the governor’s One Oklahoma initiative. Stitt continued to stress his belief that the Supreme Court’s decision in McGirt was harmful and unfair for all Oklahoma citizens.
“When Justice Gorsuch, in a 5-4 decision in July of 2020, decided that half of our state was a reservation, I became the first Governor who had to face this new challenge,” Stitt said. “In the wake of the McGirt decision, I have worked tirelessly to hold the line to keep One Oklahoma and protect the rights of every Oklahoman. We need to come together and protect the vision cast in 1907. We need to stop any effort to federalize half of our state.”
Citing his Cherokee citizenship status, Stitt claimed that no one should receive special legal treatment or tax exemptions based on their race, and that Tribal sovereignty stands as a challenge to equality within the state.
“All laws should apply equally to all Oklahomans. No exceptions. An Indian named Kevin Stitt shouldn’t be treated differently than a single mom of a different race,” Stitt said. “If you commit a crime in Oklahoma, you should be prosecuted by a duly elected Oklahoma district attorney, you should be tried in an Oklahoma court overseen by a duly elected Oklahoma judge, and you should be protected by the rights laid out in the Oklahoma constitution. Your race shouldn’t call any of these factors into question. If you live in Oklahoma, you drive on Oklahoma roads, you attend Oklahoma schools, and you vote in Oklahoma elections, you absolutely should not have different tax treatment than any other Oklahoman.”
Stitt referenced the current federal lawsuit in court between the Tribes and the state regarding the prosecution of Tribal citizens who hunt on Tribal reservations. According to the Governor, game wardens “should not be afraid to ticket poachers” and “district attorneys should not be afraid to prosecute criminals.”
The Tribes Respond
Tribal leadership from the Five Tribes was quick to share their reactions on social media after the address. A common sentiment was that, even in Stitt’s last year in office, he did not appear to respect Tribal sovereignty or recognize the rights of Tribal citizens within the state.
In Chief Hill’s public statement, he found Stitt’s view on Tribal sovereignty concerning and unchanged in the past 7 years. The statement reads:
Today the Governor, once again, proved that he has no true understanding of the state which he governs. Oklahoma’s proud indigenous history certainly doesn’t include participating in a run for land, tribal citizens are not poachers for exercising treaty rights, and DEI policies have absolutely nothing to do with people having the specific political rights and status of citizens belonging to sovereign Nations. The only good thing I can say about the Governor’s comments today regarding tribal matters, is that they are his last in the Oklahoma people’s house.
According to a public statement released by Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr., Stitt’s rhetoric on McGirt further damages the relationship between the Tribes and state leaders. The statement reads:
Today, in his final State of the State address, Governor Stitt effectively called for the termination of tribal government. No one should confuse his rhetoric cloaked in references to ‘DEI,’ race, and concerns over public safety and taxation as anything other than a parting plea to the Oklahoma Legislature to destroy tribal governments. Governor Stitt sees termination of tribal sovereignty as the final solution to imagined problems. His issues are not rooted in the complexities of law and policy, but rather an objection over our very existence. Fortunately, he spoke to a chamber that, on a bipartisan basis, has overwhelmingly rejected his 19th-century termination mindset in favor of cooperation and respect for tribal governments. His divisive message went out to millions of Oklahomans who are, at this point, frankly, bewildered as to why he repeatedly tells them that tribal governments cause chaos even though everything they see and experience tell them the opposite. The tribes in this state are the best friends the state has ever had. We just want to be treated with respect. History will someday record Governor Stitt’s final State of the State address as one of the last gasps of an anti-tribe mindset of a thankfully bygone era. Oklahoma leaders and tribal leaders can soon begin the hard but necessary work of joining together to solve problems and work together toward a bright future for our state.
Seminole Nation Principal Chief Sena Davis-Yesslith did not hold back, expressing her disdain for Stitt’s rhetoric. The statement reads:
As I looked down over the Oklahoma legislators, I asked myself, ‘Is there anything I could say to make our situation worse?” Is there anything any of us can say to this “Indian man named Kevin Stitt” that would mend Oklahoma’s tribal relationships? The answer is no. If you did not listen to or watch the State of the State address, I encourage you to do so. There was a key phrase Stitt used that stood out to me the most: “When you’re young, you learn to read. When you grow older, you read to learn.” This is a statement he clearly does not live by, nor does he appear to read to better comprehend or retain knowledge of tribal treaties. The treaties our ancestors believed were written to protect our people, our land, our culture, and ultimately our rights were not honored as promised, at least not in full. What one must understand is that treaties are the supreme law of the land. They are binding agreements between the federal government and tribes, intended to foster relationships between the government, the tribe, and the state.
Choctaw Nation Chief Gary Batton found Stitt’s address to be an inaccurate portrait of history and current affairs. The statement reads,
The Choctaw Nation has always been and remains committed to mutually beneficial cooperation with the state of Oklahoma. Unfortunately, Gov. Stitt continues to misrepresent our relationship, the current state of affairs and our history. Tribes and Tribal members have sovereign rights, which are based not on race, but on treaties and other agreements between our nations and the United States. Gov. Stitt must recognize this history and respect what it means today. Unlike corporate entities that can come and go, the Choctaw Nation has always been and will always be a vital part of Oklahoma. We wish Gov. Stitt could see this. Until then, we will continue to work with the Legislature and other officials to advance everyone’s interests.
Stitt’s term will end on January 11, 2027.
