MVSKOKE RESERVATION – Two ballot initiatives passed by the Muscogee (Creek) National Council during the Sept. 27 Regular Session made it to MCN Principal Chief David Hill’s desk on Sept. 29. One was approved. The other one was vetoed.
The approved ballot initiative, NCA 25-087, will decide whether to replace the word “Muscogee” with the traditional spelling “Mvskoke” in the Constitution, as well as removing the word “Creek” altogether. The vetoed ballot initiative, NCA 25-090, would have decided whether to set term limits for National Council Representatives.
The MCN Election Board confirmed that no initiatives will appear on the November run-off election ballot. A special election will have to be called by the Executive Branch for citizens to ratify NCA 25-087.
National Council Secretary Alicia Stroble confirmed the status of the ballot initiatives in an email statement. According to her, NCA 25-090 will appear as a veto on the Planning Session agenda for the October Quarterly Session.
According to language in NCA 25-087, the legislation seeks to go back to the “proper spelling and historical locations in our Districts to our unique language and culture.” The word “Creek” will be deleted because it was a word used by Europeans to describe the Mvskoke Confederacy whose Tribal Towns were located on or near creeks and rivers. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) classifies the Mvskoke language as “definitely endangered.” The traditional spelling, Mvskoke, is used for Festival, the Dome, honor guards and various Tribal government departments.
The question on NCA 25-087 will appear on an election ballot as “Shall the Constitution of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation be amended to replace ‘Muscogee’ with the traditional spelling of ‘Mvskoke’ and delete the word ‘Creek’ throughout the Constitution?” Voters will either checkmark a box for “YES” or “NO”. In order for the ordinance to be approved, it will need to be ratified by a two-third majority by voters to become law.
The legislation was sponsored by Representative Mark Randolph. It was cosponsored by Representative Leonard Gouge, Representative Thomasene Yahola Osborn, Representative Robert Hufft, Representative Nelson Harjo Sr., Representative Dode Barnett, Representative Patrick Freeman Jr. and Representative Sandra Golden.
According to remarks made by Representative Thomasine Yahola Osborn at the regular session, the request to amend the Constitution to include term limits has been on the minds of council members and citizens alike. When the amendment was brought on the floor for discussion during the Regular Session, Rep. Osborn said the topic has been brought up many times.
“I’ve had this discussion on term limits with a few colleagues over the years. We’ve been asked this question during forums during election year,” Rep. Osborn said. “Most recently we were asked this question in Muskogee at their forum. Most candidates said that they’d support it (term limits). I’ve had one person reach out to me recommending that this be two terms instead of three but I’ve had more reach out to me happy that we’re accepting term limits.”
The question on NCA 25-090 would have appeared on the ballot as “Council representatives shall be limited to a total of three terms, whether served in consecutive terms of office or non-consecutive terms. A term shall not include a partial term created by election to fill a vacancy. This law shall become effective with the filling of seat B terms beginning in January 2026.” If the amendment is eventually put on the ballot, it will need to be ratified by the required two-thirds of voters to become law.
Mvskoke Media reached out to the Executive Branch for comment if a Special Election will be called this year. As of time of publishing, the Executive Branch has not provided comment on the NCA 25-090 veto, or if a special election will be called for NCA 25-087. Mvskoke Media will continue to provide updates on if and when these ballot initiatives will appear in a special election.
