“It is time for Gov. Stitt and the ODWC to stand down, respect federal law and return to the collaborative partnership with tribal nations that has served Oklahoma’s conservation interests for decades,” – Gentner Drummond
MVSKOKE RESERVATION – The Oklahoma Supreme Court sided with Attorney General Genter Drummond’s legal opinion on Tuesday, March 24, defending Tribal citizens’ right to hunting and fishing on the Five Tribes’ Reservations. The issue surrounded Tribal citizens receiving citations for hunting on the Mvskoke Reservation without Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (ODWC)-issued licenses. The Nation filed a lawsuit against the ODWC on Monday, Jan. 5.
AG 2025-19, released on Thursday, Dec., 18, 2025, details that Tribal citizens hunting and fishing on their Tribal reservation was a protected sovereign right. Governor Kevin Stitt and the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (OWDC) then asked the Oklahoma Supreme Court to uphold the citations. Drummond contested that this would override established federal law.
“This ruling is another rejection of Gov. Stitt’s unlawful campaign against tribal citizens exercising their long-held rights,” Drummond said. “The Court would not be used as a tool to override settled federal law and decades of cooperative wildlife management. My position has never wavered: federal law is clear, and it is my duty to uphold it.”
MCN Principal Chief David Hill shared his thoughts on the ruling in a Tuesday, March 24 Facebook post. The post reads:
“Man….another L for the wrong side of history. And just in time for the crappie spawn! You love to see it!”
Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. praised the Oklahoma Supreme Court in a public statement released on Facebook on Tuesday, March 24. In the statement, Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Hoskin affirmed that hunting is a decades-long sovereign right that can not be contested by those who seek to overrule it.
“The Cherokee Nation applauds the Oklahoma Supreme Court today for following the rule of law in recognition of tribal sovereignty,” Cherokee Principal Chief Hoskin said. “Our people have possessed long-standing hunting and fishing rights upon these lands, rights forever guaranteed by our treaties with the United States government and deeply woven into our tribal laws. While there have been misguided attempts to attack our right to hunt and fish by Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt, this ruling represents a powerful affirmation of our enduring rights and a rejection of his lawless efforts to diminish our sovereignty.”
The dispute will now be resolved by a federal court, where the Cherokee Nation, the Chickasaw Nation, and the Choctaw Nation have filed a lawsuit. MCN hunting permits can be obtained online. Currently, the Five Tribe Reciprocity Agreement allows Choctaw, Cherokee, Chickasaw, and Seminole citizens to hunt on the Mvskoke Reservation with a permit. Fishing permits are no longer necessary when carrying your MCN citizenship card. More information about the MCN Wildlife Department can be found here.
