As the state’s energy industry awaits a firm decision on the impact of the U.S. Supreme Court McGirt ruling that said tribes still have control over some Eastern Oklahoma lands, the city of Tulsa entered the fray this week.
The city filed an amicus brief challenging tribal sovereignty and it prompted Tulsa Democratic Rep. Monroe Nichols to respond with disappointment.
“For as long as I can remember, the City of Tulsa has had a strong and cooperative relationship with the tribal nations,” he said Thursday in a statement issued by the State House.
“It is disappointing to see my hometown mayor, without consulting the city council or native leaders, align himself with a Governor that continues a relentless attack on tribal sovereignty,” added the Representative.
He charged that Tulsa’s mayor has in effect “ traded decades of cooperation and mutual respect between tribes and the city for nothing more than a political talking point for Governor Stitt.”
Rep. Nichols said he stands in solidarity with the Tulsa Indian Affairs Commission and native leaders.
“ I encourage Mayor Bynum to take a step back, withdraw the amicus brief and do what he was elected to do, which is to bring people together for the betterment of Tulsa.”