Strengthening Cherokee Sovereignty: Building a Stronger, Independent Future

As Cherokee citizens, our sovereignty is our greatest strength. It’s the foundation our ancestors built and the responsibility we must carry forward for future generations. While the recent tag compact between the Cherokee Nation and the State of Oklahoma has been finalized, we need to critically examine how this agreement—and other state policies—impact our sovereignty and self-governance.

Here’s where I stand:

1. Protecting Our Lands from Outside Control: The Oklahoma Turnpike Authority (OTA) operates on Cherokee land without a dedicated compact with our Nation. Under the new tag agreement, the Cherokee Nation agreed to pay the OTA $2 million over three years to settle over $9 million in unpaid tolls. This raises important questions:

   
   

   • Why are we paying the state to access our own lands?

     
     

   • Why is the OTA allowed to operate on Cherokee land without compensating our Nation?

     
     

   The OTA is a business operating within our reservation and should not do so without a formal agreement that benefits the Cherokee Nation. Our citizens should have the freedom to travel within our lands without state-imposed tolls. This is about asserting our sovereignty and protecting our right to govern our own territory.

   
   

2. Ending Unfair Taxation of Tribal Citizens: Despite our sovereign status, Cherokee citizens continue to face illegal taxation by the State of Oklahoma. This is not just unfair—it’s unlawful. In the 1993 Supreme Court case Oklahoma Tax Commission v. Sac and Fox Nation, the Court ruled that states cannot tax the income or personal property of tribal citizens living and working within their reservation lands. Yet, the State of Oklahoma continues to impose income taxes and other financial burdens on our people, directly undermining our Nation’s autonomy.

   
   

   It’s time to demand accountability. Cherokee citizens should not be subject to state taxation on tribal lands. The law is on our side—we must act on it.

   
   

3. Investing in Our Sovereignty: Every dollar generated by the Cherokee Nation should stay within the Nation. We must prioritize strengthening our independence by:

   
   

   • Developing a Cherokee tax code that reflects our sovereignty.

     
     

   • Issuing tribal driver's licenses to our citizens.

     
     

   • Managing and maintaining our own roadways and infrastructure.

     
     

   • Negotiating fair agreements with businesses like the OTA that operate within our lands.

     
     

   These steps will reduce our reliance on the State of Oklahoma and empower us to fully exercise our self-governance.

   
   

Moving Forward, Together: I deeply respect the leadership that has brought us this far, but it’s time we have honest and open conversations about protecting our sovereignty and securing a stronger, more independent future. This means making decisions that put our people, our lands, and our Nation first.