Protesters Question Legitimacy Of Forum On Tribal Jurisdiction Ruling: ‘It’s One Sided’

Before a forum Tuesday night on the Supreme Court’s ruling on tribal jurisdiction, protesters gathered on a street corner to counter what they saw as underrepresentation.

Protestors said the forum was one-sided and were frustrated most of all by who wasn't on the panel Tuesday night.

They questioned the legitimacy of a discussion on tribal jurisdiction where there wasn't any formal representation from the tribes.

Related Story: Oklahoma District Attorneys Speak At Public Forum On Tribal Jurisdiction

The protest started with speeches outside the building. The members of tribal nations believe the Supreme Court's ruling was a long time coming, but the meeting an affront to it.

Protestors said they believed the forum wasn't held in good faith.

For example, the Muskogee Nation's Principal Chief David Hill said in a statement, "I hope our citizens respect my decision not to attend. But I believe firmly that government officials who wish to undermine sovereignty should not expect that we will help them do it by participating in every sensational scheme they can conjure up."

Brenda Golden organized the protest and she echoed the chief.

"It's one-sided and so we decided, as we talked amongst ourselves, that we needed to some type of representation to show that we actually support the McGirt ruling," she said.

News on 6 asked both sides about why there wasn't any tribal representation on the panel.

The Governor's Office forwarded an email exchange showing that it extended an invitation to the tribes to join.

However, the Cherokee Nation said they did not see the emails as legitimate invitation to be a part of the panel and speak. They believed the invite was instead an invitation to come and observe.