- Details
- By Chuck Hoskin Jr
Guest Opinion. The United States Supreme Court’s disconcerting decision in Oklahoma v. Castro-Huerta will go down in history as a ruling against legal precedent and the basic principles of federal Indian law. Tragically, it is another broken promise from the federal government to tribes. A narrow 5-4 majority of the Supreme Court has ignored its sacred responsibility to uphold the law when it comes to federal treaties with Native sovereign nations.
In Castro-Huerta, the court sided with Oklahoma’s claim that it can prosecute certain crimes committed against Indian citizens on Indian reservations. That claim goes against decades of precedents and laws, not just in Oklahoma but across the United States.
We know this decision is a betrayal to our sovereign nations in Oklahoma, and it will have far reaching impacts on all federally-recognized tribes. Justice Neil Gorsuch said it best in his dissenting opinion, “this Court once stood firm, today it wilts.” During arguments, Justice Gorsuch asked if the Court would “wilt today because of a social media campaign.” That answer, sadly was yes. As Justice Gorsuch wrote, “Truly, a more ahistorical and mistaken statement of Indian law would be hard to fathom.”
Still, the Court has refused to overturn its 2020 McGirt decision, despite Governor Kevin Stitt’s prolonged and deceitful effort to attack tribal sovereignty and paint a blatantly false picture of chaos. The Castro-Huerta ruling does not change McGirt’s reaffirmation of reservations in eastern Oklahoma, and it does not take away any tribal or federal jurisdiction to prosecute crimes on our land.
Since the 2020 McGirt ruling, the affected tribes, including the Cherokee Nation, have invested millions to expand our justice systems and policing abilities. We have worked with all state, local and federal partners who are willing to work with us to meet our public safety responsibilities. We all have the same goal of protecting people.
Going forward into a new chapter of concurrent jurisdiction, tribes will continue to seek partnership with state authorities while expanding our own justice systems. We hope that with these legal questions behind us, Governor Stitt will finally lay his anti-tribal agenda to rest and come to the table to move forward with us – for the sake of Oklahomans and public safety.
While we are disheartened by this ruling, we will not back off from our obligation to protect our people and all Oklahomans within the 7,000-square-mile Cherokee Nation Reservation. From the beginning we have sought to work together with Oklahoma and the federal government, and nothing about that has changed. We will continue to both defend our rights and meet our responsibilities to other governments, and we will fight for a day when the state and federal governments meet their sacred responsibilities to us.
We have many allies who will stand with us in the state of Oklahoma, in Congress and the federal government, in other tribal nations, and across the United States. Millions of Oklahomans and Americans know that cooperation and respect for treaties is the best path forward, no matter what the current Supreme Court says today.
This ruling is a setback, but our ancestors endured worse. They built and rebuilt a great Cherokee Nation despite attempts to erase us. We will continue their legacy.
Chuck Hoskin, Jr. is the principal chief of the Cherokee Nation.
More Stories Like This
Leading the Way in Rare Disease AdvocacyFor Native Communities, Medicaid Is a Promise Washington Must Keep
“One Beautiful Bill” Would Be a Tragic Setback for Indian Country
Federal Courts Left (Not) to Protect Sacred Sites
Joining the Call to Save Job Corps
Help us tell the stories that could save Native languages and food traditions
At a critical moment for Indian Country, Native News Online is embarking on our most ambitious reporting project yet: "Cultivating Culture," a three-year investigation into two forces shaping Native community survival—food sovereignty and language revitalization.
The devastating impact of COVID-19 accelerated the loss of Native elders and with them, irreplaceable cultural knowledge. Yet across tribal communities, innovative leaders are fighting back, reclaiming traditional food systems and breathing new life into Native languages. These aren't just cultural preservation efforts—they're powerful pathways to community health, healing, and resilience.
Our dedicated reporting team will spend three years documenting these stories through on-the-ground reporting in 18 tribal communities, producing over 200 in-depth stories, 18 podcast episodes, and multimedia content that amplifies Indigenous voices. We'll show policymakers, funders, and allies how cultural restoration directly impacts physical and mental wellness while celebrating successful models of sovereignty and self-determination.
This isn't corporate media parachuting into Indian Country for a quick story. This is sustained, relationship-based journalism by Native reporters who understand these communities. It's "Warrior Journalism"—fearless reporting that serves the 5.5 million readers who depend on us for news that mainstream media often ignores.
We need your help right now. While we've secured partial funding, we're still $450,000 short of our three-year budget. Our immediate goal is $25,000 this month to keep this critical work moving forward—funding reporter salaries, travel to remote communities, photography, and the deep reporting these stories deserve.
Every dollar directly supports Indigenous journalists telling Indigenous stories. Whether it's $5 or $50, your contribution ensures these vital narratives of resilience, innovation, and hope don't disappear into silence.
The stakes couldn't be higher. Native languages are being lost at an alarming rate. Food insecurity plagues many tribal communities. But solutions are emerging, and these stories need to be told.
Support independent Native journalism. Fund the stories that matter.
Levi Rickert (Potawatomi), Editor & Publisher