Cherokee Chief Reverses Order Banning Oklahoma Flag Amid Fight With GOP Governor: ‘Sowing Division Was… Not My Intent’
Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. reversed an executive order that banned the Oklahoma flag from tribal properties after he faced backlash.
Hoskin is a Democrat who was elected to lead the country’s largest tribe in 2019. He has been engaged in a battle of wills with Gov. Kevin Stitt (R-OK) since shortly after he took office.
Last week, Hoskin gave all Cherokee properties until Sep. 1 to remove the Oklahoma flag. The chief said the flag would only be flown under strict circumstances. Hoskin wrote:
The Cherokee Nation is a sovereign entity with jurisdiction over our reservation, and the use of the Cherokee Nation flag on our land should reflect the strength and determination of the Cherokee people over these 113 years.
The Oklahoma state flag remains in use at events involving Oklahoma government leadership or honoring visiting dignitaries and service in the Oklahoma National Guard.
Backlash was swift, which Hoskin noted in a Tuesday statement announcing he would reverse the order.
“Cherokee Nation is both a sovereign tribal government and a democracy,” Hoskin stated. “My responsibility to the former prompted the removal of Oklahoma flags from our properties last week, reserving it only for special occasions. My responsibility to the latter leads me to restore the state flag this week.”
The chief added he did not intend to create political division when he banned his state’s flag from tribal property. Hoskin wrote:
During the past week, I have heard from many Cherokee citizens and from members of our Council whom I respect deeply. While some have expressed approval, the vast majority were opposed. Opposition to my decision to remove the state flag included a concern that the move further divided the state and the tribe at a time where good relations between both governments are more important than ever.
There has been a lot of conversation on this topic in the past week. Reasonable people can disagree on this subject, and they plainly do. During the past week I gave heard from many Cherokee citizens and from members of our Council who I respect deeply. While some have expressed approval, the vast majority were opposed.
Hoskin added, “Sowing division was certainly not my intent,” and admitted some “misinterpreted” the ban as a “response to Governor Stitt’s unending assault on tribal sovereignty.”
Stitt, a Republican, has challenged the authority of Oklahoma’s tribes since a landmark Supreme Court ruling in 2020.
In McGirt v. Oklahoma, the court ruled tribal jurisdiction superseded that of state in much of Oklahoma. As a result, crimes involving a Native American perpetrator or victim on tribal territory must be tried in federal court.
Stitt has complained the ruling has strained resources and set criminals free.
He has challenged the tribes both in court and in the media.
