Oklahoma's five civilized tribes mark 100th anniversary

As Oklahoma gets ready to celebrate its centennial, it's important to recognize the fact the Oklahoma would not exist today if it weren't for the presence of sovereign Indian nations. <br/><br/>So

Wednesday, April 26th 2006, 1:01 pm

By: News On 6

As Oklahoma gets ready to celebrate its centennial, it's important to recognize the fact the Oklahoma would not exist today if it weren't for the presence of sovereign Indian nations.

So Wednesday, the Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Seminole and Muscogee Creek nations commemorated the 100th anniversary of the Act of 1906, also known as the Five Civilized Tribes Act. A precursor to statehood, the act of 1906 reinforced the continuance of the tribal governments of the Five Civilized Tribes.

Jefferson Keel with the Chickasaw Nation: "the 5 civilized tribes were already here and had a real impact on how Oklahoma was organized as a state and all the laws that were in place at the time."

Oklahoma became a state on November 16, 1907, meaning we celebrate our centennial next year.