Native Rights Activists Protest Tulsa's Decision To Revisit McGirt Ruling

Native rights activists are planning a protest against the city of Tulsa's decision to ask the U.S. Supreme Court to revisit its ruling on tribal jurisdiction.

The protest is planned during the city's Indian Affairs Commission meeting at 6:30.

The city and state claim the ruling has hampered their ability to prosecute crimes involving Native Americans.

David Hall, the Muscogee Nation Principal Chief, released a statement saying he's disappointed in the city's decision to try to get the Supreme Court to overturn its ruling and that prosecuting criminal cases will take trust between the state and the tribes.

Mayor G.T Bynum also released a statement following the Greater Tulsa Indian Affairs Commission meeting.

“Tonight the members of the Greater Tulsa Indian Affairs Commission did their job. They provided a forum for concerns and viewpoints from our Native American community to be shared. I appreciate their work. As mayor, my job is to protect the citizens of Tulsa. When criminals are not being prosecuted by tribal and federal courts, we should not withhold that information from the Supreme Court. We have a responsibility to the victims of those crimes to share that information, and have done so through our amicus brief," Bynum said. “I think the world of the tribal leaders we have in the Cherokee, Muscogee, and Osage Nations. They have been incredibly important collaborators with me during my time as mayor, and they will continue to be in the future. Leaders can have principled disagreements and still work together for the common good, and my hope is that will be the case here.”