Today, following arguments before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit in Hooper v. City of Tulsa, Chuck Hoskin, Jr., Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation, issued the following statement:
“In federal court today, those seeking to limit the sovereignty of tribes over our land were questioned as to why they believe a defunct provision of territorial era law now applies, despite its inconsistency with precedent and how jurisdictional matters in Oklahoma have been handled since statehood. As those who listened to arguments could clearly hear, no fact-based explanation was provided. Instead, the court heard clear arguments as to why it should respect long-standing constitutional principles on tribal sovereignty, criminal jurisdiction, and precedent surrounding our relationship with federal, state and local governments.
“The Cherokee Nation is confident that the law is on our side, expresses its gratitude to those who spoke on behalf of tribes today, and looks forward to a decision that stands on the side of history.”