Oklahoma Gov. Stitt won't renew hunting, fishing compacts with Cherokee, Choctaw tribes

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2busy

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I'm not in the club but wondering how this affects the state.
Molly Young, Oklahoman
Mon, December 13, 2021, 5:52 PM


Gov. Kevin Stitt will not extend Oklahoma's hunting and fishing compacts with the Cherokee and Choctaw nations.
The move comes as Stitt awaits a decision from the Supreme Court about whether it will reconsider its landmark McGirt ruling, which led courts to reaffirm the existence of the Cherokee and Choctaw reservations in eastern Oklahoma, as well as those of four other tribes.
Cherokee Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. and Choctaw Chief Gary Batton say they were notified Nov. 30 that the state would not renew the compacts under their current terms, which were negotiated in 2015 and 2016 by then-Gov. Mary Fallin. The tribes issued hunting licenses to citizens and reimbursed the state $2 for every license and paid state administrative fees.
Under the agreements, the Cherokee Nation agreed to buy at least 150,000 licenses a year, while the Choctaw Nation agreed to 50,000. The state-tribe agreements were heralded as firsts of their kind.
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Lt. Gov Matt Pinnell, who is also Oklahoma's wildlife, tourism and heritage secretary, wrote to the tribes Nov. 30, saying the state would be willing to enter new agreements in which the tribes agreed to pay full price for the licenses, because "we firmly believe all Oklahomans should receive equal treatment under the law and otherwise."
Pinnell said the $2 license fee represented a "steeply discounted rate." A standard combination hunting and fishing license for state residents costs $42. Deer and turkey tags, which must also be purchased by state residents, cost $20 and $10, respectively. Under the compact, Cherokee Nation citizens received one universal deer tag (antlered or antlerless) and one turkey tag per calendar year.
The compacts will now expire Dec. 31, according to the tribes, which are the two largest in the state.
Latest: Supreme Court may decide soon whether to reconsider McGirt
Hoskin and Batton issued a joint statement Monday morning criticizing Stitt and vowing to pursue treaty rights. The leaders of the Chickasaw, Muscogee and Seminole nations also joined the statement.
Leaders from the Cherokee and Choctaw tribes said Monday that Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt intends to cancel the state's hunting and fishing compacts with the tribes.

Leaders from the Cherokee and Choctaw tribes said Monday that Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt intends to cancel the state's hunting and fishing compacts with the tribes.
“Unfortunately, this is consistent with what we’ve seen from the governor since the Supreme Court’s McGirt decision," Hoskin said in the joint statement. "Whenever there is an opportunity to cooperate with tribes – whether on keeping criminals off the streets or on hunting and fishing rights – the governor has instead sought to undermine collaboration and claim McGirt created chaos."
Batton said Stitt is weighing personal concerns over the state's interests. “We hope he will change his stance and respect tribal sovereignty while protecting wildlife, generating revenue and improving the quality of life for Oklahomans," Batton said.
The governor's office issued a statement that noted Stitt had offered to enter into new hunting compacts with the tribes if they would pay the same license fees as other Oklahomans. "Personal attacks on the governor will not deter him from protecting the interests of all 4 million Oklahomans, including the state’s wildlife and natural resources," his office said.
The Cherokee Nation took effect Jan. 1, 2016, and the Choctaw Nation compact took effect Jan. 1, 2017. According to the tribes, the agreements have netted the state at least $38 million. The state spends the money generated from the agreements on wildlife management and other conservation efforts.
Stitt last signed off on one-year extensions to the agreements in December 2020, pushing out their expiration dates to Dec. 31, 2021.
“The state’s decision to end the hunting and fishing compacts with the Cherokee and Choctaw nations is disappointing especially in that it only hurts the state of Oklahoma, but the true intent is to demean tribal sovereignty," Muscogee Principal Chief David Hill said.
Molly Young covers Indigenous affairs for the USA Today Network's Sunbelt Region of Colorado, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Texas. Reach her at [email protected] or 405-347-3534.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Gov. Kevin Stitt won't renew hunting, fishing compacts with OK tribes
 

PBramble

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I'm sure the prices are where they are because of potential lost revenue. They are losing out on the cost of the license and tags every year. I know when I first moved to Oklahoma, I could drop a few hundred pretty quick buying yearly and adding in tags. But I am in agreement with across the board fees.
 

Glocktogo

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The standard price for hunting and fishing licenses and tags are what pays for statewide fish and wildlife conservation efforts. We should all want to pay for that, regardless of national affiliation. Oklahoma is a state of nations, but we all benefit from quality fish and wildlife programs.

McGirt absolutely wreaked havoc on criminal justice and public safety. This is retaliation, which is wrong, but I don’t believe the tribes expected so many unintended consequences. They’re ill equipped to deal with this debacle and piling on isn’t helping anything.

So I guess I believe this is the right call, but for all the wrong reasons.
 

swampratt

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Math ain't right or even close unless I am missing something.

Look at what was printed on how many license they agreed to .

Cherokee Nation agreed to buy at least 150,000 licenses a year, while the Choctaw Nation agreed to 50,000. The state-tribe agreements were heralded as firsts of their kind.

Now look here at 2020 wildlife department annual report.
what was purchased.
https://www.wildlifedepartment.com/sites/default/files/Sales and Revenue Counts FY20.pdf

got that here under annual report.
https://www.wildlifedepartment.com/about-the-odwc

3008 license for combo hunt fish from Cherokee nation.
And only 152 license from Choctaw nation. yes 2x the money for a whopping $304

What am I missing here?

Someone not fulfilling the contract or what.
 

rickm

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Dont know about the Cherokee but the Choctaws will milk the local communities and the state dry if they can and give nothing in return. I have seen it several times where the Choctaws wants something done but it is always in their favor and dont want to pay for anything that they cant make money on.
 

trippinrulz

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I'm not in the club but wondering how this affects the state.
Molly Young, Oklahoman
Mon, December 13, 2021, 5:52 PM


Gov. Kevin Stitt will not extend Oklahoma's hunting and fishing compacts with the Cherokee and Choctaw nations.
The move comes as Stitt awaits a decision from the Supreme Court about whether it will reconsider its landmark McGirt ruling, which led courts to reaffirm the existence of the Cherokee and Choctaw reservations in eastern Oklahoma, as well as those of four other tribes.
Cherokee Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. and Choctaw Chief Gary Batton say they were notified Nov. 30 that the state would not renew the compacts under their current terms, which were negotiated in 2015 and 2016 by then-Gov. Mary Fallin. The tribes issued hunting licenses to citizens and reimbursed the state $2 for every license and paid state administrative fees.
Under the agreements, the Cherokee Nation agreed to buy at least 150,000 licenses a year, while the Choctaw Nation agreed to 50,000. The state-tribe agreements were heralded as firsts of their kind.
- ADVERTISEMENT -
Lt. Gov Matt Pinnell, who is also Oklahoma's wildlife, tourism and heritage secretary, wrote to the tribes Nov. 30, saying the state would be willing to enter new agreements in which the tribes agreed to pay full price for the licenses, because "we firmly believe all Oklahomans should receive equal treatment under the law and otherwise."
Pinnell said the $2 license fee represented a "steeply discounted rate." A standard combination hunting and fishing license for state residents costs $42. Deer and turkey tags, which must also be purchased by state residents, cost $20 and $10, respectively. Under the compact, Cherokee Nation citizens received one universal deer tag (antlered or antlerless) and one turkey tag per calendar year.
The compacts will now expire Dec. 31, according to the tribes, which are the two largest in the state.
Latest: Supreme Court may decide soon whether to reconsider McGirt
Hoskin and Batton issued a joint statement Monday morning criticizing Stitt and vowing to pursue treaty rights. The leaders of the Chickasaw, Muscogee and Seminole nations also joined the statement.
Leaders from the Cherokee and Choctaw tribes said Monday that Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt intends to cancel the state's hunting and fishing compacts with the tribes.

Leaders from the Cherokee and Choctaw tribes said Monday that Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt intends to cancel the state's hunting and fishing compacts with the tribes.
“Unfortunately, this is consistent with what we’ve seen from the governor since the Supreme Court’s McGirt decision," Hoskin said in the joint statement. "Whenever there is an opportunity to cooperate with tribes – whether on keeping criminals off the streets or on hunting and fishing rights – the governor has instead sought to undermine collaboration and claim McGirt created chaos."
Batton said Stitt is weighing personal concerns over the state's interests. “We hope he will change his stance and respect tribal sovereignty while protecting wildlife, generating revenue and improving the quality of life for Oklahomans," Batton said.
The governor's office issued a statement that noted Stitt had offered to enter into new hunting compacts with the tribes if they would pay the same license fees as other Oklahomans. "Personal attacks on the governor will not deter him from protecting the interests of all 4 million Oklahomans, including the state’s wildlife and natural resources," his office said.
The Cherokee Nation took effect Jan. 1, 2016, and the Choctaw Nation compact took effect Jan. 1, 2017. According to the tribes, the agreements have netted the state at least $38 million. The state spends the money generated from the agreements on wildlife management and other conservation efforts.
Stitt last signed off on one-year extensions to the agreements in December 2020, pushing out their expiration dates to Dec. 31, 2021.
“The state’s decision to end the hunting and fishing compacts with the Cherokee and Choctaw nations is disappointing especially in that it only hurts the state of Oklahoma, but the true intent is to demean tribal sovereignty," Muscogee Principal Chief David Hill said.
Molly Young covers Indigenous affairs for the USA Today Network's Sunbelt Region of Colorado, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Texas. Reach her at [email protected] or 405-347-3534.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Gov. Kevin Stitt won't renew hunting, fishing compacts with OK tribes
He’s giving away millions of dollars because he’s a racist against the tribes. Mark the words the tribes are going to assert sovereignty over tribal lands and no tribal members will a state license.
 

Glocktogo

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He’s giving away millions of dollars because he’s a racist against the tribes. Mark the words the tribes are going to assert sovereignty over tribal lands and no tribal members will a state license.
How is $6,320 “millions of dollars”???
 

Okieprepper

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Dont know about the Cherokee but the Choctaws will milk the local communities and the state dry if they can and give nothing in return. I have seen it several times where the Choctaws wants something done but it is always in their favor and dont want to pay for anything that they cant make money on.
That's how they build and secure their so called "Sovereignty." Tribal leaders are trying to rebuild the wealth and control they lost from the effects of the Dawes commission which gave individual land ownership to tribal members. When that happened tribal members became less reliant on the tribal governments and direction for their livelihoods. Sound familiar? There is less than 5% of the Dawes land still in the hands of tribal members. Todays tribal ideology is that the citizens should return to being dependent on one another, submissive to the chief and become a nation state of their own. Obviously, this is why they don't pursue non-lucrative ventures as it doesn't strengthen the tribe. I won't mis those free hunting and fishing licenses because I can hunt and fish on tribal nation counties for free anyway. But, the ODWC may miss the funding. I wish they were still getting it. -Choctaw by blood, patriot by choice.
 
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