Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond says his office will dismiss the case against a Choctaw tribal member charged with hunting without a state license in Indian Country, calling the prosecution an affront to tribal sovereignty.
“I will not permit a petulant lame duck governor to further injure the state’s relationship with our valuable tribal partners simply because he is unwilling to compact,” Drummond said. “This is another senseless attempt to ignore the sovereignty of the tribal nations in Oklahoma, and it cannot be tolerated.”
Drummond said his office will take over the case of State of Oklahoma v. Shawn Robertson and dismiss the charge of hunting without a license. Robertson, a member of the Choctaw Nation, was charged last week in Pushmataha County. Drummond added that any future cases filed against Native Americans for hunting on tribal land without a state license will be immediately dismissed by his office.
Choctaw Nation Chief Gary Batton praised the Attorney General’s action, saying it affirms longstanding tribal rights. “We are a sovereign nation, and Tribal members have an unquestionable right to hunt and fish on our reservation, using their membership card as their license,” Batton said. “We applaud Attorney General Drummond’s commitment to following the law and respecting tribal sovereignty.”
