OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. — The leaders of the states five largest tribes, originally known as the Five Civilized Tribes, endorsed State Superintendent Joy Hofmeister (D) for governor Tuesday.
It was the first time the group, known today as the Inter-Tribal Council of the Five Tribes, has ever openly endorsed a single candidate for office.
“We haven’t had a seat at the table in years,” said Muscogee Chief David Hill. “What I like about her is that she sits at a round table where we all have a voice, not a rectangle where she insists on being the head and the only one that matters at the end.”
While the group did not say the words “McGirt”, “gaming”, or even “hunting and fishing”, it was clear four years of constant conflict between the tribes and the governor’s office lead to them breaking precedent and openly endorsing Hofmeister. “We need a governor who sees 39 tribes as partners, not 39 individual enemies of the state,” Hoskin said.
Hofmeister and the tribes told FOX23 nothing was promised to them specifically in order for the endorsement to happen, she just simply agreed to give the tribes a seat at the governor’s table to voice their opinions and concerns if elected, and she vowed to end constant court battles between the state and the Indian nations within its boundaries on numerous issues that have replaced traditional amiable relations between the state and the tribes.
“The last time I know for sure we had good relations with the state or at least we’re being heard even if we didn’t get everything we wanted was under Governor [Mary] Fallin,” said Hill. Hill attended Governor Kevin Stitt’s recent State of the State Address in Tulsa last August and said the tone was offensive not because of what was said but what wasn’t in Stitt’s speech.
“With everything we do, especially for northeastern Oklahoma, he didn’t mention a single tribe once,” Hill said. “He doesn’t talk to us.”
Hoskin said the decision for the five tribes to endorse Hofmeister came about only recently. “When we realized after the primary this summer that we had two viable candidates for office, and only one of them was open to tribal voices, we knew this was a major announcement we had to make,” Hoskin said.
Hoskin said decisions made over the next four years between the state and the tribes on many issues will have a generational impact. “For many Oklahomans this race is for the next four years, but there are decisions made right now that will have generational impacts,” he said.
Stitt’s campaign in a response to the announcement on Monday released a statement saying the tribal leaders don’t speak for the members of all tribes in Oklahoma, and Stitt has said openly for months he believes the tribes are using dark money tactics to unseat him.
FOX23 asked Hill and Hoskin about those claims. Hill said the Muscogee (Creek) Nation does not make those kinds expenditures such as TV ads from groups with vague but patriotic sounding names and has other priorities it focuses its money on. Hoskin said the Cherokee Nation openly supports and gives resources to Hofmeister’s campaign, but said it was being done openly and not behind closed doors.
“There are ways to see how we spend our money,” Hoskin said. “We openly support Joy Hofmeister.”
In response to some postings on social media in the wake of the announcement Monday, FOX23 asked Hofmeister if she was giving away her administration to “special interests”. “The people of Oklahoma are my only special interests,” Hofmeister said.
She went on to tout her years as state superintendent where the tribes have had a seat at the table in crafting policy, but she pointed out they weren’t the only voice.
“We have always been partners, and I want them to continue to be my partners as governor,” she said. Collectively the Inter-Tribal Council of the Five Tribes represents the tribal government of 800,000 Oklahomans.
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