Thread by @MuscogeeNation

Muscogee (Creek) Nation Principal Chief David Hill will attend the State of the State today at the Capitol in OKC at invitation of House Speaker Charles McCall.
Here’s his list of what he’ll be listening for:
Long🧵1/21

Hill: I am attending in support of the respectful working relationship the Muscogee (Creek) Nation has with the members of the Oklahoma Legislature. My attendance should not be construed as support for the Oklahoma governor… 2/21

Hill: …nor his obsessive, incendiary rhetoric and actions that have worked against the interests of tribal nations and all who live in Oklahoma.
But, as I said in my State of the Nation remarks last month, it’s never too late to begin anew. 3/21

Hill: I will listen closely to the Oklahoma governor’s remarks for any evidence that he has awakened to an understanding of the sovereign tribal nations within the state’s borders and how working together can improve public safety and the quality of life for all. 4/21

Hill: I will listen intently with the hope that the Oklahoma governor will stop his increasingly frequent efforts to frame his opposition to implementation of the McGirt ruling as concerns about racial equality. 5/21

Hill: Sovereignty is a matter of citizenship, not race. The Governor and his advisors know this to be true. 6/21

Hill: I will listen in hopes that the Governor will abandon the stories he spins of supposedly ‘unequal treatment’ under the law – given that these are merely examples of how jurisdictional overreach by the State… 7/21

Hill: … is being corrected based on the McGirt ruling. These stories don’t hold up under scrutiny. 8/21

Hill: I will listen closely to hear if the Governor is now ready to begin collaborating with fellow sovereigns, the tribal nations, to implement McGirt. The time is now. The U.S. Supreme Court has more than 30 times told the State, “No,” to its pleas to overturn the ruling. 9/21

Hill: I will listen for any recognition that the Governor has grown to understand that for every crime, there is a jurisdiction – even for persons who were wrongly convicted by the State and now are being re-arrested, prosecuted and convicted in federal or tribal courts. 10/21

Hill: I will listen with hope that the Governor will not repeat his ludicrous fiction of what Martin Luther King Jr. would think of McGirt. The Oklahoma governor is no Martin Luther King Jr. 11/21

Hill: Dr. King stood for truth and justice. The Governor’s pouting and dishonest fear-mongering about the effect of tribal sovereignty exhibit neither. 12/21

Hill: I will listen for any recognition from the Governor that all Oklahomans benefit when the tribal nations benefit. When the tribes expand healthcare options. When we open tribal businesses, Oklahomans have more opportunity. 13/21

Hill: Improved educational opportunities on the reservation benefit employers and communities across the state. The improvements tribal nations make to roads and bridges benefit all who traverse them. 14/21

Hill: I will listen for any sign that the Governor appreciates that the McGirt decision has paved the way for tribal nations to expand our law enforcement institutions and mirror the shared successes we’ve had in other sectors. 15/21

Hill: We have doubled the size of our police force. We have doubled the number of cross deputization agreements with other agencies and established a mobile command unit to facilitate collaboration across jurisdictions. We have added prosecutors, judges, and investigators. 16/21

Hill: I will listen to hear that the Governor recognizes that the tribal nations have made much progress on this front in collaboration with many local officials. To these individuals, I offer our nation’s gratitude as we look forward to a long and fruitful relationship. 17/21

Hill: I will listen to hear evidence of a change in the Governor’s heart & mind that could pave the way for the State & tribal nations to move forward–beyond the chaos, fear & misunderstanding that he has sowed. If that has changed, it is not too late for us to get to work. 18/21

Hill: I will listen knowing that if the Governor demonstrates that he is not capable of working with us, the Muscogee (Creek) Nation will be undeterred. The safety and security of our citizens and our friends and neighbors in the Reservation are far too important. 19/21

Hill: With or without the Oklahoma governor, we will continue to act in concert with our neighbors to build a better tomorrow. No amount of fear-mongering and false rhetoric will obscure the reality that we are stronger and better together. 20/21

Hill: The truth will ultimately be revealed. History will be the judge. 21/21

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