The Tulsa City Council approved a conveyance of city‑owned parkland to the Muscogee (Creek) Nation on Oct. 15 while several public commenters urged the council to delay the transfer until internal tribal disputes over Freedmen citizenship are resolved.

Councilors voted to approve a packet of items that included the land transfer; the motion passed with an emergency clause on several items. The council’s action followed earlier negotiations between city staff and the Nation on the terms of the handover and an extended period in which staff and tribal legal teams worked to finalize paperwork and easements.

During public comment, several residents identified themselves as descendants of Creek Freedmen and said they had been denied citizenship by the tribal government despite a Muscogee‑tribal court decision. Nicholas Martin said he had applied for Muscogee citizenship and been denied and urged the council to “stop this outrageous vote to give [the] park to the Creek Nation” until descendants’ claims are honored. Ron Graham, chairman of a Muscogee Creek Indian Freedmen group, cited a 1983 denial of his citizenship application and asked the council to consider the court rulings and community claims before finalizing the transfer.

Councilors acknowledged the public concerns but framed the vote before them as a city‑level land conveyance to a sovereign tribal government. Council members emphasized that the council does not have authority over internal tribal citizenship rules and that the transfer responds to a request from the Nation to manage and maintain a culturally significant site. Several councilors said they viewed the conveyance as an act of repair and an opportunity to return property considered sacred to tribal stewardship.

What the council approved

The council approved items 4b through 4o on the agenda — including the conveyance to the Muscogee (Creek) Nation — and applied an emergency clause to items 4b through 4d to accelerate implementation. The emergency clause and votes were recorded during the Oct. 15 meeting; the record shows unanimous votes for the grouped items.

Why the issue drew comment

Commenters urged the council to consider a July Muscogee Nation Supreme Court ruling and subsequent executive orders related to Freedmen citizenship and to pause the transfer while tribal leadership clarifies implementation steps. Speakers called the matter a question of rights and of tribal compliance with treaty and court requirements. Councilors repeatedly said they heard the concerns and encouraged tribal leaders and Freedmen claimants to resolve remaining issues within the Nation’s legal processes.

What happens next

The nation will assume responsibility for upkeep and stewardship of the conveyed parkland under terms negotiated with the city. The council’s approval does not change the Nation’s internal citizenship processes; commenters asked tribal leadership to honor the tribal court decision affecting Freedmen descendants.