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Commission says Muscogee Nation litigation has short extension; tribal council action could clear way for mayoral sign-off
Summary
At the June 17 meeting the commission’s director of tribal policy said both parties requested a short court extension and that language agreed between Tulsa and the Muscogee Nation has passed a tribal council committee; a regular council meeting this week could clear the way for mayoral signature and a judge’s final approval.
The director of tribal policy and partnerships for the Greater Tulsa Area Aid Affairs Commission reported June 17 that a pending legal matter with the Muscogee Nation has been extended briefly in court and that tribal-council action this week could allow for mayoral sign-off and a judge’s final approval.
The director of tribal policy and partnerships said, “we finally reached a place where we have some agreeable language between us and the tribe,” and that the tribe “was able to get it passed through their council committee,” but the document could not be approved in an emergency session. The director added that “it will go before their regular council meeting, on the 20 first this coming Saturday,” after which it would be ready for the mayor’s signature and then final approval by the judge.
Why it matters: the director described the item as the largest item currently on the commission’s radar, and said the administration and tribal leaders were coordinating language to resolve outstanding issues. The director also said the governor had submitted comments in response to a request for an extension.
Commission staff said they are also arranging intergovernmental meetings tied to the litigation schedule. The director reported ongoing work to schedule the next intertribal meeting with the mayor and three chiefs and indicated a tentative date of July 7 that currently works for the Muscogee Nation and the Cherokee Nation; staff asked commission members to help secure the Osage Nation’s participation.
No formal action or vote on the litigation was recorded at the commission meeting. Commissioners and staff framed the discussion as status updates on litigation timing and intergovernmental coordination rather than policy decisions by the commission.
Next steps: staff said they expect the tribal council’s regular meeting action to occur this week and, if approved, the document would proceed to the mayor for signature and then to the court for final approval. The commission will convene its planned intertribal meeting after those steps are resolved.
