April 13, 2021
By News Director Jared Atha
During his appearance on Exploring Energy on 96.5 KECO, Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter announced that he has sent cease and desist letters to the Cheyenne & Arapaho Tribe of Oklahoma.
Hunter says the letters were sent out after receiving reports of oil and gas operators being taxed and regulated by the tribe, based on the recent McGirt v. Oklahoma ruling that applies mainly to tribal land on the east side of the state.
The McGirt ruling came from the U.S. Supreme Court last July on a 5-4 vote, saying that under the Indian Major Crimes Act, lands reserved for the Creek Nation in eastern Oklahoma constituted Indian Country. As a result, the state of Oklahoma could not legally try a Creek citizen for criminal conduct in state court. As a result multiple convictions have been thrown out and must be re-tried in tribal court.
The ruling, however, does not affect Cheyenne & Arapaho jurisdiction.
