Legislation | Litigation

Mayor cites Kialegee casino in going after Indian fireworks stand

Friday, June 29, 2012

The mayor of Tulsa, Oklahoma, sent authorities to a fireworks stand on an Indian allotment, claiming he wants to avoid disputes like the one over the Kialegee Tribal Town casino.

The city lacks jurisdiction over the allotment but Mayor Dewey Bartlett sent police offiers and fire marshals there anyway and threatened to confiscate fireworks from customers. He thought the business was connected to the Muscogee Nation but it turns out a church was selling fireworks to raise money for mission trips and youth programs.

The Broken Arrow First Church of the Nazarene ended up shutting down the stand after authorities showed up. "It appears Mr. Bartlett has the same agenda as (U.S. Rep. John) Sullivan: attacking Native American sovereignty," Mike Bergman of Broken Arrow Residents for Red Clay Casino told The Tulsa World.

The group supports the Red Clay Casino, which the Kialegees were building on another Muscogee allotment. A federal judge ordered the tribe to stop construction but the site is being used for a seasonal fireworks stand.

The state is trying to shut down the stand, citing the judge's decision.

Get the Story:
Tribal leaders say Tulsa's Mayor is targeting Indian groups with fireworks threat (The Tulsa World 6/29)
State: Oklahoma tribe violating judge's order (AP 6/28)