Opinion

Editorial: Sac and Fox Nation changes the game on highway

Thursday, June 2, 2011

"A year ago, when the Sac and Fox Nation first opposed a new Interstate 40 interchange, Ridley, head of the Oklahoma Department of Transportation, said the tribe's concerns “certainly may be a game changer.” That was because ODOT had hoped the tribe might be a source of matching funds for the project, which is expected to cost $8 million to $10 million.

The tribe doesn't like the idea because the project stands to affect allotment lands the Sac and Fox have used for more than a century for traditional ceremonial practices. Pottawatomie County commissioners endorsed the plan last month, and the tribe's business arm immediately said it would no longer provide financial help for transportation-related projects in Shawnee or the county.

That's a significant move indeed, because since 1987 the tribe has written checks totaling about $40 million to help with numerous state, county and municipal road and bridge projects. A number of Oklahoma tribes have partnered with state and local entities to get roads paved or bridges repaired. It's a partnership that, on the whole, has worked wonderfully."

Get the Story:
Editorial: Tribe's decision affects highway plan (The Oklahoman 6/2)