{"id":438525,"date":"2026-03-03T11:45:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-03T17:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/?p=438525"},"modified":"2026-03-03T11:47:31","modified_gmt":"2026-03-03T17:47:31","slug":"press-release-sovereignty-symposium-xxxviii-set-for-june-2026-in-oklahoma","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2026\/03\/03\/press-release-sovereignty-symposium-xxxviii-set-for-june-2026-in-oklahoma\/","title":{"rendered":"Press Release: Sovereignty Symposium XXXVIII set for June 2026 in Oklahoma"},"content":{"rendered":"\"Sovereignty<\/a>
\u201cInter-Tribal Ladies of Justice\u201d by Gordon Yellowman is the featured artwork for the 38th Sovereignty Symposium in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Image courtesy Oklahoma City University School of Law<\/figcaption>\r\n
Registration now open for Sovereignty Symposium XXXVIII<\/div>\r\n
Tuesday, March 3, 2026<\/div>\r\n
Indianz.Com<\/div>\r\n

<\/P>\r\nThe following is the text of a March 3, 2026, press release from the Oklahoma City University School of Law.<\/em>\r\n

<\/P>\r\nDeep discussions on important tribal issues, a celebration of Native culture and a keynote panel of five Native American U.S. District Court judges will highlight the 38th Sovereignty Symposium, to be held June 15 and 16 at OKANA resort in Oklahoma City.

<\/P>\r\nThis year\u2019s symposium will feature panel discussions on a variety of topics including tribal commerce and economic development, energy and natural resources, artificial intelligence, tribal health care, and reflections on 250 years of federal Indian law. A keynote panel discussion titled \u201cEthical Leadership: Honoring Sovereignty from the Bench\u201d will bring together a distinguished group of Native American federal judges to discuss the intersection of judicial ethics, leadership and tribal sovereignty.

<\/P>\r\nThroughout both days, tribal and state leaders will join legal and policy experts in the discussions.

<\/P>\r\nRegistration and more information, including a schedule and draft of the agenda, is available at sovereigntysymposium.com<\/a>.

<\/P>\r\nThe opening ceremony will feature an invocation by Bishop David Wilson (Choctaw) of the Great Plains Conference of the United Methodist Church; and Gordon Yellowman, artist and peace chief of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes, will do the Camp Call.

<\/P>\r\nSovereignty Symposium was founded in 1988 by Oklahoma Supreme Court Justice Yvonne Kauger and has been hosted by OCU Law since 2023. It provides a scholarly setting for the consideration of legal and policy issues facing tribal communities, as well as a platform for the celebration of tribal sovereignty in all its forms \u2014 legal, artistic, cultural and economic.

<\/P>\r\n\u201cThe Sovereignty Symposium brings together leading voices in tribal law and policy to address the most pressing legal and governance issues facing Tribal Nations today,\u201d Emily Eleftherakis (Cherokee\/Delaware Tribe), executive director of OCU\u2019s Tribal Sovereignty Institute. \u201cBy fostering collaboration among tribal leaders, practitioners and policymakers, the event highlights the continued importance of sovereignty, self-determination and innovative legal solutions that support strong and sustainable tribal communities in Oklahoma and across the country.\u201d

<\/P>\r\nOCU Law Dean David Holt (Osage) said the symposium offers a neutral space where the state\u2019s 39 tribes and others from around the nation can discuss common legal and policy issues while sharing innovative ideas and accomplishments.

<\/P>\r\n\u201cSovereignty Symposium now has four decades of history and credibility, and it has become one of the most important tribal gatherings on the calendar, especially when the topics center around policy or the law,\u201d Holt said. \u201cSymposium offers a unique opportunity to engage in discussions around shared challenges and opportunities among our tribal communities. It is also a place where we elevate our tribal cultures. And finally, Symposium is a welcome space for connecting with friends and colleagues.\u201d

<\/P>\r\nAttendance at this year\u2019s event offers attorneys 12 continuing legal education credits.\r\nThe symposium also includes academic competitions, including a college student research project contest named in honor of longtime law professor and historian C. Blue Clark [Muscogee (Creek) Nation] and writing competitions.\r\n

<\/P>\r\n