{"id":455918,"date":"2026-03-20T08:46:04","date_gmt":"2026-03-20T13:46:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/?p=455918"},"modified":"2026-03-20T10:47:39","modified_gmt":"2026-03-20T15:47:39","slug":"i-respect-tribal-sovereignty-markwayne-mullin-vows-collaboration-at-rocky-confirmation-hearing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2026\/03\/20\/i-respect-tribal-sovereignty-markwayne-mullin-vows-collaboration-at-rocky-confirmation-hearing\/","title":{"rendered":"‘I respect tribal sovereignty’: Markwayne Mullin vows collaboration at rocky confirmation hearing"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Oklahoma) and Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Arizona) discuss tribes and the U.S. border on March 18, 2026.Mullin spoke at his confirmation h…<\/p>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n\t

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Indianz.Com Video: ‘I respect tribal sovereignty’<\/a>\r\n<\/figcaption>\r\n
‘I respect tribal sovereignty’: Markwayne Mullin vows collaboration at rocky confirmation hearing<\/div>\r\n
Friday, March 20, 2026<\/div>\r\n
By Acee Agoyo<\/div>\r\n
Indianz.Com<\/div>\r\n

<\/p>\r\nWASHINGTON, D.C. —\r\nSen. Markwayne Mullin<\/a> (R-Oklahoma) is on his way — just barely — to being the first Native person in President Donald Trump’s cabinet<\/a> following a testy confirmation hearing in which tribal issues were only briefly discussed.\r\n

<\/P>\r\nAs the first Native person to lead the Department of Homeland Security<\/a> (DHS), Mullin vowed to work with Indian Country. At the hearing on Wednesday, he said he would look at multiple ways to protect the U.S. border when it comes to tribal lands.\r\n

<\/p>\r\n“I respect tribal sovereignty,” Mullin, who is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation<\/a>, told the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs<\/a>.\r\n

<\/p>\r\n“We still have a job to secure the border but we will work with tribal nations because there’s other ways to have physical barriers where you can have technology there too,” Mullin told Sen. Ruben Gallego<\/a> (D-Arizona), who was the only committee member who asked about Indian Country at the closely-watched hearing<\/a>.\r\n

<\/p>\r\n“And I don’t think anybody would complain about that,” Mullin said<\/a> of alternative ways to protect the border.\r\n

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\u201cI respect tribal sovereignty. We will work with tribal nations\u201d: Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Oklahoma) endorses alternative methods-including technology-along the US border, rather than imposing physical walls and barriers on tribal lands without tribal consent. #TribalConsultation<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/Vhy3KkA72P<\/a><\/p>— indianz.com (@indianz) March 18, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote>