Udall Statement on Supreme Court Decision in McGirt v. Oklahoma
JULY 9, 2020
Sen. Tom Udall (D-New Mexico) addresses the winter session of the National Congress of American Indians in Washington, D.C, on February 11, 2020. Photo by Indianz.Com (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)
SANTA FE, N.M.– U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-N.M.), vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, released the following statement on the Supreme Court’s 5-4 ruling in McGirt v. Oklahoma:
“This decision is a landmark victory for Indian Country, upholding the United States’ treaty obligations to the Creek Nation of Oklahoma and treaty Tribes across the country. The Supreme Court has affirmed that a promise is a promise: that treaties between the United States and Tribes are the law of the land – no matter how many times the federal government has violated those treaties in the past – and that lands reserved for Tribes remain Indian Country, now and in the future. While no court decision can correct centuries of injustice committed against Indigenous people, today’s ruling is a historic step forward to safeguard Tribal sovereignty for decades to come.”