“Kevin Stitt is the most anti-Indian governor in the history of the state,” Chuck Hoskin Jr., Principal Chief of Cherokee Nation, told PBS NewsHour. “He has gone so far out of his way to pick every fight he could pick with tribes, and he’s really demonstrated that he just fundamentally does not see in the 21st century a place for tribes within the state of Oklahoma.”
According to PBS NewsHour, after being elected to office in 2018, Stitt boasted about his Cherokee heritage and was heralded as only the second governor in U.S. history with Native American ancestry. However, despite this tie to the state’s Indigenous populations and promises to strengthen health care and renegotiate gaming compacts, he failed to do so, and his promises remained just promises.
Within his first six months in office, Stitt allegedly traveled and spoke to tribal leaders about the terms of gaming compacts he said were expiring. However, when the time came to do so, he instead attempted to renegotiate them. A court case even ensued after tribes rejected Stitt’s call to renegotiate.
According to PBS NewsHour, Oklahoma has the second-highest number of casinos in the U.S., after Nevada. With more than a $9 million impact, the Chickasaw, Choctaw, and Cherokee Nations were among the 25 largest employers in Oklahoma in 2021, according to the state Department of Commerce.
Hofmeister, on the other hand, told PBS NewsHour that her relationship with the Five Tribes extends far beyond her campaign and was built during her nearly eight years as superintendent, during which she worked with tribal leaders to help support Native students. She noted that she helped ensure tribal sovereignty was taught as part of the history of Native Americans in Oklahoma, which she helped ensure is a subject in the state’s public schools.
“This is not a relationship cultivated for the campaign,” she told the PBS NewsHour. “It was a tremendous honor to receive their endorsement, but it speaks to the deep divisions and bridges that Kevin Stitt has burned.”
Tribe members shared that Hofmeister has not only maintained a relationship with them but is willing to work with tribal governments, and shares the same mindset with Oklahoma’s Indigenous leaders on issues of economic, health, and safety priorities.
"She’s also demonstrated something that we need in politics, and we need in officeholders, which is a genuine curiosity and interest about sovereignty and how it can not only benefit the tribes but benefit the state," said Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr., Cherokee Nation, according to ABC News affiliate KOCO.
Leaders from the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Muscogee, Choctaw, and Seminole Nations—the state’s five largest tribes—made their formal announcement of their endorsement of Hofmeister in Oklahoma City in October. According to News 2 Oklahoma, the Five Tribes together represent more than 800,000 citizens belonging to the Native Nations living around the country.
The announcement marked the first time in recent history that an endorsement of this nature was been made by all five major tribes in the state.
The statement read:
“As a gubernatorial candidate, Joy Hofmeister recognizes that we all want the same things: safe communities, a strong economy, a stable workforce, well-funded education, investments in our infrastructure, and a continued focus on health and wellness, family, and community. When it comes to working with the tribal nations in Oklahoma, she understands our sovereignty is not a partisan issue or a threat, but instead is a chance to forge new partnerships while strengthening those that already exist because Oklahomans thrive together when we all work together. This year’s Oklahoma gubernatorial election is the most important in generations for all Oklahomans, and that’s why leaders of the Five Tribes are endorsing Joy Hofmeister to be Oklahoma’s 29th Governor."
According to the National Congress of American Indians, one in three Native American adults in the country was not registered to vote in 2012—equivalent to about 1 million voters.
Across the country, Indigenous-targeted voter registration efforts have registered thousands before the October deadline. Because 16% of Oklahoma’s population of 3.9 million identifies as Native American, the power of their vote is strong and is the reason why several tribes came together to speak out against Stitt.
“If we all sort of flex our political power in terms of our numbers, if we do our part as leaders to sort of help our citizens understand the issues and get them registered, I think we can move a great deal in the state in terms of the outcome of races,” Hoskin said. “They know now, irrespective of the outcome, that we are going to assert as much strength as we have to raise our voices.”
Devon Rain, a member of the Chickasaw Nation, who works for the nonprofit voter advocacy group, Rock The Native Vote, noted that the endorsement not only boosted voter turnout but the race itself was important in the Native community.
She told PBS NewsHour that the most common reason she heard from first-time Native American voters on why they registered was the want to make a difference in this gubernatorial race.
“I heard people say they wanted someone who would respect our treaties and protect tribal sovereignty,” Rain said. “Gov. Stitt has sparked a lot of interest and anger from Native voters that we haven’t seen before.”
With more members of the Indigenous community registering to vote, elections and politics in Oklahoma are bound to change.
While Hofmeister gained the support of the Native community, Gov. Kevin Stitt’s biggest endorsement came from law enforcement. Citing Stitt’s continuous support for law enforcement, the state Fraternal Order of Police endorsed the sitting candidate.
"The Oklahoma Fraternal Order of Police unanimously endorses Governor Kevin Stitt as he seeks re-election. His support of law enforcement is unwavering. He has proven that protecting Oklahoma families comes first, and we are proud to stand with him as he makes public safety a top priority," said Mark Nelson, president of Oklahoma FOP.
According to The Oklahoman, recent polls have indicated that voter support for Hofmeister is growing, with Stitt’s lead now in within the single-digit margin of error.
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