Oklahoma Attorney General says 'No' to United Keetoowah Band casino

Written By:  Katie Hallum (ᏧᏟ) 

Questions are swirling around a gaming compact between Oklahoma and the United Keetoowah Band.

(OKLAHOMA) In May, the UKB signed the Model Tribal Gaming Compact and sent it for review to the Department of the Interior. This document, established through SQ 712 in 2004, built the pre-approved legal contract for tribal gaming within the state of Oklahoma. It was their next step in their efforts to rebuild their casino, originally located in Tahlequah.

Read this story on KOSU Radio here. 

But in an opinion letter issued June 9 in response to Choctaw Senator Avery Frix, Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond wrote the United Keetoowah Band’s gaming compact is unlawful within the state.

According to Drummond’s legal opinion, the basic model compact expired January 1, 2020, making the UKB’s signature invalid. Additionally, the opinion states that the UKB should have sought approval through the Joint Committee on State-Tribal Relations prior to sending it to the DOI.

UKB Chief Jeff Wacoche said in a statement admonishing Drummond’s decision that the Cherokee Nation influenced the outcome.

“The fact that the Attorney General would issue a legal opinion that (erroneously) addresses the UKB without government-to-government consultation speaks volumes regarding the curious political influence of the CNO;” he said. “Were the shoe on the other foot there would have been daily personal consultations.”

Cherokee Nation Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. has expressed his discontent with the UKB several times before. In January, after the DOI affirmed the UKB was an equal successor to the Cherokee Nation reservation, Hoskin called the move “shameful” and “cowardly.”

“We know UKB will continue to misinterpret the law and misrepresent its own and the history of the Cherokee Nation. But the truth remains: the Cherokee Nation has sovereign authority and exclusive tribal jurisdiction over our 7,000 square-mile Reservation in Oklahoma,” he said. “We look forward to working with the members of our congressional delegation to ensure this ill-advised opinion is not implemented.”

The federal government has 45 days to respond to the compact until it receives automatic approval. It’s unclear what will happen next.