On July 17th, 2023, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt launched the "One Oklahoma" campaign, which pushes the concept that there should be a single set of laws for people to follow in the State. I will not link this here because of how full of misinformation it is, but it's readily available with a Google search.
The Governor wants there to be a single set of laws for everyone in Oklahoma to follow, regardless of race. This may sound like common sense at first, but it doesn't hold up for much longer than that. Here's why.
Even without counting laws enacted by Tribal Nations, there's still more than one set of laws in Oklahoma. The Governor seems to have forgotten that Federal laws can also apply within the State.
Making Oklahoma Law the only law means destroying the ability of Tribal Nations to enact their own laws. This goes against the very foundations of Tribal Sovereignty and the promise of a permanent homeland made by the United States to Tribal Nations.
The Governor fails to realize that Tribal Membership is not a racial categorization, it's a political one. Being a Member of a Tribal Nation is like being a citizen of France, Spain, or Ireland; it's a political designation.Â
Finally, the Governor doesn't realize that there are easier solutions to his issues. Every recent Governor that came before him managed to develop a productive relationship with Tribal Nations in Oklahoma, negotiating countless mutually beneficial agreements. Further, there are plenty of other Governors who regularly face the same challenges that Oklahoma faces right now. For example, Arizona is home to (most of) the Navajo Nation, which has an extremely large reservation that spans across several states. Governor Stitt could easily call the current Governor (or even a former one!) of Arizona to see how they have been able to avoid the outright contentious atmosphere that has developed in Oklahoma. In any case, Governor Stitt has chosen to completely forego cooperation, opting instead to fight to undermine Tribal Sovereignty at every available turn.