TAHLEQUAH, Okla. — The Cherokee Nation and the State of Oklahoma have reached a tentative agreement to renew a tribal-state compact governing tobacco sales.
Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. said the proposed agreement reinforces the Cherokee Nation’s longstanding message that collaboration between tribal and state governments is essential and beneficial to all Oklahomans.
“Over the years, compacts have served as a fundamental exercise of tribal sovereignty between the tribes and the state and exemplify the power of successful collaboration and respectful partnerships. We have always believed in being good neighbors to all Oklahomans who share our home,” Chief Hoskin said. “Cherokee Nation Attorney General Chad Harsha has worked with the State of Oklahoma to renew our carefully negotiated tobacco compact, which has over the years received wide bipartisan support across the state. To make it official, Deputy Chief Bryan Warner and I are now asking the Council of the Cherokee Nation to approve this agreement. Once enacted, this tribal-state compact renewal will be another example of how we can find common ground between the state and tribe as we have for decades and ensure that our retail tobacco establishments will continue to operate as they have in the past.”
The Council of the Cherokee Nation is expected to take action on the proposed agreement at a later date. Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt signed the agreement on behalf of the State of Oklahoma on February 26.
“For many years we have seen the positive impacts on our state as a result of tribal-state compacts,” said Deputy Chief Warner. “The newly renegotiated tobacco compact reaffirms our sovereignty and highlights our commitment to being good stewards of resources and our continued investments in our communities. In the spirit of gadugi – all of us working together for the greater good – we will continue to build a stronger, more prosperous Oklahoma that celebrates and respects all of its residents. Fundamentally, government-to-government compacts protect the interests and rights of the Cherokee Nation.”
Tribal-state tobacco compacts, including the Cherokee Nation’s compact, provide a framework for tribal nations and the State of Oklahoma to allocate tax revenue from the sale of tobacco on tribal land. This has generated tens of millions of dollars in revenue for tribes and the State of Oklahoma over decades of cooperative agreements.
“If fully executed through Council approval, this agreement allows Cherokee Nation to exercise our inherent sovereignty while we continue to work toward sound and durable government-to-government agreements that best serve our interests,” Cherokee Nation Attorney General Chad Harsha said.
The agreement, if approved by the Council of the Cherokee Nation, will carry a 10-year term that can be renewed thereafter.