TAHLEQUAH, Okla. —Cherokee Nation Marshal Shannon Buhl announced Friday his retirement as the head of the tribe’s law enforcement agency. Buhl will remain with the tribe in a consulting role effective January 1, 2025.
In his retirement letter to Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr., Buhl recalled his tenure in serving as Marshal under two Chiefs and his career spanning over 24 years at the Marshal Service, as well as service in two branches of the United States military.
“We have served well together as friends, colleagues, and patriots to our great tribal nation,” Buhl wrote in his resignation letter to Chief Hoskin. “My decision to retire should be viewed only as a personal one to seize upon a new opportunity, making way for new Office of the Marshal leadership and leaving with positive feelings about your leadership and mine.”
Buhl was first appointed as Cherokee Nation Marshal in 2011 by Chief Bill John Baker. Chief Hoskin reappointed Buhl in 2021. His current five-year term was set to expire December 31, 2026.
As Marshal, Buhl served within Chief Hoskin’s administration, overseeing not only law enforcement operations but first responder programs such as EMS and Emergency Management.
“Shannon Buhl has served the Cherokee people admirably particularly during challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic and the opportunities we have seized upon under the historic McGirt case,” Chief Hoskin said. “History will remember how Marshal Buhl helped us meet the moment during these challenging times, saved lives and delivered justice as one of the longest-serving members of the executive branch of Cherokee Nation government in history.”
Deputy Chief Bryan Warner also praised Buhl’s service.
“The Cherokee people, and our vital interests, were safer and more secure as a result of Shannon Buhl’s leadership,” Deputy Chief Warner said. “He leaves big shoes to fill, though I am pleased to know he will continue to serve the Cherokee people in a new role.”
Upon his retirement, Buhl will begin work as a consultant on security matters for Cherokee Nation Businesses. CNB employs over 11,000 worldwide across a diverse business portfolio.
Council Speaker Mike Shambaugh also thanked Buhl for his service.
“Shannon Buhl always had the Council’s trust and confidence, and that is so important,” Speaker Shambaugh said. “That is always critical, but it was absolutely indispensable during the challenging times of the last five years in particular as we’ve taken on the challenges of the post-McGirt era.”
Buhl described the Marshal Service as the “best in law enforcement,” and pledged to support his successor and Chief Hoskin’s proposed reforms to the Marshal code.
Among the reforms proposed by Chief Hoskin is a measure to give him authority to name an acting Marshal for no more than a year and to clarify the authority of the Chief as the constitutional head of the executive branch within the Cherokee Nation Marshal statute.
In his letter to Hoskin, Buhl described Chief Hoskin’s proposed reforms as “carefully balancing the need for an independent law enforcement agency within the tribe as it conducts the day-to-day work of policing and public safety with sharing development of an overall law enforcement strategy… .”
Hoskin said that if the Council grants him the authority to name a short-term acting Marshal, he plans to do so ahead of Buhl’s January 1 retirement.
“After naming an acting Marshal, we will conduct a search for a new Marshal and nominate that person for Council consideration as soon as that search for candidates is completed,” said Chief Hoskin.
Cherokee Nation has exclusive tribal jurisdiction over the tribe’s 7,000 square mile reservation. The Marshal Service oversees 71 Marshals and 11 additional safety officers. The Cherokee Nation District Court has also filed more than 6,700 traffic cases since 2021 and filed more than 24,700 total felony, misdemeanor, civil and custody cases in its court.
Under Buhl’s leadership and in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s McGirt decision, the Marshal Service’s budget and staffing have increased exponentially with the reaffirmation of the tribe’s reservation status.