Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond announced that his office will not prosecute Native American hunters who follow tribal law, even if they do not hold state permits. According to a statement from the Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office, the decision relates to the case State of Oklahoma v. Shawn Robertson, involving a Choctaw Nation member charged with hunting without a state license.
Drummond said his office will dismiss the charge and emphasized that tribal sovereignty should be respected in such cases. The incident occurred in Pushmataha County and highlights ongoing legal issues surrounding the overlap between state and tribal authority.
Members of federally recognized tribes have long maintained hunting and fishing rights on their reservations, as established by treaties and federal law. The Oklahoma Attorney General's Office stated that similar prosecutions in the future will be intercepted and dismissed, reinforcing the role of tribal law in these matters.
This decision may influence how Oklahoma handles future cases involving tribal jurisdiction over hunting and fishing activities. The full statement is available on the Oklahoma Attorney General’s website.
