The Oklahoma Supreme Court unanimously rejected a request by Governor Kevin Stitt and the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation to strike down Attorney General Gentner Drummond’s legal opinion on tribal hunting and fishing rights, according to a March 24 statement. The decision leaves in place AG Opinion 2025-19, which protects tribal members from arrest or prosecution for hunting and fishing on their own reservations.
This issue is significant because it addresses longstanding questions about state authority over tribal citizens’ activities on native lands. The ruling affects relationships between the state government, tribal nations, and law enforcement regarding natural resource management.
Drummond said, “This ruling is another rejection of Gov. Stitt’s unlawful campaign against tribal citizens exercising their long-held rights.” He added, “The Court would not be used as a tool to override settled federal law and decades of cooperative wildlife management. My position has never wavered: federal law is clear, and it is my duty to uphold it.”
Drummond issued his formal opinion in December after finding that state enforcement actions were unlawful and harmful to relationships with tribes such as the Cherokee, Chickasaw, and Choctaw Nations. These nations have their own wildlife codes designed for conservation purposes similar to those pursued by Oklahoma authorities. The dispute continues in federal court where litigation brought by these three tribes remains ongoing.
Drummond also said, “It is time for Gov. Stitt and the ODWC to stand down, respect federal law and return to the collaborative partnership with tribal nations that has served Oklahoma’s conservation interests for decades.”
The Oklahoma Attorney General focuses on combating crime, ensuring government transparency, strengthening tribal relations, upholding the rule of law according to the official biography. Gentner Drummond leads this office using his extensive legal experience according to the official biography. The office also advocates policies supporting energy development, educational protections, tougher laws against crimes such as rape or drug distribution according to the official biography, collaborates with state and federal partners on organized crime according to the official biography, operates within public legal services according to the official biography, and maintains its operations in Oklahoma according to the official biography.
