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A RESOLUTION ACKNOWLEDGING MUSCOGEE (CREEK) NATION RESOLUTION TR 24-047 REGARDING A PROPOSED ALUMINUM SHELTER LOCATED WITHIN THEIR RESERVATION, AND CALLING FOR MEANINGFUL GOVERNMENT-TO-GOVERNMENT CONSULTATION WITH ALL AFFECTED TRIBAL NATIONS
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WHEREAS, the Cherokee Nation since time immemorial has exercised the sovereign rights of self-government on behalf of the Cherokee people; and,
WHEREAS, the Cherokee Nation is a federally recognized Indian Nation with a historic and continual government-to-government relationship with the United States of America; and,
WHEREAS, a private developer has proposed the construction of a large-scale aluminum smelter at the Port of Inola on the Verdigris River, within the boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation and located outside the boundaries of the Cherokee Nation Reservation; and,
WHEREAS, the proposed smelter has received public support from many state and federal offices and agencies, notwithstanding substantial and growing concerns raised by residents, landowners, and public health and environmental advocates regarding potential impacts to air and water quality, agricultural operations, livestock, and public health in the surrounding communities; and,
WHEREAS, on or about July 31, 2026, the Muscogee (Creek) Nation National Council unanimously adopted MCN Resolution TR 26-047 opposing the construction or operation of any aluminum smelter on Muscogee Nation reservation lands, and the Cherokee Nation recognizes the Muscogee (Creek) Nation’s sovereign authority over its reservation lands and the need for intergovernmental cooperation to protect the shared and interconnected natural resources of northeastern Oklahoma; and,
WHEREAS, in a public statement dated August 7, 2026, Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin, Jr. expressed significant reservations regarding the potential effects of the proposed Inola smelter on the Cherokee Nation Reservation and called upon the developer and regulatory authorities to engage directly with the Cherokee Nation through the Secretary of Natural Resources, with such engagement to be substantive and supported by sufficient technical information to enable the Cherokee Nation to independently evaluate potential risks to its communities, citizens, natural resources, and Reservation; and,
WHEREAS, although the proposed smelter site lies within the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation, the Cherokee Nation has monitored the project and its potential economic and environmental implications, recognizing that the interconnected Verdigris River and regional airshed transcend reservation boundaries and that potential contamination, emissions, or environmental degradation could affect Cherokee Nation citizens, lands, waters, and natural resources; and,
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CHEROKEE NATION, that the Council acknowledges the Muscogee (Creek) Nation’s inherent right to oppose construction and operation of an aluminum smelter within their jurisdiction, endorses the August 7, 2027, statement by Principal Chief Hoskin Jr., and urges all applicable state and federal regulatory agencies to engage in full, meaningful, and timely government-to-government consultation with all tribal nations affected by the operation of such a project on tribal lands.