A former U.S. Cabinet secretary told hundreds of Indigenous Oklahomans that the Trump administration's attempts to end diversity, equity and inclusion shouldn't touch tribal governments because they're sovereign. But those efforts still threaten to derail the gains tribal nations have made in recent years, she said.

Deb Haaland, the U.S. Interior secretary under the Biden administration, was the keynote speaker Friday, June 13, at the annual Sovereignty Symposium, a yearly event where tribal leaders and elected officials meet to discuss legal issues impacting the tribe and state.

She and Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt, a member of the Osage Nation , spoke about the importance of tribal sovereignty in a massive room packed with dozens of tribal leaders and Indigenous community members at the Chickasaw Nation-owned OKANA Resort in Oklahoma City.

"Today, we face threats that seek to undermine our progress," said Haaland, a member of the Laguna Pueblo. "The current administration has attempted to smother this new era in its infancy."

In her remarks, Haaland referenced President Donald Trump’s heightened attempts to dismantle DEI initiatives at the beginning of his second term through a series of executive orders.

Federal officials said some Native American programs were exempt from these orders . Still, DOGE cuts have reached tribal programs and other projects focused on reaching tribal citizens, such as research in the state related to Native American history.

“It is our job and the job of those in power to understand that tribes hold a unique position,” Haaland said. “We are not DEI. We are sovereign nations with constitutional recognition.”

Haaland, who is running for New Mexico governor, said it is important for tribal leaders and citizens to engage with all levels of government.

In his conversation with Haaland, Holt said, "I don't think it is a provocative statement — it is a matter of fact — for me to observe that our current governor of Oklahoma is hostile towards tribal tribal sovereignty."

His comments were followed by loud cheers and applause from audience members before Holt asked Haaland to explain the dynamics between the New Mexico state government and the tribal nations based in that state.

Haaland said she believes her home state can be a model for others on how to engage with tribal governments.

Haaland said the tribes in New Mexico have worked hard to build a strong relationship with the state government. Under the State Tribal Collaboration Act, the New Mexico state government is required to meet with tribes on a yearly basis and designate agency liaisons to consult with the tribes on issues that affect them.

Holt's comments regarding Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt echoed much of what tribal leaders said about the relationship between the tribes and the governor.

In recent years, Stitt has routinely been at odds with tribal nations over compacts. In April, Stitt accused Muscogee Nation officials of refusing to negotiate with him over car tag and tobacco tax compacts and said they were trying to work around him instead.

In response to Holt's remarks, Stitt's spokeswoman Abegail Cave said the governor isn't hostile toward anyone.

"He is focused on ensuring all 4 million Oklahomans are treated equally regardless of race, heritage or political affiliation," Cave said.

Holts' comments regarding Stitt came the day after the governor said on Newsmax that the mayors in Oklahoma's big cities refused to address the 2020 "Black Lives Matter" protest in Oklahoma City, where several demonstrators were arrested .

Leslie Osborn, the Oklahoma labor commissioner who moderated a panel discussion during the symposium, said she hopes the state soon will elect leadership with a more positive and open relationship with the tribes.

“The average citizen really has no idea how much collaboration is going on, and I'm not sure that they appreciate it enough,” she said. “We all need to do more to trumpet about these wonderful partnerships we have and make sure the current climate hasn’t set us back.”

In a panel discussion, Hershel Gorham, the lieutenant governor of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes, said he wished more tribal government to state government consultations were occurring.

“That should be the foundation of how the tribes and states can coexist in a good way, just reaching out,” he said. “I mean, it's not that hard to email or pick up the phone.”

The remarks come nearly five years after the McGirt v. Oklahoma decision in which the U.S. Supreme Court recognized that pre-statehood treaties with Oklahoma-based tribes are still in effect, meaning the Muscogee (Creek) Nation reservation in eastern Oklahoma still exists. The decision also meant Oklahoma no longer had the power to prosecute criminal cases involving Native Americans on those lands, though state prosecutors are trying to reestablish that power through legal challenges.

Sovereign nations must be viewed as equal partners and collaborators in all areas of decision-making, Haaland said. “There should be no decisions about us without us,” she added. “We are reminded that the law must reflect lived experience.”

During her time as Interior secretary, Haaland launched the federal government's initiative to investigate its role in funding boarding schools where generations of Native American children were forced to attend. Former President Joe Biden issued an apology in October 2024 for the more than 417 schools that were funded by the U.S. to assimilate Native American children, according to a federal report under Biden and Haaland. More schools — 87 — were located in Oklahoma than in any other state.

Haaland told The Oklahoman that Native Americans were given the opportunities they have by their ancestors, who worked to ensure the rights of tribal nations and citizens through treaties signed with the U.S. government.

“Our ancestors likely didn’t envision a country where we were nations inside of a nation,” Haaland said. “But here we are, and I just feel like we need to honor the legacy of our ancestors, and that means protecting our tribal governments, protecting our sovereignty, protecting our people and ensuring that we do what I think they wanted us to do.”