A suburb of Tulsa will fly the Muscogee Nation flag at its headquarters.
Spokeswoman Madeline Luster for the city that straddles Tulsa and Wagoner counties said officials are waiting for a third pole to be installed before hoisting the nation’s flag.
“The City of Bixby is located within the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation. We respect the rights of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation as a sovereign nation and value the government-to-government relationship that exists between us,” reads a statement sent to KWGS by Luster.
Mayor Brad Girard said in the statement that Bixby is “proud to celebrate the partnership that continues to benefit our community and the Nation alike. The flag stands as a visible reminder of cooperation and respect.”
Broken Arrow is also set to fly the Muscogee Nation flag, according to Tulsa officials, though their public relations department didn’t return inquiries.
The gestures come amid tension from the state. Gov. Kevin Stitt has been a vocal opponent of the McGirt decision, a 2020 Supreme Court ruling holding that much of eastern Oklahoma is Indian land.
Spokesman for the nation Jason Salman said he didn’t see how that tension related to flag flying, but that it’s “an honor to have our partner cities recognize our collaboration and be proud to recognize the Nation's Reservation in this meaningful and symbolic way.”
