Quapaw Nation Higher Education applauds legislature for overriding Stitt veto

Quapaw Nation Higher Education applauds the Oklahoma Legislature for overriding Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt’s veto of Senate Bill 429.

The bill allows Native American students at any public institution to honor their cultural values and beliefs through the wearing of regalia and symbols such as eagle feathers, that are sacred to many Tribes.

A statement released by Quapaw Nation Higher Education Director Krista L. Pierce said the support from legislators speaks volumes on who is listening to their constituents—and who is not.

“Clearly, Governor Stitt’s disrespect for the 39 Tribes in Oklahoma is a personal vendetta,” the statement said.

It continued: “Although the penultimate reason for his mistreatment of the Tribes may not be clear, one thing is: the Tribes and their people, and the cultures that were here long before any form of state or federal government was established, will continue to not only survive, but flourish and pass on their traditions, stories, and languages long after Stitt’s tyrannical reign ends.”

Pierce’s statement said that the Quapaw Nation Higher Education will continue to support the Tribe and other Tribes in these endeavors.