Indian Country

There are 38 federally recognized Indian nations located in the State of Oklahoma. Located within the Northern District of Oklahoma (NDOK) are fourteen Federally recognized tribes: (1) Cherokee Nation; (2) Muscogee (Creek) Nation; (3) Modoc Nation; (4) Osage Nation; (5) Delaware Tribe of Indians; (6) Seneca-Cayuga Tribe: (7) Miami Tribe of Oklahoma; (8) Peoria Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma; (9) Quapaw Tribe; (10) Wyandotte Tribe; (11) Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma; (12) Pawnee Nation; (13) Ottawa Tribe of Oklahoma; and (14) Shawnee Tribe.

The Tribes have their own governments and have a unique government-to-government relationship with the United States.  The U.S. Attorney’s Office is charged with prosecuting certain crimes that occur in Indian Country that involve Native American defendants and/or victims. Tribal police and federal law enforcement investigate a variety of crimes occurring in Indian Country, including theft, embezzlement, murder, assaults, firearm, and drug crimes. The United States and tribal nations rely on cross-commission agreements to effectively combat crimes occurring within their jurisdiction.

Indian Country in the NDOK includes at least six reservations - Muscogee, Cherokee, Quapaw, Peoria/Miami, Wyandotte, and Ottawa. In addition to the reservations, NDOK contains Indian lands that are classified as either trust land or restricted allotment land. Oklahoma has the second highest American Indian/Alaska Native population (12.9%), second only to Alaska. Each tribe has its own government, some resembling the federal government's structure and some based more on historical structures. More than 1 million people reside within Indian Country in the Northern District of Oklahoma. 

The U.S. Attorney recognizes the importance of effective communication between various components of the Justice Department and tribal nations and regards the United States’ federal trust responsibility to the Tribes as a significant priority. The Northern District of Oklahoma employs 29 Assistant U.S. Attorneys dedicated to the prosecution of federal crimes in Indian Country. In addition, the district has commissioned tribal prosecutors as Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys (SAUSAs) who assist in federal prosecutions.

Read more about the work of the Department of Justice in Indian Country at www.justice.gov/otj