Seminole Nation Chief Lewis Johnson has released a statement in response to the recent termination of the lease on the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) building in Seminole by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

In his prepared statement, Johnson urges President Trump and his advisors to protect the relationship between the federal government and all sovereign tribal nations. The statement appears below in its entirety.

Statement from the Office of the Chief Seminole Nation of Oklahoma As many are aware DOGE is working in conjunction with the Executive Orders signed by the Executive Office of the United States.

Reduction of force in the Department of Interior is underway as is the case with many federal agencies.

This affects many agencies and important programs under the Department of Interior (DOI) including the BIA.

This broad decision mostly affects probational employees but also can affect others who have longer tenure.

Many General Services Administration (GSA) facility leases under contract with the Interior are being considered to be discontinued, which can affect the smaller satellite sites (offices) of many of their federal agencies.

The local BIA agency is called the Wewoka Agency although it has been in the town of Seminole for several years. The Wewoka Agency truly supports the local service area of the Seminole Reservation in many diverse ways and the BIA firefighting team comprised of many tribal nations citizens but predominately made up of Seminole members who have served for decades battling major fires throughout the United States when called on to do so.

As these actions from Washington D.C continue to unfold throughout Indian Country, we urge the President and his advisors to take care to protect the unique federal trust relationship between our sovereign Tribal Nations and the Federal government, which is based on the political status of Tribal Nations.

Our unique political and

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We urge the president and his advisors to take care to protect the unique federal trust relationship between our sovereign Tribal Nations and the Federal government, which is based on the political status of Tribal Nations.”

Seminole Nation Chief Lewis Johnson legal relationship with the United States is rooted in our inherent sovereignty and recognized in the U.S. Constitution, in treaties, and is carried out by many federal laws and policies.

When Congress is acting under its unique obligation toward Tribal Nations and their citizens, they have legal status as a political class rather than a suspect racial class under the principles of constitutional legal analysis. The U.S. Supreme Court has consistently recognized and upheld the distinct legal and political status of Tribal Nations and their citizens and communities.

A list of concerns and challenges because of the loss of the Wewoka Agency is written below. Please note that communication between the Seminole Nation Executive Office and the BIA Eastern Regional Office located in Muskogee, Oklahoma is continuing and strategic planning to lessen the impact of services to the Seminole Reservation will continue to be developed as an optional and alternative for provision of local services.

Items of concern collected from the staff of the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma: 1. Reduced Access to Services: The closure of the Wewoka Agency will result in the reduction or loss of essential services provided to the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma and its Tribal Members. These services include trustee services for restricted and Tribal trust lands, as well as Wildland Fire Management Preparedness & Prevention Services.

Specific Immediate Concerns: ⦁ Establishing Future Residential Leases of Restricted Lands for Tribal Members ⦁ Establishing Future Agricultural Leases of Restricted Lands for the Benefit of Tribal Members ⦁ Establishing Future Mineral Development Leases of Restricted Lands for the Benefit of Both Tribal Members and SNO ⦁ Lack of a Lease Compliance Technician or Inspections for the Benefit of Tribal Members and Restricted Lands ⦁ Lack of Current Access to TAAMS for the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma (While we will work to initiate the steps to gain read only access, this will undoubtedly take time.)

⦁ Reduced Access to essential services, impacting the community’s ability to manage their lands and resources ⦁ Without Local Fire Management Services, the risk of wildfires could increase

⦁ Administrative Challenges: The closure will likely lead to significant administrative challenges. Responsibilities and workload will need to be redistributed to other BIA offices, which could result in delays and inefficiencies in delivery of service. Specific Immediate Concerns: a. The impact this will have on fee-totrust acquisitions and other critical areas. Delays in fee-to-trust acquisitions can hinder economic development projects, such as building infrastructure, housing, or commercial enterprises. This can slow down job creation and economic growth within the community. b. Prolonged fee-to-trust processes can increase legal and administrative costs for tribes, diverting resources away from other important initiatives and services.

3. Increased Travel and Costs: With the closure of the Wewoka Agency, individuals will need to travel to other BIA offices to access services.

Specific Immediate Concern: a. This could lead to increased travel time and costs for Tribal Members, which can be particularly burdensome for those with already limited resources.

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