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11:15 am Meet & Greet

11:30 am Lunch

11:45 Meeting Begins

RYAN LEONARD, SPECIAL COUNCIL FOR

NATIVE AMERICAN AFFAIRS

“The McGirt Case”

In 2020, Ryan was hired by Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt to serve as his Special Counsel for Native American Affairs. In this capacity, Ryan assists the Governor and his administration on issues arising from the U.S. Supreme court’s recent decision in McGirt v. Oklahoma, through which the Court ruled the Creek Nation reservation still exists within the State of Oklahoma for purposes of criminal jurisdiction. In January 2021, as authorized by Oklahoma law, Governor Stitt designated Ryan as the lead negotiator for the state in the discussions with Oklahoma’s native American tribes to address the foundation jurisdictional issues raised by the McGirt decision.