On December 24, 2025, The Oklahoman published Chief Ben Barnes’ op-ed on important priorities for the state in 2026.

As Oklahoma prepares for an election year and the 250th anniversary of the United States, this is a fitting moment to reflect on who we are as a state and what kind of future we want to build. From my perspective, the path forward is clear: Oklahoma will be strongest when the state and the 38 tribal nations within its borders work together with purpose and respect.

Oklahoma’s identity is inseparable from Native identity. Long before statehood, tribal nations were governing, educating, raising families, and protecting their communities. The state grew up around us. Our languages and place names shape the geography of Oklahoma. Our citizens live in every corner of the state and contribute to every sector of its economy—from agriculture and manufacturing to healthcare, public safety, and the arts. Tribal nations are not adjacent to Oklahoma’s story—we are central to it.

Tribal nations want what every Oklahoman wants: safe neighborhoods, strong schools, healthy families, and opportunities for our children to thrive. And we work every day to help achieve those goals. Across the state, tribes build roads and utilities, operate health systems that serve both Native and non-Native patients, support rural hospitals, develop housing, expand broadband access, and provide jobs that anchor local communities. We also invest heavily in public safety—funding police departments, building court systems, and working closely with counties, municipalities, and federal partners.

When tribes and the state work together, we expand—not compete for—the tools available to solve shared challenges. That is a truth Oklahomans increasingly understand, even when political rhetoric sometimes suggests otherwise.

Too often, tribal sovereignty is misunderstood or misrepresented. Some voices still rely on outdated narratives that cast tribal governments as obstacles rather than as capable, willing partners. These narratives divide Oklahomans for short-term gain and distract from the real work of improving people’s lives. Division is not a governing strategy. It does not help a child find a tutor, a rural hospital keep its doors open, a business grow, or a family feel safer at night.

But partnership does. Collaboration does. Respect does.

Looking ahead to 2026, Oklahomans will be asked to consider what kind of future we want for our shared home. We can continue down familiar paths marked by misunderstanding and missed opportunities, or we can embrace a future built on cooperation and the shared strengths of all our governments. The direction we choose will shape the opportunities available to our children and the well-being of communities across this state.

There is enormous potential in front of us. The 38 tribal nations in Oklahoma represent one of the state’s greatest strategic advantages. Few places in the country have this level of governmental capacity, investment power, cultural strength, and community presence available to them. Sovereignty is not a barrier to progress—it is an engine for it. When respected, it generates economic growth, stability, and opportunity for Native and non-Native families alike.

Imagine what Oklahoma could accomplish through more intentional coordination across governments: innovative regional health partnerships, seamless emergency response across jurisdictions, broadband access that finally reaches every corner of the state, transportation planning that supports growing communities, and education initiatives that prepare our children for the jobs of the future. These are realistic, near-term gains that become possible when our governments approach one another as partners, not opponents.

I believe our future rests on cooperation, respect, and a shared responsibility to make Oklahoma stronger for the next generation. Our histories and communities are intertwined, and we all benefit when we work together.

In 2026 and beyond, let’s choose unity over division, collaboration over conflict, and strength rooted in the belief that we are better when we work together.