By TROY LITTLEDEER | @kituwahpunk
CANDY MINK SPRINGS, Okla. — History is not a ghost. It is a neighbor. It lives in the 38 tribal nations headquartered here in Oklahoma and in the ancestral homelands of the 574 sovereign nations across Indian Country. It lives in the treaties that the U.S. Constitution calls the “Supreme Law of the Land.” On Sunday night, history stepped onto the Grammy stage. Singer Billie Eilish, wearing a pin that read “ICE Out,” said: “No one is illegal on stolen land.”
The backlash was fast. On Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026, Sen. Ted Cruz mocked her during a hearing. He asked if movie studios in California were “stolen property.” Critics like Kid Rock called her appearance “sad” and told her to “look to Jesus.” Even in Indian Country, some folks are tired of seeing celebrities use our history as a soundbite while they live in mansions. But the critics are missing the real point.
Whether she meant to or not, Eilish’s statement did two things. She didn’t just make a moral point; she exposed a federal agency that uses the word “illegal” as a weapon against anyone who gets in their way. They use that word to justify targeting anyone who inconveniences power. By calling the land “stolen,” she shined a light on a corrupt system. She used her fame to shield all our people – both the ones coming to the border and the ones who have been here since the beginning of time.
Critics say Eilish is a hypocrite for living on Tongva land while talking about theft. But the Tongva are still working through federal acknowledgment—which means they can’t afford to say much of anything publicly without risking their case. That silence isn’t endorsement or criticism. It’s proof that tribal recognition has been turned into a hostage negotiation.
The federal government just proved it will use tribal recognition as a political tool. In December 2025, they gave federal status to the Lumbee Tribe—a group that has claimed Cherokee, Croatan, and Tuscarora heritage depending on the decade—by sneaking it into a defense spending bill. The Lumbee were state-recognized in North Carolina until that political deal let them skip the legal process that requires documentation and proof.
Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) Chief Michell Hicks fought against it, calling it a “political decision” rather than a legal one. This isn’t just a Cherokee problem; it is a threat to all of Indian Country. If the government can grant tribal status based on political deals instead of treaties and history, then they can also take it away or use it as leverage. Our status as Indigenous people—whether we are Cherokee Nation citizens, United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians (UKB) members, EBCI, or citizens of any of the 574 sovereign nations—is based on treaties and documented history. When recognition becomes something Washington trades for political loyalty or casino money, those treaties mean less. Our sovereignty becomes a government franchise instead of an inherent right.
This explains why Eilish’s statement hit such a nerve. When the government weaponizes “fake” to control tribal recognition and “illegal” to justify violence, both serve the same purpose: deciding who counts as legitimate and who becomes disposable. She didn’t just call out stolen land; she exposed a system that uses language as a weapon. The Lumbee case proves recognition can be bought. What happened in Minneapolis proves what the government does to people it labels “illegal.”
The Minneapolis Killings
In January 2026, federal agents killed two people during an operation known as “Operation Metro Surge.” They killed Alex Pretti, a VA nurse who was recording them, and Renée Nicole Good, a poet and mother who was just dropping her kid off at school. The Indigenous Journalists Association says at least five Native Americans were detained in those same raids.
On Jan. 13, Oglala Sioux Tribe President Frank Star Comes Out sent a letter to the government demanding the release of tribal members. He called the arrests “unlawful” and a “violation of binding treaties.” This is what happens when federal agencies like the DHS act like the law doesn’t apply to them. If they can ignore tribal rights and question our IDs, then “illegal” can mean anyone.
The Fight for Our Land
These killings happened in Minnesota, but the same federal power is trying to ignore tribal borders in Oklahoma and South Dakota.
In Oklahoma, Gov. Kevin Stitt is pushing a “one-rule” system that Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation Chuck Hoskin Jr. says would erase tribal jurisdiction protected by the Supreme Court’s McGirt decision. In South Dakota, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is overseeing enforcement actions that tribal leaders say violate treaty boundaries. The pattern is clear: state and federal officials are testing how far they can push into Indian Country.
The Reality
Our tribes are not social clubs. We are sovereign governments. We have authority that is older than the U.S. Constitution. There are 574 tribes in this country, each with its own borders and laws. When federal agents act like they have total immunity on our land, they are breaking the law.
Treaties are the bedrock of this country. If an agency like ICE ignores those treaties, they have failed the American people. They aren’t serving the law anymore; they are just using intimidation.
The Path Forward
Fixing a government that has lost its way is an act of patriotism. Whether it’s a nurse in Minneapolis, an EBCI citizen in the Smokies, or a UKB member in Adair County, Oklahoma, no one is safe if federal agencies can ignore the law.
Billie Eilish is not “sad.” She is right. She called out an agency that uses the word “illegal” to justify violence. In these cases, the ones breaking the law are the ones wearing the badges.
The treaties didn’t move. We didn’t move. Power will.
Troy Littledeer is a member of the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians and an award-winning journalist and photographer. He works as a freelance writer for Osage News and contributes to NDNSports.com after previously serving as a multimedia specialist for the Cherokee Phoenix. His reporting focuses on tribal sovereignty, federal Indian law, and Oklahoma athletics. Littledeer is the founder of the nonprofit news outlet The Watchfire and a lifetime member of the Indigenous Journalists Association. He lives in Adair County, Oklahoma with his wife and their two sons.
