Tribal activities make $10.8B impact on Oklahoma's economic output, study suggests

Tribal payroll payments total $1.5 billion, or $27,610 per employee, the report said.

The tribes made direct payments of $792 million to state entities for medical care access, education, social services and economic development opportunities for tribal citizens, the report said.

The report, titled “The Statewide Impacts of Oklahoma Tribes,” was funded by The Cherokee Nation, The Chickasaw Nation, The Choctaw Nation and the Commerce Department. The institute estimated the figures after reviewing financial information provided by seven tribes, which included the reports' sponsors as well as The Citizen Potawatomi Nation, The Muscogee (Creek) Nation, The Peoria Tribe and the Shawnee Tribe.

Because of the limited sample size, determining the actual impact of tribal activities is “difficult,” the report said. “Based on our methodology, their true impacts are as likely to be understated as they are overstated,” the report concluded.

Research Economist Kyle Dean said the OCU study is the first effort by economists to gauge the direct and indirect impact of tribal operations in Oklahoma. Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Bill John Baker said the study, which he labeled “groundbreaking,” quantifies the significant economic contributions of tribes.