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A deputation agreement with the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) to join the Cherokee Nation and Washington County was approved by the Washington County Commissioners on Monday morning.

Following the ruling in the McGirt v Oklahoma court case, Washington County Sheriff Scott Owen said they've had an opportunity to have their deputies attend a deputation course that would give them federal authorization to work tribal lands. He said the Sheriff's Office is not going to have every deputy in the County deputized as a federal agent, however, they are going to take a few deputies that are recommended by the federal agencies that will allow them to work investigations on tribal lands in Washington County.

Since the whole of Washington County is the Cherokee Nation, Undersheriff Jon Copeland said they thought it was necessary to have the agreement in place. Once the agreement is filed, Copeland said everything becomes permanent with the BIA. He said one deputy has completed the course and several others will follow.

The two-day online class will afford Washington County's deputies to handle cases or investigations with Native Americans on the federal level. Copeland said they can do that currently through the Cherokee Nation because they are cross-deputized as Cherokee martials, but that is only for Tribal Court. He said the agreement addresses the issues that go outside Tribal Court to the federal level.

Copeland said the agreement is non-negotiable whatsoever with the Bureau of Indian Affairs.