Native tribe blasts Oregon takeover

[AirPo]

Do you think they care what the locals want?

Burns, Oregon (CNN)The leaders of the Burns Paiute tribe have a message for the men and women who havetaken over the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge outside Burns, Oregon: "Go home. We don't want you here."

The message came from several tribe members whose ancestors fought and died over portions of that land long before the ranchers and farmers had it, long before the federal government even existed.

The tribe is still fighting over land use but now works with the federal government's Bureau of Land Management to save its archaeological sites.

Full story here -->

 

[Chesterton]

"...long before the federal government even existed."

That would seem to be important. The federal government now has a contract (constitution) with its citizens.

 

[stamperben]

"...long before the federal government even existed."

That would seem to be important. The federal government now has a contract (constitution) with its citizens.

The Paiutes had a legal treaty with the federal government long before that land became a wildlife refuge. That's a contract that is specified by that Constitution you speak of.

 

[Chesterton]

The Paiutes had a legal treaty with the federal government long before that land became a wildlife refuge. That's a contract that is specified by that Constitution you speak of.

Then why aren't they protesting?

 

[stamperben]

Then why aren't they protesting?

Maybe you missed the news that's included in the CNN link in the OP.

 

[Chesterton]

Maybe you missed the news that's included in the CNN link in the OP.

Because they would have already been killed or jailed for not being white. I completely disagree with that.

 

[MennoSota]

The American Indian Movement occupied Alcatraz island in the 1970s and declared it to be Indian land.
Indian Nations are designated as "dependant sovereign" nations within the United States. What this means is that they can do anything within their reservation as long as it does not break Federal laws. They are not accountable to the States in which the Reservations reside.
As both members of their tribal nation and citizens of the United States, they are given the same right to voice complaints as any citizen or advocacy group in the US. They are welcome to voice their concerns on this issue, just as anyone on this forum is welcome to voice their concerns. Welcome to America.

 

[stamperben]

Who do you complian to about noncompliance of legal treaties between sovereign nations?

 

[smaneck]

Then why aren't they protesting?

They are protesting. They are protesting the desecration of their sacred lands by these gunmen:

“Don’t tell me any of these ranchers came across the Bering Strait,” the tribal chairwoman, Charlotte Rodrique, said at a news conference Wednesday. “We were here first,” she added. “We’d like the public to acknowledge that.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...e-refuge-we-were-here-first-get-the-hell-out/

"Although the wildlife refuge is not part of the Burns Paiute reservation, tribe members consider it sacred ancestral land. The Paiute are guaranteed access to the refuge for activities important to their heritage — hunting, fishing, gathering reeds for basket weaving and precious seeds. The tribe is also working with the Bureau of Land Management to preserve its archaeological sites."

 

[jenny1972]

thats sad if anyone should support standing up against and protests against the federal government it should be native americans .

 

[MennoSota]

They are protesting. They are protesting the desecration of their sacred lands by these gunmen:

“Don’t tell me any of these ranchers came across the Bering Strait,” the tribal chairwoman, Charlotte Rodrique, said at a news conference Wednesday. “We were here first,” she added. “We’d like the public to acknowledge that.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...e-refuge-we-were-here-first-get-the-hell-out/

"Although the wildlife refuge is not part of the Burns Paiute reservation, tribe members consider it sacred ancestral land. The Paiute are guaranteed access to the refuge for activities important to their heritage — hunting, fishing, gathering reeds for basket weaving and precious seeds. The tribe is also working with the Bureau of Land Management to preserve its archaeological sites."

If the US Federal Government can be shown as breaking a treaty, then the Federal government should honor it's treaty. However, since the tribe is dependent on the Federal Government for survival as a nation, the tribe doesn't have much power to interfere. The best they might hope for is a federal circuit judge ruling on their behalf to force the US government to intervene.

 

[smaneck]

If the US Federal Government can be shown as breaking a treaty, then the Federal government should honor it's treaty.

As my earlier post indicated, the Refuge is allowing the Tribe to use this land for its traditional purposes and therefore Paiute's do not seem to object to the Federal government's stewardship which helps preserve that land. They want these gunmen to go.

 

[smaneck]

thats sad if anyone should support standing up against and protests against the federal government it should be native americans .

Yeah, at first Bundy said he wanted to return the land to whoever it originally belonged to but when the tribal chief spoke up and said "It's ours" Bundy changed his tune and said the land should be turned over to the locals.

 

[MennoSota]

As my earlier post indicated, the Refuge is allowing the Tribe to use this land for its traditional purposes and therefore Paiute's do not seem to object to the Federal government's stewardship which helps preserve that land. They want these gunmen to go.

They have every right to voice their opinion. They have no power, other than their voice, on this matter.

 

[smaneck]

They have every right to voice their opinion. They have no power, other than their voice, on this matter.

Their only purpose was to demonstrate the absurdity of these gunmen's claims. They did that admirably while reminding us all who this land was really taken from.

 

[MennoSota]

Their only purpose was to demonstrate the absurdity of these gunmen's claims. They did that admirably while reminding us all who this land was really taken from.

All lands have been taken by somebody else. That's just the process of movement combined with limited resources.
Are you volunteering to move back to the homeland of your most distant ancestor?

 

[smaneck]

All lands have been taken by somebody else. That's just the process of movement combined with limited resources.
Are you volunteering to move back to the homeland of your most distant ancestor?

Nope. I'm just saying that we need to recognize what our ancestors did. Not all injustices can be undone but for these ranchers to claim they some how have a claim to federal lands is the height of absurdity.

 

[MennoSota]

Nope. I'm just saying that we need to recognize what our ancestors did. Not all injustices can be undone but for these ranchers to claim they some how have a claim to federal lands is the height of absurdity.

The federal government gets to decide who can and cannot use the land. Both groups are US citizens. Let them argue their case in federal court. I have no skin in this game.

 

[smaneck]

The federal government gets to decide who can and cannot use the land. Both groups are US citizens. Let them argue their case in federal court. I have no skin in this game.

Cliven Bundy has already lost his case in federal court numerous times. As for the Hammonds, whom they claim to be protecting, they too were found guilty of committing arson on federal lands in order to cover up their poaching activities.

 

[jenny1972]

Yeah, at first Bundy said he wanted to return the land to whoever it originally belonged to but when the tribal chief spoke up and said "It's ours" Bundy changed his tune and said the land should be turned over to the locals.

native amercans would have a much better chance of reclaiming land that is rightfully theirs if control over that land is transferred from the federal government to the state . However unless native amercans can prove in court that a treaty/land agreement has been broken (are in possession of the original land agreement that shows that the land belongs to them) i dot know what paperwork to prove that in a court they have. This has also raised national awareness about native land rights and if they do have evidence that a land contract was broken i hope they go to court .