21st Century Wire – by Patrick Henningsen
In the wake of a Bundy Ranch crisis sparked by a militarized federal land-grab effort in Nevada, it seems that the Department of Interior has set its sights on a new prize – this time targeting once protected Indian reservation land on Pine Ridge in South Dakota.
The Oglala Sioux and Lakota Sioux of the reservation have been told by the Federal Government that the National Parks Service will be taking land that comprises the South Unit of the Badlands National Park as a new ‘Tribal National Park’, only the wording in the bill clearly indicates that it will be a federally managed national park under the Department of Interior, giving mere lip service to its tribal title. The Congressional bill has already been written, and if passed through Congress, both tribal members and non tribal members will be stripped of their deeded land – at a price set by the federal government. If owners do not accept Washington’s offer (expected to be a meager one), the land can be acquired at no cost because the measure has waived all appraisal rights and stipulates that Washington can simply take Indian land by force under ‘eminent domain’.
Thousands of tribe members will be affected by the land-grab. Some residents will be forced to relocate, and many more others will lose their income from grazing allotments on the land – a result which will ultimately force any remaining independent cattle ranchers out of business. In addition to all this, Tribal members will lose their share of income from entrance fees collected at the adjacent North Gate of the Badlands National Park – a punitive measure which will further compound the existing economic depression on a reservation where the average annual income is around $8,000 per year.
Washington may be pining for yet another ‘Wounded Knee’, as many residents and tribal members are prepared to stand their ground in the face of a federal imperialist policy inside US borders – a trend which many Americans have experienced first-hand, particularly in western states like Utah, Nevada, New Mexico, Arizona and California.
Tribal member and local cattle rancher Bud May believes the issue is not confined to Pine Ridge.
May states, “There is a feeling of common cause between attached parties on this issue – namely tribes and other reservations. The bottom line is we’ll all be under dictatorial control if something is not done quick”.
The federal move initially gained traction after a Tribal Ordinance passed by the Tribal Council in the spring of 2013. Many Tribal members have been frustrated with the tribal council, which has gone against the will of the people to back the park. All 9 districts on the reservation have passed unanimous resolutions against the park along with the Shannon County Commissioners and several South Dakota State legislators.
To add insult to injury, it appears that all landowners were only notified of the measure until after it had passed, with their first news of the federal plan coming in the form of eviction notices issued by the Bureau of Indian Affairs Land Operations department in the fall of 2013.
The Tribal Council of 19 has yet to allow a democratic referendum on the federal takeover, although sources confirm that the referendum option is on the agenda for next month’s council meeting.
‘Cowboys and Indian’ in Common Cause
The federal land-grab crisis was elevated to national news in April when Nevada independent rancher Cliven Bundy and his supporters stood toe to toe in an armed standoff with the the Department of Interior’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM) over Bundy’s private property and land rights which trace back to 1870′s.
Lory Storm, a Nebraska radio host who has been following recent developments at Pine Ridge describes the synergy now happening between what were previously strange bedfellows. Storm explains, “The difference between this situation and the Bundy Ranch conflict? It will be the first time in the history of our Country that the Cowboys and Indians pose a united front against a federal government that is used to winning battles by first dividing and then conquering.”
Already, many land owners are taking the position that they will not comply with the latest order from the government – leaving many to wonder whether this potential standoff will become the third ‘Wounded Knee’ incident involving a standoff between the Sioux Nation and the US Federal government.
June 25th is the anniversary of the infamous conflict at the Little Big Horn between General Custer, the Northern Cheyenne and the Lakota Sioux, and this year’s anniversary will see residents of the Pine Ridge Reservation along with other protesters gathering again Wounded Knee to protest the theft of their land by the Federal Government.
Crowds will gather to protest and a symbolic ride will take place today, where tribal riders will be joined by riders from ranches in Nebraska and South Dakota in the afternoon at the Gordon Legion in a show of solidarity on the issue of private property rights and grazing rights.
So far, this is the only other story I’ve seen. 🙁
http://www.northplattebulletin.com/index.asp?show=news&action=readStory&storyID=28152&pageID=24
Another example of private property being seized. Will they say hell no and fight if necessary? After Bundy ranch, they may feel empowered to do so.
If you take a stick and hit a hornet’s nest with it, that’s what the government has done. The tribal council may find themselves leaving the reservation by force. When the cowboys and the Indians come together the government better tread lightly.
Yep!
Man, we got problems with the Feds at the Southern border and now another Bundy Ranch type land grab incident about to happen again. The S is HTF real quick in this country. The Zionist/Communist bastards are hitting us at all fronts. It’s definitely gonna take everyone of us to stand together and stop this foreign government in occupation.
Don’t forget about the Red River, NC.
http://www.breitbart.com/Breitbart-Texas/2014/06/24/BLM-Doubles-Down-on-Texas-Land
http://blog.chron.com/texaspolitics/2014/06/feds-say-new-texas-land-belongs-in-public-domain/
http://www.texastribune.org/2014/06/23/abbott-pans-blm-response-red-river-questions/
Yea I almost forgot about that. Haven’t heard much on it lately. Thanks. You should ask if Henry can post some of these stories. We need to keep people updated on this stuff.
OK. Will do.
I’ll send them all and let Henry/Admin. take their pick.
I’m concerned about this sudden Media blitz re. the Border situation (which has been going on for Years). Why all the publicity Now? Perhaps it is a “Distraction.” “Divide and Conquer.” If all of our Militias go to the Border, who is left to defend our Interior from BLM’s Land Grab/dirty deeds? We must stay alert and strategize. Somehow, cover All bases.
Yea, I know. You read my mind. I was just thinking about that for the past half hour as I was walking my dog.
This whole thing seems like a military operation and it’s not going to go away for awhile. It will last at least 4 to 6 months, if not more. It’s no two week Bundy Ranch, that’s for sure.
That being said, it’s almost guaranteed that many other government tyranny events like this and the Bundy Ranch are going to occur during that time somewhere else in the country, so are we going to have enough people or militia willing to stand up to it all when the time comes, is my question and thought, too.
As I always say, “A warrior who only knows one side leaves himself open for destruction”.
If something does happen at the Red River area with the BLM, I will be going over there to get info. on it, since it is only about 2 hours away from where I’m at. A lot closer and easier for me to get to than the Southern border at this point in time.
They’ve been keeping it quiet, NC (on purpose, part of the plan). You can bet that situations like the Bundys, the Sioux, the Red River are happening in other areas. We just don’t know about them. The info. is censored and squelched. Meanwhile, the public is distracted by MSM.
Cute…this same scumbag Congress/Senate pulls this wannabe genocide at the same time they’re trying to force Redskins owner Dan Snyder to change the name of the NFL’s Washington Redskins, which has been called that since the 1930s!
Psychopaths! Every single one of them!
At the time reservations were created and land given to different tribes you will find that they were located in the most unproductive, desolate areas of the country. Desert areas, swamps etc.
When my grandson and I took a train trip across the country via Amtrak (the Northern route) we passed through hundreds of square miles of desert areas where there was nothing but sand and desert weeds. Not even cactus was seen and yet this area was home to one of the Indian tribes, I can not remember which one. The poverty level was obvious and there was no activity of any kind observable. Amtrak had a program at the time where a native Indian boarded the train at one point gave a lecture with pictures and left the train at the next stop. She passed out all kinds of information which was used to file with Ryan’s home school umbrella school, so I don’t have them.
Now the government wants this land back for various reasons, debt to China and natural resources not known at the time the land was distributed. Another treaty broken when will it ever end.
Post Note. There are two routes to California, we were headed to southern California but were forced to take the Northern route because of extensive damage on the Southern route due to Hurricane Frances. We had to switch trains in Chicago to begin the Southwest routing. That is how we got to the desert areas of the country. We had booked the trip for August but the Hurricane delayed the trip to September. I would have loved the Southern Route for it went to New Orleans one of my favorite places. The French Quarter where I lived for 8 months in 1970.
What’s crazy is that this is so blatantly illegal. Hasn’t the U.S. government taken enough Indian land and violated enough treaties with tribal nations already?
Not only that, but the Feds have no constitutional authority to own vast tracts of land anywhere, even if obtained consensually! The Constitution limits federal lands to the 10 square mile seat of government (Washington D.C.) and such lands as needed for forts, dockyards, and other necessary buildings (see Article 1, Section 8).
Here’s hoping that the ranchers and the Indians work together to stand up to this latest federal land grab. Let’s support the sovereignty and independence of the Lakota Sioux and all tribes, and reclaim other federal lands for the people!