Indian tribes buy back thousands of acres of land

Indian tribes buy back thousands of acres of land

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OMAHA, Neb. (AP) -- Native American tribes tired of waiting for the U.S. government to honor centuries-old treaties are buying back land where their ancestors lived and putting it in federal trust.

Native Americans say the purchases will help protect their culture and way of life by preserving burial grounds and areas where sacred rituals are held. They also provide land for farming, timber and other efforts to make the tribes self-sustaining.

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Huh, well this is interesting.

Tribes put more than 840,000 acres - or roughly the equivalent of the state of Rhode Island - into trust from 1998 to 2007, according to information The Associated Press obtained from the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs under the Freedom of Information Act.

Those buying back land include the Winnebago, who have put more than 700 acres in eastern Nebraska in federal trust in the past five years, and the Pawnee, who have 1,600 acres of trust land in Oklahoma. Land held in federal trust is exempt from local and state laws and taxes, but subject to most federal laws.

I have to say I am all for these folk getting land back that was wrongfully taken for them, so long as they don't really get greedy about it.

Then again the federal and state government tend to over look the needs of the Native Americans. Their culture is something of extreme importance that should be kept alive so that others can enjoy it.

A lot of the most valuable life lessons and spiritual meanings I have learned have come from Native American friends I have, as well as most of the natural remedies.

Thoughts?

~Keeper


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reply to post by tothetenthpower

Any news on the Black Hills?

Indian tribes buy back thousands of acres of land

AH HA. Now I know what the reason is for the American Indian Casinos and smoke-shops. They are luring in people's money to get money to buy back the land .

This may be one big Native American secret diabolical plan !!

And heck, it just may work.

well if you cant beat em join em!!

Pitty they have to PAY to get back what is in fact theres in the first place lol

Ironic but hey who cares wont be a planet worth living on soon..

Like you Keeper, my entire life was changed once I approached life with more of a natural attitude, after attending my first Pow Wow at my local college. I still remember the drum beats, how they echoed through my chest and for some reason just made me feel so.... sad... Yet empowered. If that makes any sense.

Most, if not all, of this country was settled and farmed by Native Americans way before any Europeans even thought about coming over the pond. On one hand, we robbed and stealed and knowingly lied to many Native American tribes to attain our land. However, if we had not done this, America may still be a small country and not as grand as we are now.

There should have been a balance back then, instead of the rush to the West Coast that happened. Hopefully, as we evolve and grow as a culture, we will repay these first settlers any way we can. Thank you so much for posting this Keeper!

Just because you own something doesn't mean it's yours. For example, recently Chavez nationalized some private industry in Venezuela. I'm sure the Feds would take the land back if they wanted to, probably under some Bureau of Land Management or EPA legislation.