EPA overrides Congress, hands over town to Indian tribes.

Hello Folks,

Saw this come across a couple different places today.

“This is an alarming action when you have a federal agency step in and start to undo congressional acts that has really been our history for 108 years … with the stroke of a pen without talking to the biggest groups impacted,” state Sen. Leland Christensen told The Daily Caller News Foundation, “and that would be the city of Riverton and the state of Wyoming.”

I'm not sure how legitimate this is, but a number of blogs, and small "Not MSM" websites are carrying this story.

It worries me that the EPA, and a few other agencies are able to re-write law on a whim, or a technicality.

This should be something the people of Riverton, Wy should have a say about as well.

I would not want to wake up and find I am suddenly in a different "zoning" area, with the possibility of being told to get out. Although, considering no one owns their land, I suppose it could happen to anyone, but a whole town of 10,000 people seems off the charts.

The tribes remain adamant that Riverton and the one million acres of land is theirs, arguing that state officials once supported such a conclusion. Tribal officials have criticized tthe governor’s office for changing its tune on Riverton and the reservation’s boundaries.

Tho, perhaps it's just more in line with the rest of the things this administration is doing. Catering to every minority group's whim. (No, this is not a racially motivated comment, and shame on you if you imply this.. I am 1/4 Native American).

Either way, I believe this is a decision left to a state, and it's local voters. It should not be a regulatory government agency that gets to set boundaries within a state.

It also sets a very dangerous precedent: If the EPA can over-write city boundaries, what is next. If they can over-ride 108 year old laws, whats next?

Source

Additional Source

Ummm...Is this town actually within their reservation? If it is, the people of the town have always been living on reservation land. Nothing much will change. It sounds like something is just being clarified to me. Maybe the people living in the town may even get their property taxes reduced.

I can't say that this is a bad thing, it just clarifies who the land actually belongs to. I do not really own the land my home sits on, nobody does...except the US government. If they decided to trade my land to pay off a national debt, I could do nothing about it.

reply to post by Cygnis


I think this may go back to the Royal Proclamation of 1763 and the lie that was foisted on the Citizens of the United States of America (the Crown Corporation) Its the Citizens that are the property of the Crown ..Its been a ponzie scheme from the beginning that is coming to a end .Its too bad because its the original owners of turtle island that have had to let the Euroamerican group cash in on the resources for a long time ...This will not turn out well no matter how you try and play it out ..I see it as the beginning of the end for the usa ..A good experiment that we may be able to pick up the pieces and move on in a peaceful constructive way ..best of luck people ..Thank God we dont live in the middle east ....

Hmmm... Good catch OP. The Daily Caller definitely isn't a blog and that sounds like a legit story by reading the DC article on it.

Well...so the Indian Reservation was redefined for boundaries by a million acres, eh? All by the administrative action of a federal agency..eh? They figure they have the power to redefine state boundaries and map lines now, do they?

I can't wait to see this one hit the Supremes for a Roberts opinion. Oh..I don't predict this ends well at all for the EPA and I believe the High Court has been waiting for a crack at them for awhile now. Recall, the court has incredible power ..BUT...has no power of initiative. All matters must be brought TO them..so they haven't been able to do much of anything to this point.

I believe the EPA not only blew past any power they had themselves ...but they also overstepped on behalf of their Boss. Redefining state lines and setting political boundaries internal to the United States isn't an executive power.

It's about time they finally overstepped clearly and blatantly in a way a state I KNOW will fight...will now fight hard.

(puts some popcorn on) Anyone want some for the show ?

Having reviewed the article in question there is one small problem with the entire action, and that is that the EPA has absolutely, and I repeat, absolutely nothing to do with the Native American Indians, or its reservations or even any conflict that would result from a state and a native people. It is not within its mandate and this can be challenged and ultimately won in a court.

The reason why this is possible, and all the officials would have to do is go to court and get an injunction in a federal court, is that there is only 1 agency in the USA that has clear cut authority in cases like that and it would be the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Only they have full jurisdiction, not the EPA.

This is where the EPA is over stepping its mandate and ultimately can be punished, and one hopes that it is. And I am surprised that the US congressmen and Senators are not having such in the works at this time frame.

reply to post by sdcigarpig


This is kind of what I was thinking. A state doesn't have any authority to draw up Reservation boundaries, only the federal government does...but, only through the Bureau of Indian Affairs (the Department of the Interior), so what the heck does this have to do with the Environmental Protection Agency?

If Obama had anything to do with this, why wouldn't he just direct the correct Alphabet Agency to draw up the new boundary rather than the wrong one and risk having this challenged in court and most likely thrown out?

This could be yet another test of arrogant authoritarianism.

They know it could be illegal but they do it anyway and keep the pressure on.

And conveniently they choose a controversial subject area to conduct the data mining.

There must be some political connection here?

Anyone paying attention to the last 20 years knows the EPA can do pretty much anything it wants to.

Doesn't matter about congressional oversite in least.

That is a fact.

reply to post by Cygnis

I was in Riverton over Thanksgiving as my daughter lives in Lander, about a half hour away while I live in Jackson, about 3 plus hours away.... I guess the question is.... what do the laws truly say? How are they interpreted? Obviously the EPA has no true power over this other than to express an opinion about where lines are drawn regarding Reservation and other lands. Do we or do we not hold ourselves and our country to contracts? What? Think about this. The Constitution is a contract regarding how government and the public should act towards one another. Rights, freedoms, responsibilities, divisions of government, and so on. The treaties we, as the public and the government, made with the various indian tribes, are also contracts. We've all heard about cheating the indians... sorry... "native americans".... and how treaties were broken, tribes were poorly treated... and so on, but treaties ARE contracts and contracts are law based. So what is happening here is interpretation of treaties, boundaries, laws, borders, tribal government and city government and county government and state government and Federal government. Maybe the EPA is correct. Maybe there has been cheating going on for many years. Maybe not. But if it has been, the question is how to rectify, reimburse, correct, negotiate, and treat the current situation if it is not according to law. No matter what, people will be upset. A contract is a contract. We have a lot of experience at broken contracts. What to do? Should we break a contract or treaty or laws simply because its easier? Will upset a lower number of people? Would be a precedent? This is perhaps a matter of honor as well as law. Who we are as a people all together as citizens of the U.S. rather than separated as tribal and non-tribal groups. Is this where the phrase "Indian giver" comes into play?