Trump advisors aim to privatize oil-rich Indian reservations

[DonViejo]

Source: Reuters

Mon Dec 5, 2016 | 6:22am EST

By Valerie Volcovici | WASHINGTON

Native American reservations cover just 2 percent of the United States, but they may contain about a fifth of the nation’s oil and gas, along with vast coal reserves. Now, a group of advisors to President-elect Donald Trump on Native American issues wants to free those resources from what they call a suffocating federal bureaucracy that holds title to 56 million acres of tribal lands, two chairmen of the coalition told Reuters in exclusive interviews.

The group proposes to put those lands into private ownership - a politically explosive idea that could upend more than century of policy designed to preserve Indian tribes on U.S.-owned reservations, which are governed by tribal leaders as sovereign nations.

The tribes have rights to use the land, but they do not own it. They can drill it and reap the profits, but only under regulations that are far more burdensome than those applied to private property.

"We should take tribal land away from public treatment," said Markwayne Mullin, a Republican U.S. Representative from Oklahoma and a Cherokee tribe member who is co-chairing Trump’s Native American Affairs Coalition. "As long as we can do it without unintended consequences, I think we will have broad support around Indian country."

-snip-

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-tribes-insight-idUSKBN13U1B1

[katmondoo]

1. You do not have public support !

[leftofcool]

2. There will not be "broad support" in Indian Country.

[Recursion]

25. Depends. There are some Nations that have been pushing for something like this

because they want to be able to drill the oil they're sitting on like the people next door can. Whatever they put forward is going to involve a pretty big payout to the Nations, or at least the ones above big fossil deposits.

[Blackjackdavey]

35. In Alaska

There are no reservations. The Natives have claim to their land and are organized into "corporations." Sadly, but truly, the largest resource extractors in the north are the "Native Corporations." Presumably this is the model they'd like to bring here and yes, it probably will be popular among many because of the "trickle down" dividends that they would all receive if they were to do it the way they do up north.

[Sunlei]

3. I'd like to invest in sovereign Indian Nations & totally remove USA gov.state/fed from those lands.

[DK504]

13. USA just a Banana republic now

Aren't they supposed to be sovereign nations? How is it we keep breaking every single treaty with the First NATIONS and they have no stop these illegal actions?

I'm an so disgusted.

[Astraea]

4. Trump's Native American Affairs Coalition??

WTF?

[eShirl]

5. "The tribes have rights to use the land, but they do not own it."

WTF!!!!

[Paladin]

6. Who would end up with the leases? Native Americans, or oil and gas speculators?

Energy companies would end up with most of the money, under a privatized system. The question is: who would hold the leases---and be entitled to royalty payments---under a privatized system? Native Americans, or oil and gas speculators (i.e., the Bundy family)?

One way or another, this sort of mass privatization of federal resources would drain billions of dollars from the treasury. And it's a sure bet that the ecology of the West and the wellbeing of Native Americans would be degraded, as well.

[HAB911]

8. They're also coming for the national parks too.........n/t

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

10. I imagine the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve (ANWR) is in their sights, too n/t

[wordpix]

30. get ready for Sis Sarah as Interior Sec. b/c

she has contacts with AK oil/gas developers.

No matter that she dissed Donald the other day

[duhneece]

36. THis is THE biggest, but unspoken-of nationally but big in New Mexico.

See O3tero Public Lands Alliance on facebook to see one of 3 platform 'legs' when I ran for State Rep in my all-red (for over 22 years) county. We had rallies and went door-to-door talking about my opponent's support of the 'transfer' of public lands, especially our Lincoln National Forest. Lots of $ to be made by real estate investor like she is. ...an ALEC 'Star Legislator in 2014. THey are trying to steal these treasures that belong to ALL Americans, but it may not be for long.

[HAB911]

7. Let's hope after Standing Rock

America will stand with Native Americans and just say NO

[malthaussen]

9. "As long as we can do it without unintended consequences..."

May I laugh, now?

Although I suppose the trashing and exploiting of said lands falls under "intended consequences," when I think of it.

-- Mal

[rickford66]

31. Unintended means unintended.

Just avoid the unknown and never make a mistake. Can't go wrong.

[turbinetree]

11. FU Markwayne Mullin, you are a disgrace to be called a Cherokee your a liar (ga-ye-go-gi )

I am a Cherokee, and I do not sell my heritage to f****ing racist, bigots, the land is the most important to my being, our being.

Maybe you should re-read "OUR" history of blatant genocide by your white f***ing lackeys against the "entire" Indigenous Peoples' history and what greed did, like your support of Manifest Destiny or the Doctrine of Discovery, you really are self serving for only one thing yourself.

You remind me of the 23 sub chiefs that kept selling the land and the promise from the white man, that didn't pay one dime, they lied, your a liar (ga-ye-go-gi )

Maybe it's time to have the Chief of the Cherokee Nation, Bill John Baker to renounce your hypocrisy, you are not a member in my eyes, you do know what the seven sided clans / councils are, don't you. Are you a full blood or a mix blood, because what ever blood you have you are a disgrace

[2naSalit]

18. +1!

[turbinetree]

21. Wado (Thank you)

He should not be tolerated and given credence to justify what is happening on our land, our water, our air.

He should be banished. He is a Traitor – Galonuhesgi

I can still remember Ben Nighthorse CO, changing his party affiliation when he went from democrat to republican in the 1980's

I think fracked water should be sent to his district office and asked to drink it

[2naSalit]

22. +1!

[turbinetree]

24. The latest from Paul Ryan is that he is going to ask the Army Corp of Engineers

to rescind the environmental impact statement, spoken like a true white republican fascists.

I think he also should be sent fracked water and asked to drink it in the public forum


And I like your picture "He not my president"


He is not

[2naSalit]

28. I live in

Montana and it's a dicey game for liberals here. A lot of my friends are at Standing Rock. I can't go for fear I may not get my gov't job back come summer. I do public outreach and education about public lands and wildlife management.

I would go too if I were younger.

[turbinetree]

33. I fully understand as do many others

but never live in fear, that's what they want us to do.

I can still remember my first anti-war protest out in California, it defined me.

I am going to the racists swearing in by the Chief racists of the U.S. Supreme Court and the herr dumpster, and I am going to have a sign that says

What Does John Roberts Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court and Donald Trump Have in Common


They are both Racists, Bigots & Fascists

If people think of what Roberts has done and looked at what the dumpster has done, they are hypocrites, one with a black robe and other with black suit


Use to live in Wyoming, South Dakota, Utah, and Colorado now retired from aviation

[Angry Dragon]

27. To me he will never be the president until he shows the American people respect

[turbinetree]

34. Well , we, both and millions of others will have a long wait

this is Reagan on steroids just more darker and more dangerous, he will never be my president

[wordpix]

32. thank you from a non-Native American

I agree with you, Turbinetree.

I will remember ga-ye-go-gi when I'm referring to liars from now on.

[secondwind]

37. I'm with you, my friend

[Initech]

12. Translation: They have money, it's ours! Fuck you!

I swear the bullies who beat you up in high school become the takers of the GOP.

[Bayard]

14. Wait a minute

"The 1887 General Allotment Act (or Dawes Act), a piece of legislation that was designed to assimilate American Indian people into white culture and was directly responsible for the loss of 90 million acres of Indian land—nearly two-thirds of the total Indian land base. The Act required tribally-held land to be divided among individual tribal members and the remaining “surplus” lands opened to white settlement. This division and alienation of Indian land and assets had devastating consequences for Indian people that still endure today." per, The Indian Land Tenure Foundation. And Wikipedia says,

"The name "reservation" comes from the conception of the Native American tribes as independent sovereigns at the time the U.S. Constitution was ratified. Thus, the early peace treaties (often signed under duress) in which Native American tribes surrendered large portions of land to the U.S. also designated parcels which the tribes, as sovereigns, "reserved" to themselves, and those parcels came to be called "reservations."[9] The term remained in use even after the federal government began to forcibly relocate tribes to parcels of land to which they had no historical connection."

So......how can the U.S. government still come in and take over these lands for corporate use? My understanding is that the BLM only "manages" the land, and its held in trust. What's in the fine print? Anyone know for sure? And with the attention and support Standing Rock is finally getting, do the powers that be really want that kind of protest across the country? The U.S. government has already stolen enough Native American land, and now they want to trot out Manifest Destiny to forcibly take the little bit left?

[2naSalit]

19. Some links to read for info...

It's a complex law and was designed to allow non-Indians to own land on reservations further dissipating their landholdings as tribes and sovereign peoples.


https://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=true&doc=50

[Bayard]

15. Good book

"Black Hills, White Justice", is very informative about this type of thing.

[turbinetree]

23. I agree. I would also recommend this book by James Mooney

this is a free book and pretty much explains what happened to the Cherokee, Creeks, Catawba, Shawano

James Mooney 1861-1921

http://www.sacred-texts.com/nam/cher/motc/


http://www.sacred-texts.com/nam/cher/motc/motc099.htm

[Wounded Bear]

16. We're heading for another Wounded Knee....

in fact, I'm surprised they managed to keep Standing Rock "peaceful" so long. Republicans are dying to get the 1800's back, with updated technology. Then they can finish the genocide.

[2naSalit]

20. Yup...

a campaign begun long ago, still being implemented.

[SickAndTiredOfRepubs]

17. Hmmm....seems like American Indians might need to build a wall

to keep those Anglo-Saxon immigrants out of what little land they were "given"

[Angry Dragon]

26. I do not have the words to express my outrage

[2naSalit]

29. The Dawes Act, just for reference...

https://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=true&doc=50