Post by Okwes on Apr 2, 2007 19:33:21 GMT -5
Cheyenne-Arapaho Tribes fight for possession of Fort Reno lands
by: Brian Daffron
OKLAHOMA CITY - In Oklahoma's centennial year, the federal government's
attempts to take and keep land from Oklahoma's Native tribes is still a
reality to which the Cheyenne-Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma can attest.
In 1881, an executive order was issued from the White House that would
borrow 10,000 acres from the Cheyenne-Arapaho to use as a part of Fort
Reno, near present-day El Reno, Okla. When the military was through with
this property, the land was supposed to revert back to the tribes for
their use. In 1948, the U.S. military finished using the lands but
instead, the U.S. Department of Agriculture took over the land for its
Grazinglands Research Laboratory.
Recently, the Cheyenne-Arapaho have made an effort to re-obtain
approximately 7,000 acres of these lands from the federal government to
use in its future plans for economic development, which include a
potential industrial park and an Indian World Trade Center.
''They're taking land that truthfully belongs to us,'' Cheyenne-Arapaho
Gov. Darrell Flyingman said during a recent interview. ''They are
blatantly stealing our land in 2006 and 2007. One thing that we need to
keep in mind, too, is that the Anadarko Basin runs right through Fort
Reno. There's a lot of oil and gas underneath. The large oil companies
have a lot of say-so in trying to keep this land and keep it out of our
hands.''
This past year, at least three different attempts were made in the U.S.
Senate to authorize the secretary of Agriculture to lease the mineral
rights to the oil and gas industry. Senate Bill 1832, which would have
authorized this had it passed, was co-written by Sens. James Inhofe and
Tom Coburn, both R-Okla. By Flyingman's estimation, half a billion
barrels of oil lie beneath Fort Reno's surface, and the land is
currently surrounded by oil wells.
''What's so disturbing about this bill is that they knew that we had a
large interest in Fort Reno, and yet what they tried to do was sneak it
through as a 'midnight rider,''' Flyingman said. ''We contacted them and
asked why we weren't notified or why they did not have a consultation
with us. They wouldn't respond to us.''
A hearing on this bill was scheduled to be held in March 2006, of which
the tribes were not notified. The Cheyenne-Arapaho actually found out
about the hearing over the Internet, according to Flyingman. He said
that there was also no response to the letters he sent to the Department
of the Interior on this issue. During the Senate's most recent lame-duck
session, Flyingman said that another ''midnight rider'' was attempted
and worded as authorization for Interior funding. Through meetings with
key officials, the tribes found a way to halt the bill.
Over the past year, many U.S. congressmen, senators and National
Congress of American Indians representatives have met with the
Cheyenne-Arapaho and shown support. The majority of Oklahoma's
congressional delegation has met with the Cheyenne-Arapaho and offered
support as well. According to a Nov. 16 statement issued by the
Cheyenne-Arapaho, they had received attention from Coburn, saying that
he would review all of their documentation. Flyingman said out of the
Oklahoma delegation, Inhofe was the only person who would not meet with
the Cheyenne-Arapaho.
When asked specific questions regarding the Cheyenne
-Arapaho and Fort Reno, Coburn's office issued a
one-paragraph statement:
''It would be premature to comment on the future of the Fort Reno lands
pending the outcome of litigation. I will continue to monitor this
situation closely and have instructed my staff to maintain the close
contact they've had with the Cheyenne-Arapaho leaders and the pertinent
federal agencies. I will give this issue my full attention just as I do
with all constituent concerns.''
Inhofe's office did not respond by press time.
Currently, Flyingman said that a lot of the money the Cheyenne-Arapaho
Tribes have has come from gaming. However, Flyingman and others in the
tribes are working hard to diversify their revenues, and the tribes see
Fort Reno as a way to not only reinvest in themselves, but also to
partner with cities and towns within their tribal jurisdiction.
''Right now, our casinos are more or less supporting our tribe,''
Flyingman said. ''Casinos aren't going to be around forever, so we're
going to have to diversify, go out and create businesses, and bring
businesses into our tribe, so we can prepare the future for our
children. I think that everyone that lives in our area should benefit
from what we benefit from.''
When the history of Oklahoma is told, there is not always a focus on
forced allotment, when reservations were split up into 160-acre plots
with the excess going toward land runs for white settlement. Through the
allotment of the Cheyenne-Arapaho reservation, the tribes lost 4.6
million acres of land. Although the tribes were awarded $15 million for
that loss of land in 1965, they have the documentation to show they were
never paid for the Fort Reno land. But Flyingman believes that the land
will return to them by the end of this year. He is currently working to
enlist, among others, Oklahoma Gov. Brad Henry to help the
Cheyenne-Arapaho re-obtain Fort Reno during Oklahoma's centennial year.
''I'm a very optimistic person, and I think 2007 will be a very good
year for the Cheyenne-Arapaho,'' Flyingman said. ''What better gift for
the state of Oklahoma to give back to the Cheyenne-Arapaho 7,000 acres
for the 4.6 million acres we gave away years ago.''
by: Brian Daffron
OKLAHOMA CITY - In Oklahoma's centennial year, the federal government's
attempts to take and keep land from Oklahoma's Native tribes is still a
reality to which the Cheyenne-Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma can attest.
In 1881, an executive order was issued from the White House that would
borrow 10,000 acres from the Cheyenne-Arapaho to use as a part of Fort
Reno, near present-day El Reno, Okla. When the military was through with
this property, the land was supposed to revert back to the tribes for
their use. In 1948, the U.S. military finished using the lands but
instead, the U.S. Department of Agriculture took over the land for its
Grazinglands Research Laboratory.
Recently, the Cheyenne-Arapaho have made an effort to re-obtain
approximately 7,000 acres of these lands from the federal government to
use in its future plans for economic development, which include a
potential industrial park and an Indian World Trade Center.
''They're taking land that truthfully belongs to us,'' Cheyenne-Arapaho
Gov. Darrell Flyingman said during a recent interview. ''They are
blatantly stealing our land in 2006 and 2007. One thing that we need to
keep in mind, too, is that the Anadarko Basin runs right through Fort
Reno. There's a lot of oil and gas underneath. The large oil companies
have a lot of say-so in trying to keep this land and keep it out of our
hands.''
This past year, at least three different attempts were made in the U.S.
Senate to authorize the secretary of Agriculture to lease the mineral
rights to the oil and gas industry. Senate Bill 1832, which would have
authorized this had it passed, was co-written by Sens. James Inhofe and
Tom Coburn, both R-Okla. By Flyingman's estimation, half a billion
barrels of oil lie beneath Fort Reno's surface, and the land is
currently surrounded by oil wells.
''What's so disturbing about this bill is that they knew that we had a
large interest in Fort Reno, and yet what they tried to do was sneak it
through as a 'midnight rider,''' Flyingman said. ''We contacted them and
asked why we weren't notified or why they did not have a consultation
with us. They wouldn't respond to us.''
A hearing on this bill was scheduled to be held in March 2006, of which
the tribes were not notified. The Cheyenne-Arapaho actually found out
about the hearing over the Internet, according to Flyingman. He said
that there was also no response to the letters he sent to the Department
of the Interior on this issue. During the Senate's most recent lame-duck
session, Flyingman said that another ''midnight rider'' was attempted
and worded as authorization for Interior funding. Through meetings with
key officials, the tribes found a way to halt the bill.
Over the past year, many U.S. congressmen, senators and National
Congress of American Indians representatives have met with the
Cheyenne-Arapaho and shown support. The majority of Oklahoma's
congressional delegation has met with the Cheyenne-Arapaho and offered
support as well. According to a Nov. 16 statement issued by the
Cheyenne-Arapaho, they had received attention from Coburn, saying that
he would review all of their documentation. Flyingman said out of the
Oklahoma delegation, Inhofe was the only person who would not meet with
the Cheyenne-Arapaho.
When asked specific questions regarding the Cheyenne
-Arapaho and Fort Reno, Coburn's office issued a
one-paragraph statement:
''It would be premature to comment on the future of the Fort Reno lands
pending the outcome of litigation. I will continue to monitor this
situation closely and have instructed my staff to maintain the close
contact they've had with the Cheyenne-Arapaho leaders and the pertinent
federal agencies. I will give this issue my full attention just as I do
with all constituent concerns.''
Inhofe's office did not respond by press time.
Currently, Flyingman said that a lot of the money the Cheyenne-Arapaho
Tribes have has come from gaming. However, Flyingman and others in the
tribes are working hard to diversify their revenues, and the tribes see
Fort Reno as a way to not only reinvest in themselves, but also to
partner with cities and towns within their tribal jurisdiction.
''Right now, our casinos are more or less supporting our tribe,''
Flyingman said. ''Casinos aren't going to be around forever, so we're
going to have to diversify, go out and create businesses, and bring
businesses into our tribe, so we can prepare the future for our
children. I think that everyone that lives in our area should benefit
from what we benefit from.''
When the history of Oklahoma is told, there is not always a focus on
forced allotment, when reservations were split up into 160-acre plots
with the excess going toward land runs for white settlement. Through the
allotment of the Cheyenne-Arapaho reservation, the tribes lost 4.6
million acres of land. Although the tribes were awarded $15 million for
that loss of land in 1965, they have the documentation to show they were
never paid for the Fort Reno land. But Flyingman believes that the land
will return to them by the end of this year. He is currently working to
enlist, among others, Oklahoma Gov. Brad Henry to help the
Cheyenne-Arapaho re-obtain Fort Reno during Oklahoma's centennial year.
''I'm a very optimistic person, and I think 2007 will be a very good
year for the Cheyenne-Arapaho,'' Flyingman said. ''What better gift for
the state of Oklahoma to give back to the Cheyenne-Arapaho 7,000 acres
for the 4.6 million acres we gave away years ago.''