Educating The Oregon Militia on The Northern Paiute's ''Trail of Tears''
Educating the Oregon Militia on The Northern Paiute’s ‘Trail of Tears’
When Ammon Bundy, son of Cliven Bundy, the Nevada rancher who faced off against Bureau of Land Management agents in an armed standoff in 2014, came to Oregon to takeover the Malheur Wildlife Refuge in support of fellow ranchers, he knew nothing about the mistreatment of the Burns Paiute Tribe by the federal government and American settlers.
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But, scratch the surface of any land issues in the United States, especially in the West, and you are confronted with persisting and strong land claims held by Native nations.
In southeastern Oregon, the Burns Paiute and the other Northern Paiute tribes possess unceded claims to what was once a 1.78-million-acre reservation called the Malheur Indian Reservation. The Malheur Wildlife Refuge was just a small part of that reservation, and although the tribe signed a treaty with the U.S. government in 1868, it was never ratified by Congress and the land remains unceded.
Burns Tribal chairperson Charlotte Roderique at a press conference yesterday, had a stern rebuke of Bundy’s occupation of her homeland, “Yesterday, the Burns Paiute Tribe joined other community leaders calling for an end to armed protestors at the Malheur Wildlife Refuge. Armed protestors do not belong to here. They are endangering our sacred sites and our children. Malheur Wildlife Refuge was a wintering gathering ground before the settlers come here.”
And tribal councilman Jarvis Kennedy had even stronger words, “What would happen to Indians who did this? We, as Harney County residents don’t need some clown to stand up for us, we are hard-working people…we survived without them. We need them to get the hell out of here. They are jeopardizing and scaring our people.”
Despite this, Bundy’s actions have brought national media coverage of the January of 1879 forced march of 500 Paiutes from the Malheur Indian Reservation some 350 miles in knee-deep snow, many shackled two by two, to the Yakama Indian Reservation in Washington State—the Northern Paiutes’ “Trail of Tears.” One group that was force-marched by the U.S. army simply disappeared. No one knows what happened to them. Still more died and when a few Paiute returned to Burns, Oregon, they were considered outlaws, many were landless as their reservation had been opened completely to settlers and large California ranching corporations.
“The one thing I’m really proud of is the tenacity of our people.” Roderique noted, “420 people are descendants of people who were able to get back here from Yakama. I wouldn’t drop my children off from Yakama and tell my children to walk back. They wouldn’t know what to eat, what river to follow.”
The survivors lived where they could working for white ranchers until 1928 when the Egan Land Company gave the tribe 10 acres of land just outside the city of Burns. It was the site of the old city dump which the tribal members cleaned, drilled a well and built houses on.
Today there are 420 tribal members with the majority living off the reservation. The tribe originally numbered 2,000 before the punishing campaigns by General Crook in the late 1860s. Those losses coupled with more lives lost during the forced removal and they have not yet fully recovered their population 137 years later.
In 1969, some Paiutes received a settlement for their lost land which amounted to between $.28 to $.45 per acre. The price was set at 1890 prices.
“We have 10,000 acres of tribally-owned land,” Roderique said, “Land in trust is 1,000 acres and there are 11,000 individually allotted land remnants of the old reservation within boundaries that was opened up to settlers.”
However, she notes these lands are, “Pretty much checkerboarded, but it’s pretty much in the center of the valley. It’s hard to develop or do anything with the land when you have to get permission from 58 other people. Those lands are pretty much in limbo and administered by the BIA.”
Asked about the Burns Paiute’s press conference, Ammon Bundy admitted he didn’t know much about their history but said, “That is interesting. They have rights as well. I would like to see them be free from the federal government as well. They’re controlled and regulated by the federal government very tightly and I think they have a right to be free like everybody else.”
Roderick did note humorously that she was, “Trying to compose a letter for when they return all this land to us.”
Read more at http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2016/01/07/educating-oregon-militia-northern-paiutes-trail-tears-162990
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The Bundy's, both father and son, belong in jail.
This is the real history of the area.
Both - sorry - all three of them are certified nut jobs.
The nut doesn't fall far from the tree, 1st.
They could get a family discount at the local asylum.
And tribal councilman Jarvis Kennedy had even stronger words, “What would happen to Indians who did this? We, as Harney County residents don’t need some clown to stand up for us, we are hard-working people…we survived without them. We need them to get the hell out of here. They are jeopardizing and scaring our people.
Great question that I'm sure we all already know the answer to. If this were a group of Indians they would have been shot by now.
Without a doubt they would have been shot or in jail, Larry.
Looks like the Indians could learn from the Bundy's not to let government walk all over you.
Dean, are you not aware that the Paiute fought many battles with the government. It's history Dean.
Unlike the Bundy's who are all talk and bullshit, the Paiute fought overwhelming odds to defend their home. The only thing that the Bundy's have fought is their expanding waistline, and limited IQ.
The local sheriff, the locals and the Paiute tribe want them out of Oregon, but they are still there. WTH are the feds?
If the feds would have stopped this shit in Nevada with Bundy, you wouldn't have what we have in Oregon today.