preneurial Seed Fantasy Sports: Skill or Gambling?

bling? Attawapiskat Suicide Emergency Declared 3rd Suicide Squad Trailer w/ Adam Beach!

HOME POW WOWS GENEALOGY CLASSIFIEDS OBITUARIES RSS FEEDS SHOP

NEWS POLITICS A&E THING ABOUT SPORTS BUSINESS PHOTOS HEALTH ENVIRONMENT CANADA EDUCATIO
MORE

follow
Screen capture from Bundy Ranch video
SHARE THIS
STORY PRINT Burns
PRINTPaiute Tribe

Like You and 1,576 others like this.

Responds to Oregon Militia
Video
JACQUELINE KEELER 1/26/16
Tweet
Tweet 5 5
MORE EDITOR'S PICKS
Last week, a video was released on the
Bundy Ranch Facebook page with a April 14, 2016
headline-grabbing message: “Share! Planting the...
When camera
Breaking Update Burns Oregon BLM assistant and boom
left Native American artifacts to rot in operator...
GET NEWS ALERTS
mice droppings!”
Submit this Story April 14, 2016
The video featured LaVoy Finicum, an The Fantasy Bet:
Is...
Arizona rancher who is part of the How much skill does
armed occupation of the Malheur Wildlife Refuge led by Bundy family members, it take to play...
examining Paiute artifacts stored in dusty boxes at the refuge saying, “This is how
the Native American heritage has been treated, I don’t think it’s acceptable. The April 14, 2016
Saving the Salmon:
rightful owners need to come back and claim these belongings.” Feds...
The nation’s largest
Charlotte Roderique, the Burns Paiute tribal chairwoman told ICTMN via email, dam removal project...
“At this time the artifacts are evidence at a federal crime scene. We cannot accept
these artifacts and subject ourselves to possible prosecution. Those people at the
refuge are not there because they are "good and caring." I do not believe or trust
them.”

In response to Finnicum’s accusations of poor storage and treatment of the tribe’s

cultural patrimony, Megan Nagle, U.S. Fish and Wildlife spokesperson released
this statement to ICTMN:
“We are confident these artifacts entrusted to the Refuge are cared for with
dignity and respect.

With the full knowledge and blessing of the Burns Paiute tribe, the Refuge is
home to a number of artifacts that have been found on the Refuge during studies
carried out to learn more about the history and use of the lands by their
ancestors. These artifacts have been curated and stored under lock and key, until
the illegal occupants violated the security of the Refuge.

Additionally, there are other artifacts that have been turned over to the Refuge
by third parties. Those items were waiting for the discussions to be held between
the tribe and the Refuge as to how they should be re-homed. These items were
also under lock and key.

For the individuals who have broken into the secure facilities at the Refuge to MOST SHARED
portray themselves and their actions as anything other than the violation it is, is
simply another fabrication.”
The Power of
The Burns Paiute tribal council had told ICTMN in an earlier interview that the Cherokee Women
entire U.S. Fish and Wildlife staff have been ordered to stay home for their own
safety. Recently, however, staff members have spoken anonymously to local
media to share their concerns about the harm the occupation will have on their
American Indian
on-going restoration work at the refuge and the militants’ continued efforts to Poet John Trudell
single them out as agents of the federal government--leaving them and their Walks On
families as targets for possible retaliation and violence.

On Friday, Roderique issued a second letter to the Attorney General Loretta Why Don’t You
People Just Get
Lynch and the FBI director James Comey demanding the enforcement of federal Over It? Here’s Why
laws and treaty provisions to protect the tribe’s heritage. The refuge buildings
hold some 4,000 tribal artifacts, site records, maps and confidential documents.
Natives and the
In light of this, the tribe is demanding that the federal authorities stop allowing American Holocaust
the militants free passage in and out of the refuge.

“The video clearly shows they have unfettered access to the Tribe's sacred The Wampanoag
artifacts,” the chairwoman writes in her letter to federal officials, “The militants Side of the First
have also built a road through the Refuge and taken down a fence. We fear that Thanksgiving Story
the demolition and construction activities of the militants may have harmed our
burial grounds and disturbed tribal artifacts.”

She is also concerned that “the lawbreakers who occupy the Malheur
headquarters continue to seek outside financial support for their efforts. We fear
that our tribal cultural patrimony provides an all too easy funding source for the
militants.”

Every day more militants arrive in Burns, Oregon. Taylor McKinnon, public land
campaigner with the Center for Biological Diversity who is at the refuge as part of
a counter-protest to the Bundy land grab told ICTMN, “having an armed
insurgency in town is causing a tremendous amount of stress. There are two
militia groups: one led by the Bundys at the refuge building and another at the
entrance (the Idaho-based militia, the Pacific Patriots Network). There are a lot of
assault rifles. It’s scary.”

This escalation in tensions in the community is also noted by Chairwoman

Roderique in her letter to the Attorney General and the FBI. “Recently many of
our people have been subjected to harassment by individuals who either came
here to support the protestors or have been emboldened by their example to voice
bigotry and hatred toward the Indigenous people of Harney county.”

Although, Oregon Governor Kate Brown refused to comment to ICTMN on the

Burns Paiute tribe’s demands for federal protection of their cultural heritage, the
governor made similar demands in her own letter to federal authorities to stop the
free movement of criminals on the refuge and for the occupation to be ended. In
an interview with Oregon Public Broadcasting, she was more explicit saying the
“situation is absolutely intolerable” and that “the very fabric of the Burns
community is being ripped apart by this occupation.”

Roderique says that they are in communication with the governor’s office and that
the tribe has been promised the state’s commitment to full prosecution of the
lawbreakers under Oregon law. The tribe will consult with the State Archaeologist
next week and the State Historical Preservation Office to coordinate on potential
charges against the militants.

The refusal of the tribe to work with the armed occupiers at the refuge left
Finnicum visibly confused in an interview this weekend with local TV station
KOIN 6.

“For some reason they don’t want to have a dialogue,” he told the reporter, “It
doesn’t kind of hold, doesn’t seem reasonable to me where a whole group of white
men come and disturb the ground, take it, throw it in boxes for 30 years down in a
dark basement and now we bring it to light and say, ‘Hey, would you like to have
this?’ and somehow they don’t.”

It appears, however, the militants found one Native American woman, who they
identify as Shirley Warren of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz, to visit the refuge.
She is seen in a video released on Sunday confirming Finnicum’s assertions and
apparently in support of the occupation.

In the meantime, Ammon Bundy, the leader of the occupation, announced the
convening of a “Citizens’ Grand Jury” in part to try the sheriff of Harney County
for dereliction of duty because he did not stand up to federal intrusion and protect
the militants. At a meeting last week, Sheriff David Ward told the community that
his wife has had to leave the community due to fear of retaliation and his elderly
parents have been subjected to harassment and intimidation by armed militants.

Harney County Judge Steve Grasty has once again cancelled a scheduled
community meeting saying it, “seems prudent in order to maintain the safety of
our community and everyone in it, and because an open and honest conversation
cannot take place in this type of atmosphere. Further, I will not give these
agitators what they want most, which is attention.”

The man Bundy has chosen to serve as judge of this “grand jury” is from Florida,
Joaquin Mariano DeMoreta-Folch, a St. Augustine Tea Party government
accountability chairman. Although not possessing any true legal power, these self-
appointed courts have a history of “indicting” public officials and subjecting them
to both physical and paper harassment through spurious lien filings for years
afterwards.

Demoreta-Folch has a controversial history of opposing the establishment of

wildlife refuges in Florida. During a county commissioners meeting in 2011, he led
a group of Tea Partiers to attack local community members in favor of
establishing the “St. Augustine Historical Park and National Seashore.”
Reportedly, he screamed at them and members of his group, which included the
assistant county administrator, shouted “Hitler” while making gun noises at park
supporters like they were shooting at them.

Ed Slavin, a local St. Augustine resident and park proponent, told ICTMN “He’s a
nut. An absolute weirdo. He has emotional problems with federal land ownership
—if he’s the judge he’s prejudged the case.”

At the refuge on Saturday a New Mexico rancher, Adrian Sewell, took part in a
ceremony where he formally renounced his grazing contract with the federal
 government. Sewell purchased the ranch four years ago and is originally from
Texas. Social media users have already begun looking into his background and
have found news reports from 14 years ago that claim he attacked 8 other
Oklahoma State University students with an ax and received five years' probation
and ordered to undergo alcohol-abuse treatment.

After Sewell signed the document, Finnicum held up a list of people he claimed
were ready to fight or defend the rancher from the government, saying, “We will
stop everything and come to your aid.” The crowd of 120 cheered.

According to the governor, the occupation is costing Oregon $100,000 per week.
The Center for Western Priorities is maintaining a running “Live Ticker” on their
website to the total cost, both federal, state and local, to the occupation. As of the
writing this story, according to their ticker, the cost is over $3.1 million.

Jacqueline Keeler is a Navajo/Yankton Dakota Sioux writer living in Portland,

Oregon and co-founder of Eradicating Offensive Native Mascotry, creators of
Not Your Mascot. She has been published in Telesur, Earth Island Journal and
the Nation and interviewed on MSNBC and DemocracyNow and Native
American Calling. She has a forthcoming book called “Not Your Disappearing
Indian” and podcast. On twitter:

Like 1.5K Tweet 5 5

Tweet

You need to be logged in in order to post comments

Please use the log in option at the bottom of this page

Comment *

POST A COMMENT

3 Comments
Juliet
These twats have as much respect for Native Americans as they do for
the law.
Login or Register to post comments

Tue, 01/26/2016 - 21:08

Alamosaurus
The so-called Oregon Militia have now gotten one of their members
killed. I object to the term "militia"; the militia is the Oregon National
Guard. These Bozos are an ILLEGAL private army--one that wants to
overthrow both the U.S. government and the State governments and
establish a state of anarchy where the biggest bully on the block rules.
They claim they are defending the Paiutes--but the Paiutes DON'T
WANT THEM and have said so. Somehow they just don't seem to get
the message, and the result may be more bloodshed. If there is, they
should be charged with TREASON--waging war against the
governments of the U.S. and the state of Oregon. This is as much an
act of treason as John Brown's raid on Harper's Ferry before the Civil
War (and was one of the acts that brought on the Civil War) for which
he was hanged.
Login or Register to post comments

Wed, 01/27/2016 - 20:45

 David Hollenshead
I really can't think of a way that Ammon Bundy could have insulted
the Burns members of Paiute Nation than his BS Quoted by ABC
News: "We also recognize that the Native Americans had the claim to
the land, but they lost that claim," Bundy said. "There are things to
learn from cultures of the past, but the current culture is the most
important."
Login or Register to post comments

Fri, 01/29/2016 - 05:46

READ MORE
LaVoy Finicum Bundy Ranch Malheur Wildlife Refuge Burns Paiute Tribe
Charlotte Roderique Megan Nagle U.S. Fish and Wildlife Loretta Lynch
James Comey Ammon Bundy Ryan Bundy Pacific Patriots Network
Gov. Kate Brown Shirley Warren Judge Steve Grasty Sheriff David Ward
Joaquin Mariano DeMoreta-Folch Ed Slavin Adrian Sewell Jacqueline Keeler

RELATED STORIES
Fort Belknap Challenging Montana for Voting Rights
Cleveland Bans Baseball Team’s Wahoo From Utility Poles
Sanders Hires Native American Staffer: Nicole Willis
TransCanada Shuts Keystone Pipeline Over Leak: 'We Don't Know Where It's Coming From'

YOU MAY LIKE Sponsored Links by Taboola

Transfer Your Balance To Pay $0 In Interest Deep Into 2017

LendingTree

Why This Industry Is The Next Hot Investment

TheMoneyStreet.com

Cambridge Scientist Aims To Deliver Medical Research Through A Startup

Boston Globe | Elysium Health

Homeowners Who Have Not Missed A Payment in 3 Years Are In For A Big
Surprise
Comparisons.org Quotes

The Most Exciting MMORPG You've Ever Played. Don't miss this!
Sparta: Free Online Game

10 Underrated Netflix Movies You Owe It To Yourself To Watch

Digital Trends
11 Stars From Commercials - Who Are They Really?
Definition

Homeowners Are in for a Big Surprise in 2016

AmeriValue Rate Quotes

Her Jaw-Dropping Outfit Left Fans Speechless

StyleBistro

If You Owe Less Than $625k, Use Obama's Once-In-A-Lifetime HARP Mortgage
Relief Program
LowerMyBills

YOU MAY LIKE Sponsored Links by Taboola

Transfer Your Balance To Pay $0 In Interest Deep Into 2017

LendingTree

Why This Industry Is The Next Hot Investment

TheMoneyStreet.com

Homeowners Who Have Not Missed A Payment in 3 Years Are In For A Big
Surprise
Comparisons.org Quotes

The Most Exciting MMORPG You've Ever Played. Don't miss this!
Sparta: Free Online Game

Her Jaw-Dropping Outfit Left Fans Speechless

StyleBistro

10 Underrated Netflix Movies You Owe It To Yourself To Watch

Digital Trends

11 Stars From Commercials - Who Are They Really?

Definition

Homeowners Are in for a Big Surprise in 2016

AmeriValue Rate Quotes

If You Owe Less Than $625k, Use Obama's Once-In-A-Lifetime HARP Mortgage
Relief Program
LowerMyBills

How Much Money Do You Really Get from a Reverse Mortgage?

NewRetirement
 Indian Country Today
MEDIA NETWORK

Serving The Nations | Celebrating The People

HOME Shop Indian Country

NEWS Headline News Politics World News Opinions Environment Canada Veterans Business

CULTURE A&E Sports Travel Health & Wellness The Thing About Skins Ask N NDN Cartoons

Our World in Pictures Native Recipes

EDUCATION College News Educators Language Student Spotlight Internships Native Studies Scholarships

Tribal Colleges

POW WOWS Pow Wow Listing

GENEALOGY Sacred Sites American Indian History Researching the Past

CLASSIFIEDS Help Wanted RFPs Real Estate Legal Notices

OBITUARIES

ABOUT US Advertise Subscribe News Alerts Contact Privacy Policy FAQ Terms and Conditions

Newsletter Privacy Policy Newsletter Terms and Conditions

SOCIAL MEDIA Facebook Twitter Google+ Pinterest Tumblr

All Content © 2016 Indian Country Today Media Network, LLC

loading
loading