MUCH. >> WELL, THANK YOU.
>> A LAWSUIT AGAINST THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OVER 500 ACRES OF
LAND PITS THE VILLAGE OF HOBART NEAR GREEN BAY AGAINST THE
ONEIDA NATION. HOBART IS WITHIN THE ONEIDA
RESERVATION AND THE TRIBE PURCHASED 500 ACRES THERE,
PROVING IT TO TRUST STATUS AND SOVEREIGN LAND NOT SUBJECT TO
LOCAL TAXES. THE ONEIDA BUYBACK IS PART OF
THE NATION'S PUSH TO RECOVER ITS ORIGINAL ACREAGE, NEARLY ALL OF
IT LOST WHEN NON-TRIBAL PEOPLE WERE ALLOWED TO PURCHASE
RESERVATION LAND. THE ONEIDA HAVE NOW RECOVERED
NEARLY TWO-THIRDS OF ITS 65,000 ACRES OF RESERVATION LAND NEAR
GREEN BAY. THE VILLAGE OF HOBART IS SUING
OVER THE LOSS OF ITS PROPERTY TAX REVENUE.
ITS ADMINISTRATOR DECLINED TO JOIN US.
ONEIDA NATION CHAIRMAN, TEHASSI HILL, IS HERE.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. >> THANK YOU, FREDERICA.
>> SO THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR IS ON YOUR SIDE IN
THIS, BUT HOW LONG AND DIFFICULT HAS THIS DISPUTE WITH THE
VILLAGE OF HOBART BEEN? >> YEAH, IT'S BEEN GOING ON FOR
MORE THAN A DECADE, AS WE ACQUIRE OUR RESERVATION LAND
BACK IN FEE STATUS AND GO THROUGH THE PROCESS UNDER THE
BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS TO HAVE LAND PUT INTO TRUST.
THE PROCESS CALLS FOR INPUT FROM LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AS WELL AND SO
THEY GO THROUGH THAT PROCESS AND HOBART HAS ELECTED SEVERAL
TIMES, ELECTED TO APPEAL THE PROCESS OF PUTTING LAND IN TRUST
AND WE BELIEVE THAT THEIR ARGUMENTS HAVE NO MERIT.
>> HOW HAS THE ONEIDA NATION BEEN ABLE TO BUY BACK ITS LAND
IN OTHER PLACES WITHOUT SUCH KIND OF LONGSTANDING AND
LITIGIOUS DIFFICULTY? >> WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR A
LONG TIME AND SO WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO WORK WITH OTHER
MUNICIPALITIES IN THE AREA TO COME TO AGREEMENT ABOUT THE --
HOW PAYMENT, I GUESS, FOR SERVICES RENDERED TO TRIBAL
TRUST LAND AND FEE LAND IS TO COME ABOUT, SO IF THERE IS
AMBULANCE CARE, POLICE SERVICE AND OTHER SERVICES THAT THE
MUNICIPALITY OR THE COUNTIES PROVIDE TO TRIBAL LAND IN THE
AGREEMENT, WOULD WORK OUT THE BALANCING ACT OF WHAT WE PROVIDE
IT AND WHAT THEY PROVIDE AND COME TO A MEANINGFUL
UNDERSTANDING AND A PAYMENT FOR THAT PARTICULAR SERVICES
RENDERED. >> THE ONEIDA AT ONE POINT LAST
NEARLY ALL OF ITS TREATY-GRANTED LANDS.
TO REVERSE THAT?
>> WELL, IT REALLY STEMS BACK TO THE INDIAN REORGANIZATION ACT.
SO IN -- UNDER THAT, WE WERE ABLE TO ESTABLISH GOVERNANCE
SYSTEM THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT RECOGNIZED MORE
READILY AND THEN ALSO, OTHER FEDERAL REGULATIONS DURING THE
1970s, AND SO BEING ABLE TO ACQUIRE LAND BACK ON A
RESERVATION AND BE ABLE TO HAVE THE ABILITY TO PUT LAND IS ABOUT
TRUST STEMS BACK TO THE 1970s IN THAT REVERSAL OF FEDERAL
INDIAN POLICY. >> DESCRIBE WHY IT IS IMPORTANT
TO PRESERVE YOUR SOVEREIGN LANDS.
>> THIS IS ALL THAT WE HAVE LEFT.
SO INDIAN TRIBES ACROSS THIS COUNTRY HAVE SEEDED MILLIONS OF
ACRES OF LANDS TO THE BIRTH OF THE UNITED STATES, AND IN DOING
SO, REERVEDZ WHAT WE HAVE LEFT, AND SO MANY OF THE TRIBES ACROSS
THE COUNTRY ARE, LIKE US, HAVE A RELATIVELY SMALL LAND BASE LEFT
FROM OUR ORIGINAL HOLDINGS AND SO IT IS ALL THAT MUCH MORE
IMPORTANT TO US, BECAUSE THIS IS OUR HOMELAND, THIS IS WHERE WE
RAISE OUR FAMILIES, WHERE WE DO BUSINESS, WHERE WE GROW OUR FOOD
AND SO EVERY INCH IS BE IMPORTANT TO US BEING ABLE TO
MAINTAIN THAT CONTROL OVER WHAT IS LEFT OF OUR LANDS.
>> HOW MUCH HAS IT COST TO HAVE TO BUY BACK YOUR LANDS?
>> OH, EASILY HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
EASILY. 20 YEARS AGO, YOU MIGHT HAVE
BEEN ABLE TO BUY AN ACRE OF LAND FOR $5,000.
AND WITH THE LAND PRICES NOW IN THIS AREA, ANYWHERE FROM 15 UP
TO $40,000 AN ACRE. SO AS TIME GOES ON, OBVIOUSLY
THE PRICE CONTINUES TO RISE. >> AND YET, IT'S A COST THAT YOU
MUST MAKE. >> THAT IS -- THAT IS CORRECT.
OUR PEOPLE HAVE REALLY DEDICATED RESOURCES ANNUALLY IN OUR TRIBAL
BUDGET TO FACE THIS LAND DEMAND NEED FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
NOT ONLY DOES IT PROVIDE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, BUT IT
PROVIDES LANDS THAT ARE SUITABLE FOR HOUSING AS WELL AND
EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS AND SERVICES, ALL THIS PROGRAM AND
SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE, A LOT OF IT DEPENDS ON THE LAND.
>> WHAT IS YOUR MESSAGE TO POTENTIALLY NON-TRIBAL PEOPLE
WHO MIGHT THINK IT'S UNFAIR TO MOVE YOUR REACQUIRED LAND TO
FEDERAL TRUST STATUS AND NOT HAVE IT BE SUBJECT TO LOCAL
TAXES? >> WELL, I GUESS I WOULD LOOK AT
IT AS KIND OF THE OPPOSITE, THAT THIS RESERVATION WAS ESTABLISHED
BY TREATY WITH THE UNITED STATES AND TREATIES ARE SUPREME LAW OF
THE LAND. AND SO ESSENTIALLY, OUR
RESERVATION HERE WAS ON LOAN OR RENTED TO NON-TRIBAL PEOPLE FOR
DECADES NOW AND SO THEY WERE ABLE TO USE ITS RESOURCES,
WHETHER THEY'RE NATURAL RESOURCES OR TO BUILD A HOME FOR
THEIR FAMILIES AND THE SUCH, TO USE THIS LAND FOR A PERIOD OF
TIME, AND NOBODY AFORCING THEM TO SELL THEIR LAND TO US AS
PROPERTIES BECOME AVAILABLE AND SOMEONE IS -- HAS REACHED THE
END OF THEIR LIFE THAT THEY WANT TO SPEND IN THIS PARTICULAR NECK
OF THE WOODS, THEN THEY DECIDE TO SELL THEIR LAND, AND IF THE
FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE, ONEIDA CHOOSES TO PURCHASE IT MOST OF
THE TIME. AND SO THAT'S ONE THING.
WE'RE NOT FORCING ANYONE OUT. WE'RE JUST ACQUIRING LAND AS IT
BECOMES AVAILABLE AGAIN. >> ALL RIGHT.
WE NEED TO LEAVE IT THERE. CHAIRMAN HILL, THANKS VERY MUCH