US to cancel lease on land sacred to Blackfoot Indian tribes

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By MATTHEW BROWN

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — The Interior Department plans to cancel a long-suspended oil and gas drilling lease near Glacier National Park that's on land considered sacred to the Blackfoot tribes of the U.S. and Canada, according to court documents filed Monday.

Tribal leaders said such a move would make up for a wrong done to them in 1982, when the government issued the lease without consulting the tribes.

But the legal maneuvering in the case might not be over: The law firm representing the lease owner, Solenex LLC of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, said it would challenge any attempt to cancel the lease.

Government attorneys said the lease was improperly sold more than three decades ago, in part because an environmental study did not consider the impact of drilling on the tribes.

FULL story at link. X post in First Americans.

Read more: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/159ad4955aed4e8c9e610bcfb91a9df1/us-cancel-lease-land-sacred-blackfoot-indian-tribes

[BlueJazz]

1. Heaven forbid that the United States tries to right a wrong toward the American Indian.

[KT2000]

2. Wow - this is good news

So many "projects" are pushed through with no or inadequate environmental impact statements. There should always be a day of reckoning.

[valerief]

3. Now, if it were sacred CHRISTIAN land...

Well, maybe not. It IS gas and oil. That supercedes Jeebus.

[Miigwech]

4. About time

that the Gov respects sacred tribal lands! More needs to be done.

[jwirr]

5. Finally.

[blackspade]

6. I hope the ruling sticks.

After 500+ years of getting fucked over, Native people should catch at least one break.

[niyad]

7. that is a bit of good news. now let's see how the appeal goes.

[Major Hogwash]

8. This is great news for Idaho and Montana Democrats.

This oil company planned on slant drilling under the Rocky Mountains in the state of Idaho from oil dredges located in Montana!!

Believe it or not, this oil company was prevented from drilling in Idaho near the border of Montana.
Democrats and environmentalists in Idaho sued them in court to prevent them from locating their oil drilling rigs here.

So, the oil company just went to the other side of the border to begin their plans to drill from Montana in to Idaho, by going under the Rocky Mountains!!!
Think I'm kidding?
I'm not, that was their plan!

This oil company is totally frickin' car-razy, man!!!!!

[w0nderer]

9. back in 1986

a blackfoot indian was an exchange student to my country
and i helped him
and we did indeed finally drop blood into the earth

and he said you are adopted

dunno if i am
but you know
i've always kept him in my heart and somehow i know he kept me around
so even if i'm not, i consider myself part of the tribe

[turbinetree]

10. Now ............................

give back the Black Hills (Khe Sapa).

http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2014/06/28/reclaiming-sacred-black-hills

[BlueMTexpat]

11. This issue has brought together

a lot of groups who normally would be on opposite sides of the political spectrum. I personally am delighted that they were successful in their opposition to this drilling.