With Militants Occupying Ancestral Land, Native Tribe Is 'Very Offended'
More than a week has passed since armed men took over the Malheur Wildlife Refuge in Oregon. The self-described militiamen are demanding that the federal government give up that land for people to use for ranching, mining and logging.
But there's another group with roots on that land: Native Americans, especially the Burns Paiute tribe. The wildlife refuge is part of the tribe's ancestral lands.
"The tribe is very offended," says Charlotte Rodrique, the chairperson of the Burns Paiute Tribal Council, in an interview with NPR's Michel Martin. "[The militants'] theme, of course, was that we're going to give it back to the original owners, which were the ranchers. Of course, that rubbed me the wrong way because that's our aboriginal territory."
And she says it's not simply the tribe's land; they harbor a long history there, too.
"We do have burial sites, we have artifacts, we have petroglyphs, we have resources there that we utilize as a tribe," she says. "We take our children out to teach them traditional lifestyle. Identifying plants and medicines that are traditional to our people. In fact, our band of Paiute people is named after that seed that grows on the shores there at the marsh."
She says over the past 25 years, the tribe has had a good working relationship with people working at the wildlife refuge.
Rodrique says she's frustrated that the federal government hasn't forced the occupiers out, and compares how law enforcement treats the anti-federalists with how the U.S. historically treated native tribes. She says the occupiers are allowed to go into town to buy groceries and gas, then return to their armed occupation.
"They did disconnect their utilities and things like that, but it's not really forcing them out," Rodrique says. "You know, in our history, that was how the military got us. They basically starved us into submission. And you could do the same thing with these occupiers."
Rodrique would like the FBI to remove the armed men, and she thinks the FBI's inaction is a double standard.
"If I, as a native person, a person of color, were to go down there and do the same thing, they would have hit me on the forehead with a baton" and dragged her out, she says. But "because they're white people, I feel that they're being treated differently."
Click the link above to hear the full interview.
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Transcript
MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
There is a group that already feels threatened. The give back our land rallying cry made by the armed occupiers is not sitting well with Native Americans, especially the Burns Paiute Tribe. The wildlife refuge is part of the Paiute's ancestral lands.
CHARLOTTE RODRIQUE: I was offended because they think that there was no life here prior to the ranchers being here.
MARTIN: That's Charlotte Rodrique, chair of the Burns Paiute Tribal Council. We called her at home to hear how she and the tribe are addressing the occupation. I started by asking her how she first heard the news that an armed group had taken over the wildlife preserve with ties to her tribe.
RODRIQUE: We're a very small community, and there's been talk and they advertised that they were having a rally downtown. And it didn't really occur to me that they were going to do something of this nature. But I just kind of let it go because as a tribal person, I need to go through channels and get the feeling of the tribal community before I go out under the pretense of speaking for the tribe.
MARTIN: But, presumably, you've done that now, so what is the feeling of the tribal people?
RODRIQUE: The tribe is very offended. During the rally, a faction of the militia were on their way out to the wildlife refuge. And their theme, of course, was that, you know, we're going to give it back to the original owners, which were the ranchers. Of course, that rubbed me the wrong way because that's our aboriginal territory.
MARTIN: Can you talk little more about what is there? Are there relics that are in place that you feel - are they not respecting those things? Are they not taking care of them?
RODRIQUE: Well, at this point, they're probably under 2 feet of snow. But we do have burial sites. We have artifacts. We have petroglyphs. We have resources there that we utilize as a tribe. And we've always had a good - not always, I'd say in the last 25 years, we've developed a real good working relationship with the people at the refuge. And we go out, we take our children out to teach them traditional lifestyle - identifying plants and medicines that are traditional to our people. In fact, our band of Paiute people is named after that seed that grows on the shores there at the marsh. It's called wada, and we're called the Wada band.
MARTIN: So the idea of contesting with these people to have access to this is offensive to you...
RODRIQUE: Yes.
MARTIN: ...The idea that you might be confronting an armed person while you're going about trying to pass on heritage is beyond - is not something you feel you should have to do. Could I just ask you one thing, though? The Paiute had a treaty with the federal government in 1868, but it was never ratified. What is the formal relationship between the Paiute people and this land at the moment?
RODRIQUE: Well, I think, even though the treaty wasn't ratified, we continued as though there were a treaty between the department - the Army and the tribal people for the last hundred and, I don't know, 30 years.
MARTIN: There's a man named Ammon Bundy, who is the - kind of one of the leaders of this group that are occupying the wildlife refuge. Have any of them tried to speak with you or have you tried to speak with any of them?
RODRIQUE: No, I just don't feel that we need to dignify what they're doing with a face-to-face - a negotiation or what have you. But there hasn't been any confrontation. I don't expect any and, certainly, I hope won't be initiated by tribal people.
MARTIN: It does seem, though, that law enforcement's strategy is to wait it out. How does that sit with you?
RODRIQUE: I don't like it. And the thing is that these people are not going to get hungry. Law enforcement lets them come into town, go to the grocery store, you know, get gas for their heaters. They did disconnect their utilities and things like that, but it's not really forcing them out. You know, in our history, that was how the military got us. They basically starved us into submission. And you could do the same thing with these occupiers.
MARTIN: What would you like to have happen?
RODRIQUE: Right now, I'd like to have those people leave. And I'd like to see the federal agency, the FBI, remove this people. As a tribal person, I'm also offended by the fact that if I, as a native person, a person of color, were to go down there and do the same thing, they would've hit me on the forehead with a baton and said, what are you doing here? And the next thing I know, they would've probably handcuffed me, hit me again and drug me off. And because they're white people, I feel that they're being treated differently.
MARTIN: Well, thank you so much for speaking with us. I understand that I've caught you in the middle of a family day, and you've got your grandkids and doing a lot of other things. So we very much appreciate it.
RODRIQUE: OK, well, thank you.
MARTIN: That's Charlotte Rodrique. She chairs the Burns Paiute Tribal Council. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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