Tribal members traveled to the sacred Medicine Tree in 1823. Photo from Ravalli County Museum

Officials in Ravalli County, Montana, will no longer be fighting a land-into-trust application submitted by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes.

The 58-acre site includes the sacred Medicine Tree. The tribe wants to protect the area from development due to its historical and cultural significance.

The application stirred up animosity when county officials questioned the tribe's need for the land. They also complained about the loss of taxes even though the property only generates about $808 a year in revenues.

The issue heated up even further when the former chairman of the county's planning board made racist and disparaging comments at a public meeting last year. Officials ended up apologizing to the tribe.

The tribe is submitting a new application to the Bureau of Indian Affairs for the site, KPAX reported.

Get the Story:
Ravalli County drops fight over Medicine Tree (KPAX 7/22)

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