Andrew Rosenthal: Armed group pulls stunt with tribal artifacts

Friday, January 22, 2016  

Andrew Rosenthal, the editor of The New York Times editorial page, isn't surprised that the armed group at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon paraded around tribal artifacts on camera:

This week, the Bundy gunmen posted a video showing them pawing through Native American artifacts that are stored in one of the buildings in which they are squatting. They said they were concerned about how the artifacts were being stored, and eager to return them to their rightful owners, the Paiute tribe.

The Bundy crowd loves to talk about rightful owners of things, like the land they are holding at gunpoint, which they seem to think is their property. According to ThinkProgress, members of the tribe lived in the area for 6,000 years – until the kind of settlers whose descendants are now occupying the land pushed them out. Those settlers, of course, had help from the federal government, now the object of the Bundy gang’s disdain.

Jarvis Kennedy, a member of the Burns Paiute Tribal council, said at a news conference this month that the Paiutes can protect their own interests. “We don’t need some clown to come in here and stand up for us,” he said.

Get the Story:
Andrew Rosenthal: The Bundy Gang’s Latest Stunt (The New York Times 1/22)

Another Opinion:
Editorial: At the refuge, it's time to pull the plug (The Oregonian 1/21)

Also Today:
Oregon standoff Day 21: What you need to know Friday (The Oregonian 1/22)
Oregon Governor Blasts Federal Response to Refuge Standoff (Reuters 1/21)

Jacqueline Keeler: Burns Paiute Tribe concerned about artifacts (1/19)
Cari Carpenter: Sarah Winnemucca sought return of Paiute land (1/18)
Alex Jacobs: White militia sitcom plays out on Indian territory (1/15)
Armed group willing to turn over artifacts to Burns Paiute Tribe (1/15)
Albert Bender: Occupied land still belongs to Burns Paiute Tribe (1/13)
Jacqueline Keeler: Burns Paiute Tribe frustrated by armed group (1/12)
Jim Patterson: Burns Paiute Tribe perseveres despite pressures (1/12)
Steve Russell: Armed 'patriots' at odds with Burns Paiute Tribe (1/11)
Gyasi Ross: Crazy White people have turned into the new Indians (1/8)
Jacqueline Keeler: Paiute ancestors were forced on Trail of Tears (1/8)
Peter d'Errico: Armed White men invade Indian lands in Oregon (1/8)
Federal agencies closed offices in Oregon amid safety concerns (1/8)
House Democrats call for armed group to leave refuge in Oregon (1/7)
Charlotte Rodrique: Land rightfully belongs to Burns Paiute Tribe (1/7)
Burns Paiute Tribe tells armed group to leave ancestral territory (1/7)
Burns Paiute Tribe not happy with armed group on ancestral land (1/6)
Armed group wants more to join protest on ancestral Paiute land (1/5)
Armed group occupies wildlife refuge near reservation in Oregon (1/4)