Horse riders in Tuba City, Arizona, the largest community on the Navajo Nation. Photo by Steffen Kamprath
Rep. Markwayne Mullin (R-Oklahoma) is trying to address fears about efforts to give tribes more control over their lands. In a statement, Mullin said a widely discussed report in Reuters "completely distorted" his views on the issue. He outright denied that he wants to start "privatizing" Indian lands. "The land entrusted to tribes belongs to the Native American people, and it ought to be up to them alone to decide how to best use and distribute the resources on their own land," Mullin, who is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, said in the statement. "This land and the rights to its use have developed over generations of treaty negotiations and trust authorities. We must continue to uphold those rights and allow tribes to continue on the course of self-determination laid out in those agreements." In its report, Reuters said Mullin didn't provide specifics about his plans. But he's now offering some concrete ideas, such as removing tribal lands from the restrictions of the National Environment Policy Act and reducing oversight from the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Bureau of Land Management. "Self-determination in their own affairs is the only way for tribes to pull themselves from poverty and grow as a people," Mullin said. Reducing federal oversight is an idea embraced by tribes and by Republicans and Democrats alike. The bipartisan Helping Expedite and Advance Responsible Tribal Homeownership Act (HEARTH Act), which frees the BIA from having to approve every single housing, business or other lease for participating tribes, is one successful example of that approach. But Mullin might run into trouble if he tries to exempt Indian Country from NEPA, which typically requires tribes to undergo federal reviews for certain activities, such as energy development. Democrats, environmental groups and tribal activists have opposed efforts to weaken the law. Since Mullin serves as chairman of the Native American Coalition for Republican Donald Trump, his views are seen as indicative of what the president-elect might do after he takes office. And because neither Trump, nor his greatgain.gov transition, have discussed Indian issues, the void of information helped stir up speculation about the so-called "privatization" effort. "It is my goal, and I will continue to urge President-elect Trump to provide tribes with the resources they need in order to best decide how their land should be developed," Mullin said in his statement. Mullin is one of just two enrolled tribal citizens who serve in the U.S. Congress. The other is Rep. Tom Cole (R-Oklahoma), a member of the Chickasaw Nation.
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