“CITIZENSHIP OF CATTLE”

“CITIZENSHIP OF CATTLE” is an issue on the Blackfeet Reservation because tribal grazing lands are reserved in the 1896 Agreement/Article Five for the “exclusive use and occupancy” of Blackfeet cattle ranchers. This special treaty right was negotiated by the Blackfeet Chiefs to kick white ranchers off the reservation and to allow the Blackfeet cattle industry to bring the people out of starvation after the buffalo were destroyed by border-whites. Chief White Calf, Three Bears, Black Weasel, Wolf Plume and a long line of chiefs protested white encroachment until chief Old Person was invented by the BIA to control the Indians beginning in 1954 until his defeat in the past tribal election. Corruption in tribal grazing policy allows tribal members to lease tribal land for $5 an acre [worth $270 per acre] and sub-lease to white cattlemen for a profit for themselves and block real ranchers from building up their cattle herds. In the water compact I tried to bring up the forced patents land frauds and I was tossed out by Chairman Old Person while tribal members yelled at him to let me speak. The tribal attorney yelled at our own landowners “you people don’t own any water rights” and was booed by the people. But, if you read the water compact all of the water rights go to white men and tribal council leaving out tribal landowners who own over a million acres of the reservation. Chairman Old Person signed the water compact leaving us out and the white man inside with our allotted lands and water rights ending the century old forced fee patents claims “forever!” That is why I protested the water compact; it leaves out all tribal landowners and preserves the fee patent land titles of white men on the reservation now called Glacier County. The Blackfeet livestock industry was successful by 1893 with 25,000 cattle, 500 tribal brands, and cash for all needful things. Compare that to the results of chairman Old Person’s 60 years on the tribal council. We are the poorest in our own land, yet we own over a million acres of land and water rights! If you look at the citizenship of cattle grazing on the reservation you will find white man’s cattle and few Blackfeet owned cattle. The battle is over who is going to determine the citizenship of cattle and collect the revenues and profits from our reserved grazing lands and water rights that produce the best beef in the United States. The difference in revenues between whites and Indians is pitiful as white ranchers collect $67,000,000 and the Indians practically nothing in the corrupt leasing policy of the BIA and tribal council. The profits go to white ranchers and beef processors. The water compact violates the 1896 Agreement/Article Five by sanctioning fee patent titles of white men living in Glacier County on stolen Blackfeet land allotments. In 1980 we had approval of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee to come to the reservation and hold senate hearings on the forced patents but it was blocked by Chairman Old Person and Vice-Chairman Archie St. Goddard, who had 35,000 acres of tribal land leased to himself and sub-leased to white ranchers. That is why the tribal council refuses to change their leasing policy and the BIA leases allotted lands to third-party Blackfeet members who sub-lease to white men for profits that should go to the trust landowners. Shakespeare said, “The evil that men do lives after them” so just because Old Person is gone his corruption remains until we change it or we will continue to suffer the consequences of poverty for us and our future generations. I am not welcome at the tribal office because I have stood up for the treaty rights of the Blackfeet Indians. The traditional Blackfeet Chiefs asked me in 1980 “to help the people with their land problems” which turned out to be the forced patents land frauds and I have continued to protest and it cost me my job and I am looked upon as a troublemaker by the tribal council, but I have my dignity, unlike Old Person who is a dog for the white man. He has made us the poorest in our own land, and that is your chief, not mine. We will eventually win our forced patent claims and water rights with your support. We need to form a cattle ranchers association and trust landowners association. Who will help? Bob Juneau Sr.