Big Sky Country Happenings

PEER is at it again — campaigning to keep tribal employees from the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT) from working alongside federal employees at The National Bison Range, located on the Flathead Reservation.

The co-management and annual funding agreement (AFA) entered into by US Fish & Wildlife Services and CSKT is in keeping with the 1994 Tribal Self Governance Act.

“The Act provides qualified self-governing tribes who demonstrate a significant cultural, geographic, and historical connection to facilities managed by the Department of the Interior with the opportunity to assume certain programs, services, functions, and activities at those facilities, including units of the National Wildlife Refuge System.”

Where is the National Bison Range located?
On the Flathead Reservation of the CSKT.

What are the historical originals of the bison herd at the National Bison Range?
In 1874, Samuel Walking Coyote, a Pend d’Oreille of the Flathead Indian Reservation, returned from a winter spent with the Blackfeet with two bull and two cow bison.  In 1909, some of the descendants of those bison were among the first bison to arrive at the newly established National Bison Range, having been purchased from Louise Corville, he widow of Charles Allard, who, along with Michel Pablo, purchased bison from Walking Coyote.

I think the criteria for “significant cultural, geographic, and historical connection” is more than met.

PEER has made an annual event of making attempts to thwart any tribal involvement in the management of the National Bison Range. In the past they’ve accused CSKT employees of poor fence maintenance and weed abatement. Yet tribal employees had only been at work a few months when those accusations were leveled and the fences didn’t come to be in a state of poor maintenance in a few months and the spread of weeds had been taking place over years.

Yesterday’s Missoulian quoted Jeff Ruch, the executive director of PEER,

“One of the main concerns is that the CSKT, as a sovereign nation, may feel no need to be accountable once the federal check clears,” Ruch said.

As I said yesterday, what I see in that statement is bigotry and ignorance. He is predicting dishonorable behavior on the part of CSKT — that they’ll take the money and run. I would very much like him to answer on what precedent he makes that prediction. I think his statement is based on racial bigotry and prejudicial stereotyping of the “cheating Indian.” I find it offensive in the extreme and would think that anyone who does not practice racial bigotry would find it likewise.

Furthermore, it is based on a false premise — that CSKT is receiving a check. In fact, CSKT provides funding for the management of the National Bison Range in that it provides employees on CSKT payroll. They aren’t receiving anything, they are contributing.

I think it is well established that ENVIRONMENTAL concerns are not what drives PEER. But to address anyone deceived into thinking that PEER’s combative stance with CSKT is based on environmental concerns, I present this:

“CSKT is a leader in environmental protection and conservation. CSKT is the first tribe in the U.S. to estab­lish a designated wilderness area; manages large herds of wild elk and bighorn sheep and oversees hunting and fishing programs on the Reservation for both Indians and non-Indians; administers a comprehensive mitigation program to offset the impacts of local hydropower operations on fish and wildlife resources; and, has for two decades partnered with the Service to conduct migratory waterfowl surveys and rebuild regional Canada goose populations.”

Perhaps PEER should change what those letters stand for. “Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility” just doesn’t ring true. Perhaps “Public Employees for Exclusive Reign” would be more appropriate.

Filed under: Speaking Out