Archived Documents This part of the Website is not constantly maintainced any longer. Documents can lead to missing links and the drop-down selection of your favourite language does not work.

Zurück

Bureau of Land Management
Patrick Shea, Director
Washington DC
Fax 202 - 208-5242

Dear Mr. Shea,

there is an escalating conflict in Nevada between the BLM and Western Shoshone ranchers, who refuse to pay grazing fees for the use of so-called "public land", which the Western Shoshone Nation rightfully considers theirs.

The US has recognized the territory of the Western Shoshone by signing the Treaty of Ruby Valley of 1863. According to the Indian Claims Commission the Western Shoshone allegedly lost this territory due to encroachment by white settlers - an absurd argument considering how much longer the Western Shoshone have "encroached" these lands. Nevertheless subsequent court decisions followed this dubious justification of illegal land theft, but the Treaty of Ruby Valley has never been litigated and is still in full force and effect.

The court proceedings regarding Western Shoshone landrights were dominated by outrageous biases of truth, history and existing US laws. Since decades the Western Shoshone Nation is struggling to find a peaceful and just solution, but all their efforts were met with ignorance on all political levels. Their only means of making the public - and hopefully responsible politicians - aware of their situation and their struggle is resistance to unjust measures like the BLM's insistance on grazing fees.

Right now the BLM in Nevada intends to confiscate lifestock in several Western Shoshone communities. This would be the economic ruin of land based Native Americans. Since the BLM must be aware, that their reservations are extremely small and the quality of grazing land is insufficient to sustain them, this gives the impression of an anti-indian "punishment" - especially if one compares how much gold is exploited from Western Shoshone territory by corporations which are not asked to pay fair prices for the damage they cause.

I urge you to put a halt to the impoundment of lifestock of Western Shoshone ranchers and to take measures, that an acceptable solution is negotiated according to the government-to-government relations that US presidents, including President Clinton, have confirmed over and over. The issue of grazing fees is so closely related to the unsolved landrights case, which is still pending before the OAS (Organisation of American States), that consultations on a government-to-government basis are overdue.

Sincerely

Bureau of Land Management
Patrick Shea, Director
Washington DC
Fax 202 - 208-4152

Dear Mr. Shea,

we are seriously concerned about the conflict between the BLM in Nevada and the Western Shoshone Nation. The Western Shoshone ranchers refuse to pay grazing fees for the use of their ancestral lands, which the USA claims as "public land".

The US has recognized the territory of the Western Shoshone Nation by signing the Treaty of Ruby Valley of 1863. The Western Shoshone allegedly lost title to their land due to the payment of a claims award, which they did not accept. Independant of this payment the Treaty of Ruby Valley is still in force and effect.

Since the proceedings in the Indian Claims Commission were lacking due process, the Western Shoshone Nation is struggling to find a peaceful and just solution for the issue of their land and treaty rights, but their efforts are met with ignorance. Their refusal to pay grazing fees is part of this struggle to get recognition for their inherent rights.

Now the BLM in Nevada intends to confiscate lifestock in several Western Shoshone communities, in order to enforce payment of grazing fees within Western Shoshone territory. It would be the economic ruin of selfsufficient Native people and thrust them into welfare dependance. The BLM must be aware, that their reservations are too small and the quality of grazing land is insufficient to sustain them. Compared to the extremely low prices of US$ 2.- to US$ 5.- per acre, that foreign gold corporations are paying for the exploitation and destruction of Western Shoshone land, the BLM's measure of lifestock confiscation appears to be an action of punishment and anti-indian policy.

We urge you to take immediate measures to halt these actions and to pursue a policy of peaceul negotiations, according to the government-to-government relations which have been confirmed by President Clinton. The landrights case of the Western Shoshone Nation is far from being solved. It is still pending before the OAS (Organisation of American States), and it is a constant concern of human rights organisations and the international community.

Sincerely

Zurück