However, it is important to realize the difference between the country’s reaction to the takeover of a government facility by an armed group and others that have happened recently.
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“They (the federal government) are coming down into the states and taking over the land and the resources, putting the people into duress, putting the people into poverty”, Ammon Bundy said. If they are being this lenient with the group of rebels now, who is to say that they will really carry through their threats of federal charges? Finicum did not give any further details about the “plan” but did request safe passage for his daughters to come visit him, asking the federal government to allow them to come to the refuge. Look at us, look at what we’re doing.
“The Wise Use movement got a lot of conservative support in the 1990s and 2000s – including mainstream support”, Pitcavage said.
Rodrique lamented that the federal government continues to encroach on the land rights of the Paiute by restricting the rights of the tribe to catch trout, bass, and perch in the rivers and hunt elk and deer in the woods.
“We need to find a peaceful resolution and get you guys out of here”, Ward said, per the Oregonian.
Cowboy Dwane Ehmer, of Irrigon Ore., a supporter of the group occupying the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, holds a US flag as he talks with a journalist next to a manned watch tower Thursday, Jan. 7, 2016, near Burns, Ore. The federal government controls about half of all land in the West. For example, it owns 53 percent of OR, 85 percent of Nevada and 66 percent of Utah, according to the Congressional Research Service.
In the case of Oregon, Russell commented on the irony of self contradiction lost on the armed militia group.
SIEGLER: If nothing else, Bundy and his group have re-opened a fierce debate over how massive amounts of public lands in the American West are managed. While many agreed with the Bundys about land ownership, it was clear county residents want them to go home.
So in a sense, the militia members are biting the hand that fed them.
The Harney County resident of 64 years explained that she was a rancher and had devoted years working with officials to modernize the handling of federal lands. But unfortunately, it’s not just the protesters who stand to suffer.
Writing in U.S. Uncut, Amanda Girard pointed out that Bundy’s words fitted the condition of Native Americans better.
“They should have absolutely acted by now”, he said. As a result, these reservations are known for high unemployment rates, pervasive poverty, and lower life expectancy.
As with other tribes, the Burns Paiutes’ link to the land is marked by a history of conflict with white settlers and the USA government.
Harney County Sheriff David Ward said via Twitter that he asked Ammon Bundy to respect the wishes of residents.
ELLIE DAVIS: I think they’re out here for a good cause.
The Burns Paiute tribe has guaranteed access to the refuge for activities that are important to their culture, including gathering a plant used for making traditional baskets and seeds that are used for making bread.
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The protesters were immediately arrested for trespassing. Kennedy said he and many others rely heavily on federal government grants to survive. On the first day of the occupation the government sent in Federal Bureau of Investigation agents and troops to flush them out.
