Question

How can you protect your nativeland?

Answer 1

Answer:

• Although only a fraction of their original territories, many tribes still control vast areas of land and water. Some tribal lands contain extractable resources such as oil, gas, and timber. Other lands are used for hunting, fishing, livestock grazing, and agriculture. The political and economic self-determination and self-sufficiency of most tribes depend on maintaining their land and natural resources. Much of NARF’s work under this priority involves helping tribes to safeguard their land rights; water rights; hunting, fishing, and gathering rights; resource rights; and environmental rights.
• Native Lands
• According to the Bureau of Indian Affairs, approximately 56.2 million acres currently are held in trust by the government for tribes (44 million acres) and individual Indians (11 million acres). Many tribes still have reservations, which are lands that were reserved by tribes in treaties and agreements with the United States. There are about 326 federal Indian reservations or other tribal land areas, including Pueblos and Rancherias. Some tribes have non-reservation or non-trust land. A few tribes have reservations established under state law, and a few tribes today do not have any particular territory or land base recognized under either federal or state law.
• Native land matters are often complicated and unique. Also, historic policies opened up portions of reservations and tribal lands to non-Indian ownership. The resulting checkerboard land ownership causes a great deal of dispute over which government – tribal or state – has jurisdiction over the non-Indians’ land as well as conduct and activities of Indians and non-members on the lands. Many of NARF’s cases and projects have addressed these disputes and other tribal land related matters including ownership, boundaries, access, and control.

Explanation: