Private lands not part of reservation
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Editor,
I seem to have come across an inconvenient truth: In 1912 the United States Supreme Court in the case of Clairmont v. U.S. held that where the Indian title to lands within the original Flathead Reservation had been extinguished they could no longer be considered a part of the reservation.
Now, how does that work? Turns out that if the land is no longer held in trust by the U.S. Government, on behalf of the tribes, has been issued a fee patent or simple fee deed and the tribe or tribal member has been paid for the land, it is no longer “Indian Country” or a part of the reservation.
That seems to indicate that there are no “aboriginal rights,” historical or otherwise, to that land. Claims of “Time Immemorial” go out the window as well. That hasn’t seemed to stop the “sovereign, foreign, tribal governments” from making ethereal claims on the land they and their ancestors sold to non-tribal members of society, but they are hollow claims of smoke with no substance.
Once you sign and surrender the pink slip to your car, in trade for cash or other remuneration, you no longer maintain title to the vehicle; it’s a car you “used to own.” To reacquire the vehicle will take cash — hard, cold cash. Hijacking it during the night is called Grand Theft Auto around here and that’s frowned on by most people. Paying law enforcement to look the other way is called bribery and it too is frowned upon.
Michael Gale
Ronan
