In question are about 50,000 acres around Lake Sakakawea and about 38,000 along Lake Oahe. That land is above an elevation of 1,854 feet on Lake Sakakawea and 1,620 feet on Lake Oahe. The land was taken when dams were built along the Missouri River. In a story by Tribune reporter Brian Gehring, those attending the Bismarck meeting were clear on where they stood. Roger Bird Bear, representing a landowners group on the Fort Berthold Reservation, said the group’s position is that the land should go back to individuals. “We are opposed to the tribes owning any interest,” Bird Bear said. “Indian or non-Indian ... it was our land. The tribe didn’t lose anything,” Gehring reported.Get the Story:
Editorial: Original owners should get excess land (The Bismarck Tribune 6/19) Also Today:
Meeting: Lake lands should return to original owners (The Bismarck Tribune 6/12) Related Stories:
Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation seeks return of lake land (09/10)
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