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Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes seek return of ancestral land





The Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes are seeking the return of ancestral land in Oklahoma.

The federal government took about 10,000 acres for use as Fort Reno. The land was supposed to be returned to the tribes when it was no longer needed for military purposes but that hasn't happened yet.

“We will not be deterred and call upon Congress to return these lands to the rightful owners, the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes,” Gov. Janice Boswell said in a press release.

Section 7512 of the H.R.2642, the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act, keeps the property under federal control for five more years even though the Department of Agriculture has acknowledged that the Grazinglands Research Laboratory may not be needed any longer. The facility has just two employees.

The House and the Senate have passed their versions of the Farm Bill and are currently working out any differences through a conference committee.

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Cheyenne, Arapaho Tribes Fight Congress Over Land (News9 1/8)

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