The Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon. Photo by US Fish and Wildlife Service
Seven people are going on trial in connection with the armed occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon. Anti-government protesters took over the refuge in January, contending the site should be "made available to its rightful owners, the people." They never fully acknowledged that the land was taken from the Burns Paiute Tribe in the late 1800s. The tribe condemned the occupation, which ended in February after 41 days. The participants are facing numerous charges and some are accused of damaging cultural sites and archaeological sites at the refuge. Two defendants in particular dug a road and a latrine in and near sacred areas of the refuge, according to an indictment. One latrine contained human waste, federal investigators said. Those two defendants, though, are not scheduled to go to trial until February 2017, The Oregonian reported. The trial that begins on Tuesday includes ringleaders Ammon Bundy and Ryan Bundy, who are the sons of anti-government figure Cliven Bundy. In total, 26 people were charged in connection with the standoff. Eleven pleaded guilty, including Eric Lee Flores, a member of the Tulalip Tribes, who admitted he aided the other defendants in the early days of the incident. Additionally, all three Bundys are facing charges in connection with a different armed standoff in Nevada. The land in and around the refuge was initially created as a 1.78 million-acre reservation for the Burns Paiute Tribe in 1872. The federal government forced the tribe's ancestors off the land and forced them to march to reservations in Washington following the Bannock War in 1878. Some tribal members eventually returned to Oregon and found themselves as outcasts in their own homeland. A land claim was later settled by the Indian Claims Commission for just pennies on the dollar. The tribe now resides on a much-smaller reservation of about 800 acres. Tribal members own more than 11,000 acres of allotments. Read More on the Story:
Oregon standoff: Judge to admonish feds, but deny motion to suppress Facebook evidence (The Oregonian 9/12)
Oregon trial latest in long-running Western land dispute (AP 9/13)
Trial to Begin in Standoff at Oregon Wildlife Refuge (The New York Times 9/13)
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of Tulalip Tribes pleads guilty for role in Oregon standoff (06/10) Secretary Jewell meets with Burns Paiute Tribe and visits refuge (03/22)
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Additional charges expected in armed takeover at wildlife refuge (02/25)
Bundy family members finally charged for 2014 armed standoff (02/18)
Armed occupiers dug road and latrine near tribal sites at refuge (02/17)
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Armed occupation of wildlife refuge in Oregon ends with arrests (02/11)
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Steve Russell: Cowboy legal scholars fail big on federal Indian law (02/02)
Four people remain at refuge in Oregon as FBI defends shooting (01/29)
Leader of armed takeover tells followers to leave federal refuge (1/28)
Steven Newcomb: Federal refuge belongs to Burns Paiute Tribe (1/28)
Siletz Tribe disavows video showing artifacts at refuge in Oregon (1/27)
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Leaders of armed takeover at federal refuge arrested after death (1/27)
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Andrew Rosenthal: Armed group pulls stunt with tribal artifacts (1/22)
Jacqueline Keeler: Burns Paiute Tribe concerned about artifacts (1/19)
Cari Carpenter: Sarah Winnemucca sought return of Paiute land (1/18)
Alex Jacobs: White militia sitcom plays out on Indian territory (1/15)
Armed group willing to turn over artifacts to Burns Paiute Tribe (1/15)
Albert Bender: Occupied land still belongs to Burns Paiute Tribe (1/13)
Jacqueline Keeler: Burns Paiute Tribe frustrated by armed group (1/12)
Jim Patterson: Burns Paiute Tribe perseveres despite pressures (1/12)
Steve Russell: Armed 'patriots' at odds with Burns Paiute Tribe (1/11)
Gyasi Ross: Crazy White people have turned into the new Indians (1/8)
Jacqueline Keeler: Paiute ancestors were forced on Trail of Tears (1/8)
Peter d'Errico: Armed White men invade Indian lands in Oregon (1/8)
Federal agencies closed offices in Oregon amid safety concerns (1/8)
House Democrats call for armed group to leave refuge in Oregon (1/7)
Charlotte Rodrique: Land rightfully belongs to Burns Paiute Tribe (1/7)
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