BURNS PAIUTE RESERVATION -- Leaders of the Burns Paiute Tribe on Wednesday called on militants occupying a federal wildlife compound to end their standoff.
In a press conference, the tribal council sought to educate the public about their own painful history with the federal government. The militants, they said, are only making things worse for everyone in Harney County.
"They just need to get the hell out of here," said Jarvis Kennedy, a member of the tribal council. "They didn't ask anybody, we don't want them here...our little kids are sitting at home when they should be in school."
The group of 20 or so militants, led by right-wing activists Ammon Bundy and his two brothers, seized the refuge headquarters on Saturday.
The Paiute Tribe once occupied a large swath of land that includes the Malheur National Wildlife refuge -- archaeological evidence dates back 6,000 years -- but they were forced out in the late 1870s. Before settlers arrived, the tribe used it as a wintering ground, said Charlotte Rodrique, the tribal chair.
"We as a tribe view that this is still our land no matter who's living on it," Rodrique said.
In 1868, the tribe signed a treaty with the federal government that requires the government to protect natives' safety. According to the tribe, the federal government promised to prosecute "any crime or injury perpetrated by any white man upon the Indians."
Rodrique said the tribe never ceded its rights to the land. It works with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management to preserve archaeological sites.
"We feel strongly because we have had a good working relationship with the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge," she said. "We view them as a protector of our cultural rights in that area."
About 200 people live in the Burns Paiute Reservation, located 30 miles from the refuge headquarters. The tribe owns 11,000 acres of land nationwide, Rodrique said.
The tribal council met with archaeologists at the refuge Tuesday. Tribal leaders said they're worried the militants could damage archaeological sites.
Although the tribe says it's pleased with the federal government's response so far, some wondered aloud whether nonwhite militants would be given such passive treatment.
"I wonder if it was bunch of natives that went out there and overtook that, or any federal land," Kennedy said. "Would they let us come into town and get supplies and re-up?"
-- Ian K. Kullgren
503-781-4039; @IanKullgren