Week of July 10, 2024

From the editor’s desk

As the Fourth of July came and went, my social media feeds were cluttered with declarations that it didn’t feel like a good year to wave a flag. One Facebook contact, who is Western Shoshone and Washoe, asked why Native people even celebrate the Fourth. 

It got me thinking about the land back movement—the effort of Indigenous groups worldwide to chip away at the effects of colonization and regain sovereignty over their lands. The Sierra Club called it “unraveling Manifest Destiny.” 

Over the last several years, there have been a trickle of public and private lands being transferred back to tribes. In December 2023, the U.S. Department of the Interior announced the conclusion of a 10-year program under which “nearly 3 million acres in 15 states were consolidated and restored to Tribal trust ownership.”

Some land-back efforts are occurring close to home. Last week, on July 5, the Bureau of Land Management announced that it is accepting public comments on a proposal to transfer approximately 173 acres to the Walker River Paiute Tribe. 

I plan to keep my eye on the situation. If you know of any recent or future transfers or proposals in our region, drop me a line. If you’ve been involved with one or affected by a land transfer or proposal, I’d especially like to hear from you. And if you’re an Indigenous Nevadan who did or didn’t celebrate the Fourth, I’d like to hear your story, too. Drop me a line anytime.

Take care,

—Kris Vagner, managing editor