Vienna, Nov. 5 1991
REQUEST ON SPECIFIC INFORMATION ON THE BADGER TWO MEDICINE ISSUE
BLACKFOOT/MONTANA
The Association for Endangered Peoples - Austria has been approached
to support a Blackfoot group in Montana against the planned exploi-
tation of the socalled "Badger Two Medicine" area, which is the most
sacred area for the Blackfoot. The material we recieved is in some
respect too vague -- at least in our opinion -- to make a sound
political work. Therefore I am posting this piece in NativeNet and
ask all people, who may have information to send it to me. My mailing
adress is:
Peter Schwarzbauer
Weissgasse 9-13/2/1
A-1170 Vienna/Austria/Europe
ph: (1) 45-33-51 (home) or 34-25-00/ext. 315 (office)
fax:(1) 310-51-75
E-mail:
AWIBOK01.BITNET
Our questions at the moment are about the following issues:
1. Legal Status of the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana. Is this a
treaty reservation, an excutive order reservation etc.? Do the Blackfeet
have any treaty with the USA ?
2. Was Badger Two Medicine ever a part of the reservation ?
3. Are there any other agreements between the Blackfoot and the USA,
except the 1886 one, that have any effect on the legal situation or
status of Badger Two Medicine ?
4. Badger Two Medicine -- according to our information -- has a special
status of the United Nation. We have no idea about the kind of this
status and about which sub-organisation of the UN is responsible
(UNESCO ?) )
5. What type of government is the Blackfoot Tribal Council. Is it
based on the Indian Reorganisation Act (IRA) of 1934 or based on
another (traditional) form? What are the formal and informal relation-
ships between the tribal council and the Blackfeet group/persons, which
is/are pushing the resistance against the exploitation of Badger Two
Medicine ?
6. We have been told that a Belgium oil-company is involved in the
planned exploitation of this area. It is called FINA. Does anybody
have information on location, adress, phone- and fax-number as well
as the kind of involvement of this company ?
Many thanks in advance
Peter Schwarzbauer