RESOLUTION OF THE TRIBAL COUNCILS OF THE OMAHA AND WINNEBAGO TRIBES OF NEBRASKA Whereas the future of the Omaha and Winnebago Tribes will depend upon the fate of their remaining land; and Whereas the land base of our tribes is totally inadequate and a definite need still exists for a plan to solve the heirship problem and retain the land in Indian hands. Our experience in recent years has shown that where tracts of Indian land are sold they generally pass into non-Indian hands. Indians have by and large neither the cash nor the credit resources with which to make it possible for them to compete with non-Indians in land purchases. Loss of the heirship tracts will mean the loss of a resource which could help our people achieve a higher standard of living. It will also mean that those heirs who have homes on heirship tracts will lose these homes. That funds be made available for clearing fertile bottom land to provide homes and means of livelihood: Therefore be it Resolved by the Joint Tribal Councils of the Omaha and Winnebago Tribes of Nebraska, That a Federal revolving loan fund on which the tribes will be able to draw be established; be it further Resolved, That the councils urge enactment of legislation which will allow tribes to buy from and sell to individual members trust allotments in heirship status and provide means whereby tribes may borrow money from the United States to stabilize land holdings and eliminate the heirship problem. We believe that the clear ownership of land with its accompanying responsibility will restore the individual to such an extent that our Indian people feel that they will have status among men. We cannot adequately express our feelings that all lands now held by our tribes should remain in Indian hands. Adopted at Winnebago, Nebr., this 15th day of November 1954. GUSTAVUS WHITE, Chairman, Omaha Tribal Council. FRANK BEAVER, Chairman, Winnebago Tribal Council. OMAHA INDIAN RESERVATION Individually owned land [No. T. Number of transactions. Ac.-Acreage] DISPOSALS-REMOVAL FROM INDIAN BUREAU JURISDICTION BY PLACING OF UNRESTRICTED FEE-SIMPLE TITLE IN OWNERS DISPOSALS-REMOVAL FROM INDIAN BUREAU JURISDICTION BY PLACING OF UNRESTRICTED FEE-SIMPLE TITLE IN OWNERS-None DISPOSALS TO TRUST OR RESTRICTED STATUS-None DISPOSALS TO FEE STATUS Exchanges from fee status. |