The occupation of the administration building of the Malheur Wildlife Refuge building by armed protestors reminds us that this land was part of a much larger tract that was to have been secured for the Paiute Indians according to a treaty of 1868, which Congress failed to ratify. To address the protestors' assertion that what they desire is "local control" of this land, a transfer of these 187,757 acres to the Burns Paiute Tribe would honor the spirit of the 1868 treaty which the U.S. Government failed to enact, provide significant resources to the tribe, and directly address the protestors purported grievances.
The transfer of the land should be made with the stipulation that the territory be managed as a wildlife refuge, consistent with existing United States law and policy.