When Congress passed a continuing resolution in December in order to avoid a government shutdown, it included a small provision backed by Rep. Frank Lucas (R-OK3) with big impacts for the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes: The resolution bars the executive branch of the U.S. government from returning nearly 10,000 acres of land around the historic Fort Reno to the tribes until at least Sept. 30.
Lucas, who recently completed his 30th year in Congress, wields tremendous influence in directing the nation’s agriculture policy and, according to House Appropriation Chairman Tom Cole (R-OK4), is integral to negotiating bipartisan support for the nation’s farm bill. While his office did not respond to a phone call or email requests for comment on the measure affecting Fort Reno, Lucas has adamantly advocated against returning the land to the tribes for at least 20 years.
Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes Gov. Reggie Wassana called the Lucas-backed provision — buried on page 48 of the resolution — disappointing.
“I don’t really understand why this has to be that way. Maybe I’m not told the truth on people’s feelings on why they’re just dead set against it,” Wassana said. “The tribes are going to be here forever. I won’t be here forever. Of course, people’s titles change, and people retire, and people pass on, but the tribes will always be here, and we will always maintain that ownership right to the property.”
Last year, a 2024 farm bill draft included a proposal to permanently ban the executive branch from returning Fort Reno to the tribes, but the bill did not pass through Congress. A staffer for Rep. Glenn Thompson (R-PA15), the sponsor of the 2024 bill, confirmed Lucas “worked directly” on the proposal.
In December, all of Oklahoma’s congressional delegation supported the continuing resolution that prevented a government shutdown, except for the delegation’s newest member, Rep. Josh Brecheen (R-OK2). The continuing resolution, introduced by Cole, extends the 2018 farm bill for another year, with a few changes — including the provision blocking Fort Reno’s return to the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes through September.
The inclusion of the Fort Reno provision highlights the power of Oklahoma’s congressional delegation, where a majority of the state’s house members serve in high ranking positions. In addition to Lucas, who is the chairman of the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology, and Cole, Rep. Kevin Hern (R-OK1) is also the chairman of the House Republican Policy Committee.
‘There is oil and gas underneath the land’
Originally a military outpost used in the American Indian Wars, Fort Reno is now a U.S. Department of Agriculture research station currently with a primary focus on the study of grazing lands. While the facility narrowly avoided a congressional decommission in the 1990s — partially thanks to an infamous baboon breeding program — Lucas has described it as “one of the crown jewels of our nation’s agricultural research facilities.”
While Lucas opposes returning the land surrounding and containing the facility to the Cheyenne and Arapaho, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack expressed support last summer for finding a solution to the century-long dispute, such as returning the land and leasing back the facility for the USDA.
Merlin Little Thunder, a Cheyenne artist and tribal citizen who lives in Tulsa, noted Lucas’ description of the facility when criticizing Congress for banning the return of the land.
“I don’t think it’s the ‘crown jewel’ of studying agricultural germination,” Little Thunder quipped. “People who live here should really have a say-so and not the people who don’t know. Not somebody in Oregon who says, ‘Wait a minute, there is oil and gas underneath the land.'”
With the passage of the continuing resolution, President Joe Biden is blocked from having the USDA return the land during the last days of his tenure, and President-elect Donald Trump is barred from returning the land before October. Pursuant to the new law, Vilsack declined to return the land in a Jan. 8 letter to Wassana.
“Federal regulations for declaring real property ‘excess’ in 41 C.F.R. Part 102 require an executive agency to identify unneeded federal property as not utilized, underutilized, or not being put to optimum use. As we discussed when we met in early December, the El Reno facility is being fully utilized as shown through our Sept. 4, 2024, tour of the facility with the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribal leadership team,” Vilsak wrote. “Without direct congressional authorization, USDA does not have the ability to restore this tribal land outside of the [General Services Administration] excess property process.”
‘A can of worms’: Tribal members call for Fort Reno’s return
For Wassana, Fort Reno not only represents an unfulfilled past promise to his nation, but it also represents the possibility of future development led by the tribes. He said he still believes the 9,500 acres of land will ultimately be returned to the tribes and has proposed using the land for economic development — including an amusement park — and historical preservation.
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“I think people want the tribes to become independent and self-sufficient. We have to have the resources to do it of course, and I believe [returning Fort Reno] will set in motion a more independent reign from the tribes,” Wassana said. “We can generate revenue. We can create jobs. We could have a destination going. There is a lot of things that could be desired in this area, but it’s almost like we’re held hostage on that piece of property.”
Little Thunder called Fort Reno “a can of worms for the tribe” and said its undeveloped petroleum resources motivate Congress to block returning the land to the Cheyenne and Arapaho.
“Over the years, they kind of just kept on pushing it further and further out of our reach, because it’s all about real estate,” Little Thunder said. “It’s just too much real estate to give back to us (…) There is just too much oil and gas under there to give it back to us.”
While Little Thunder is skeptical of Wassana’s amusement park plan, he expressed support for developing the land and proposed that it be used as a university hub for Native American studies.
“I don’t think an amusement park is the best way to go because, you know, there is a lot of graves there,” Little Thunder said before suggesting the tribe “develop it for universities to have Native Studies conferences there.”
For Little Thunder, Fort Reno represents the Cheyenne’s history. He said the congressional game of keep-away traps the tribes in the past.
“Fort Reno represents our history. It’s the history of our people,” Little Thunder said. “Now, taking that away from us is pushing us back 100 years. So they really need to just give it back to us, because that is what they said they were going to do.”
Wassana, who traveled to Washington last year to oppose Lucas’ efforts, criticized the provision’s passage and blamed it on the last-minute nature of Congress’ continuing resolution.
“We kind of felt that if it was a debatable bill for a period of time, then maybe it would have been taken out,” Wassana said. “I’m not surprised, but I was hopeful that the powers that be would take a better look at it and decide that it would benefit the tribes and the local area.”
