For Immediate Release—July 1, 2025
MEDIA STATEMENT
“Organizing and mobilizing efforts were key to stopping the sale of public lands”
New York, NY—A provision that would have allowed for the sale of millions of acres of public lands was removed from the GOP megabill. The provision was cut following significant public backlash and concerns raised by congressional leaders from both parties. The following statement from Judith LeBlanc (Caddo), executive director of Native Organizers Alliance Action Fund, can be quoted in full or in part.
“Organizing and mobilizing efforts were key to stopping the sale of our public lands. As promised during the campaign, the GOP tried to sell off our public lands, without any public process, to help pay for tax cuts for billionaires and major corporations. But Indian Country and our allies were paying attention, and we came together to shut it down.
Native Organizers Alliance Action Fund alone gathered and sent 23,574 letters to the Senate asking them to reject the legislation.
This legislation was nothing more than an attempt by Congress to sell off public lands for the benefit of private developers. It would have set a dangerous precedent, allowing the U.S. government to treat public lands, including lands that are culturally significant, as disposable assets, auctioning them off to the highest bidder. That directly violates treaties and long-standing agreements with Tribal Nations.
As Native peoples, we don’t see our precious resources as dollar bills. We are caretakers of these lands, with a responsibility to protect and manage them sustainably for generations to come.
All public lands are Native homelands, and Tribes have an inherent right to decide what happens with them. Any sale of public lands without Tribal approval or meaningful consultation violates the rights of Tribes as sovereign nations.”
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