CROW AGENCY — The Absaalooke Allottees Alliance has concerns with the proposed Crow Revenue Act, which involves some trading of mineral rights on the reservation with some in the Bull Mountains.
The group questions whether or not the swap actually brings any revenue to the Crow Tribe, so it has written a letter to the Senate Indian Affairs Committee.
A news release and fact sheet state thebill requires the Crow Tribe and the Hope Family Trust to enter into a revenue-sharing agreement for any interest developed in the Bull Mountain tracts.
“But that's not what it says in the bill,” said Michael Hill, president of the alliance. “That's the big problem.”
Hill says the bill does not actually state the revenue sharing would be for development in the Bull Mountains, but rather for mineral interest developed on the Hope Family Tracts on the reservation.
“We don't know when they're going to mine coal over there, if they will,” Hill said about the land on the reservation.
If approved, the bill would transfer 4,530 acres of federal mineral rights and 940 acres of land in Musselshell County to the Hope Family Trust.
In exchange, the Hope Family Trust, which currently owns more than 4,660 acres of private in holdings and mineral rights on the Crow Reservation, would transfer its mineral rights to the Crow Tribe.
The alliance sent a letterto the Senate Indian Affairs Committee stating its issues.
MTN News asked Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT), the main sponsor of the bill for a comment on that letter.
And while he did not address any specific concerns from the Absaalooke Allottees Alliance, he sent a statement.
“The bill is a win-win that will allow the mine to keep operating and allow the Crow Tribe to generate much-needed revenue,” Daines stated. “And I'm glad to have broad support from the tribe, local stakeholders and surrounding counties.”
The Crow Tribe, Signal Peak Energy, the Hope Family Trust, the city of Roundup, Big Horn County commissioners, Yellowstone County commissioners, and the Montana Association of Oil, Gas, & Coal Counties each sent letters supporting the bill.
The actual bill states that the tribe and the Hope Family Trust will have a revenue-sharing agreement for the Hope family tracts on the reservation, but not in the Bull Mountains.
“It's really sad that it's not even mentioned in the bill,” said Alee Birdhat, Crow tribal member. “Most of the Crows aren't even aware of what they're doing.”
And that's what the alliance hopes to change by informing Crow tribal members of the bill.
The alliance also states that Chairman Frank Whiteclay can not act on his own and that the Crow Constitution requires a major decision, such as agreeing to this bill, to go to the Crow General Council made up of any tribal member at least 18 years old.
“Something of that magnitude should go to the tribal council for a referendum vote,” Hill said.
Whiteclay has not yet responded to MTN’s calls.
“Everybody's going to look at it and say, oh, they're trying to help the Crows, but in reality, it's just nothing's there,” Hill said.
