November 7th, 2021 is the official anniversary date for when the Nevada Nations Land Act was passed by Congress.
The federal law was created to transfer approximately 71,000 acres of land back to the six Great Basin Indian Tribes of Nevada. This includes the Te-Moak, Shoshone Paiute Tribes of Duck Valley, the Pyramid Lake Paiutes, the Summit Lake Paiutes, the Ft. McDermitt Paiute and Shoshone Tribe.
On September 29th in 2016, the law was approved by Congress under former President Barack Obama.
Prior to that date, the land remained under control of the Federal Government. The transfer of land was initially brought up when the Indian Affairs Subcommittee Chairman argued the need for more land.Â
The Nevada Native Nations Lands Act included adding 13,434 acres to the Reno-Sparks Indian Colony's Hungry Valley land base. The acres transferred makes up only 0.17% of the amount of land owned by the Federal Government.
Nevada's native tribes make up some of the smallest land bases in Indian country. So this legislation is important for adding land to their reservations to build more housing, economic development, and create activities that reinforce the culture.
You can find out more about the Reno-Sparks Indian Colony and their involvement in the community by visiting their website.
(The Reno-Sparks Indian Colony assisted with this story.)
