IRS sells SD Indian tribe's land to settle debt

[douglas9]

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) -- The Internal Revenue Service on Thursday auctioned off a large swath of land owned by an impoverished Indian tribe to help pay off more than $3 million in back taxes, penalties and interest - a sale the tribe says is illegal under federal laws protecting Indian land.

The 7,100 acres, or 11 square miles, of Crow Creek Sioux tribal land in central South Dakota ranch sold for almost $2.6 million, less than the $4.6 million it was appraised at, said IRS spokeswoman Carrie Resch. She did not say who bought the land.

The tribe filed a lawsuit Monday in U.S. District court in Pierre seeking to block the sale. Judge Roberto A. Lange declined their request but promised to schedule a trial to hear the tribe's arguments.

The land in question was part of the tribe's original reservation established in an 1868 treaty, and was held by the federal government in a trust for the tribe. But it was eventually allotted to individual tribal members, who then sold it to non-Indians, putting it outside the tribe's legal jurisdiction.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_TRIBAL_LAND_IRS_AUCTION?SITE=PAYOK&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

[Sarah Ibarruri]

1. Oh great. Sheesh. Meanwhile the rich are still paying laughable taxes

When are we moving the taxes back to what they were PRE-REAGAN? We need to continue doing away with the damage Repukes did over decades.

[annabanana]

2. Unconscionable

Our continued misuse of the indigenous people of this land is beyond shameful.

[Fumesucker]

3. Just wait until the IRS starts taking property for not buying private insurance..

There have been so many DUers defending a private insurance mandate enforced by the IRS, I wonder how many of them are going to come on this thread and defend this action by the IRS?

[madrchsod]

4. the land was no longer tribal land

blame those who sold the land to outsiders not the government

[Canuckistanian]

5. The government shouldn't have allowed those sales

Those natives who sold the land to outsiders had no right to do so. Either the Treaty is in force or it's not.

If the government takes this land, it's officially deeming the Treaty to be null and void.