A proposed land transfer involving a small parcel within the Wind River Indian Reservation in Wyoming has become a contentious issue, drawing protests from Indigenous tribes and delaying legislative action, Grist reports.
The approximately two-acre site, home to the defunct Pilot Butte Power Plant, is at the center of a debate over tribal sovereignty, federal authority, and the region’s history.
The Midvale Irrigation District proposed taking control of the Pilot Butte Power Plant in 2022, aiming to rehabilitate the facility to generate hydroelectric power. The plant, if operational, could provide clean energy to about 50 households daily, a meaningful contribution in a sparsely populated area.
However, the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho tribes, who share the Wind River Indian Reservation, oppose the land transfer. They argue the land was originally ceded to the federal government under duress and should eventually return to tribal ownership. Since the irrigation district does not serve the reservation, tribal leaders say the project offers no direct benefit to their communities.
“This is an erosion of tribal sovereignty,” said Eastern Shoshone tribal member Sharolyn Jimerson. “They wanted to pass this through without anybody noticing.”
In 2022, US Senator John Barrasso and Representative Harriet Hageman introduced the Pilot Butte Conveyance Act to facilitate the transfer of ownership to the Midvale Irrigation District. Tribal leaders, however, criticized the lack of consultation, with the Wind River Inter-Tribal Council passing a resolution opposing the act.
The dispute led to protests in Lander, Wyoming, where tribal members held signs reading “Respect Indigenous Sovereignty.” The Biden administration’s guidelines for tribal consultation emphasize the importance of thorough engagement, but tribal leaders say they were not adequately informed about the proposal.
The disagreement over Pilot Butte highlights longstanding tensions regarding tribal land rights. The Eastern Shoshone were initially promised 44 million acres under the Fort Bridger Treaty of 1863 but ultimately received just 2.2 million acres. Similarly, the Northern Arapaho were relocated to the Wind River Reservation after promises of a reservation in Colorado went unfulfilled.
Over time, large portions of reservation land were taken for agriculture, education, and resource extraction, with some deemed “excess” and slated for return to tribes. The tribes argue that the entire 104,000 acres of excess land identified by the Bureau of Land Management should be returned, including the Pilot Butte site.
While supporters of the transfer, including Midvale Irrigation District manager Steve Lynn, argue that the land belongs to the federal government and is not subject to tribal claims, the tribes maintain that the land falls within the reservation and should not be transferred without their consent.
The transfer was stalled in the Senate last month after opposition from Democratic lawmakers, citing ongoing tribal protests. Lynn expressed confidence that the legislation would gain traction in the newly GOP-led Congress.
For tribal members like Jimerson, the fight over Pilot Butte is about more than two acres.
“We stewarded these lands for generations,” she said. “It’s heart-wrenching to see this disregard for our sovereignty and history.”
