SCCPTA
Shawano County Concerned Property Taxpayers Association Inc.
PO Box 171, Gresham, WI 54128-171
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SCCPTA |
Why we formed our group:
SCCPTA was created August 16, 1997 as a grass roots organization to
protect the right of our citizens to retain the form of local government they
choose and to protect land owner's civil and property rights from a claim by the
Stockbridge-Munsee Indian Tribe. In a dispute over the location of reservation boundaries, the Tribe claimed jurisdiction over "all persons, property and
activities" on about 18 square miles of private property owned mostly by
non-Indians. If the Tribe prevailed in this claim, non-members living in the
disputed area could loose their local town government and fall under Tribal
jurisdiction.
The Stockbridge-Munsee Tribe operates a profitable class III gaming casino. Proceeds from the casino are being used to purchase land outside the reservation boundary. The acquired land is converted to federal trust title. When the land is put into trust, it is removed from local tax rolls and is immune from local civil jurisdiction.
Our goals:
Oppose Tribal Boundary Claims
Oppose Fee-to-Trust Land Conversions
One Nation - One Law
Our Accomplishments:
In August, 1998 the Stockbridge-Munsee Tribe opened a new class III casino in the
disputed land area. SCCPTA supported the Wisconsin Department of Justice in
seeking an injunction in federal court to have the casino closed on the grounds
that the casino violated the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act and compacts
the Tribe had signed with the State of Wisconsin.
SCCPTA members provided documents, testimony and other forms of evidence to
support Wisconsin's suit against the Tribe.
On September 30th, 1999 the federal district court granted the State's request for an injunction to close the casino in the disputed area. The Wisconsin Department of Justice continues to seek a federal court ruling on the exact location of the reservation's exterior boundaries.
On fee to trust issues, SCCPTA is working to slow or stop the conversion of fee lands to federal trust status. We have been instrumental in educating local officials on jurisdiction problems created by fee to trust conversions. Shawano County passed a resolution expressing their opposition to additional trust conversions. SCCPTA members traveled to our State capitol to support a bill that would require local public hearings to inform the citizens of an impending Tribal application for additional trust lands. The bill passed the State assembly with ease but unfortunately died in the State Senate. We may try introducing this legislation again.
We have been very active in contacting our federal representatives urging them to stop or restrict the fee to trust process. We have been and continue to be a proponent of changing the Bureau of Indians Affairs' regulations on fee to trust land transfers. We are pushing hard to have the Code of Federal Regulations changed to require BIA personnel to hold hearings for the benefit of non-Indian land owners who might be affected by fee to trust actions by the BIA.
Under One Nation - One Law, we are
supporting the efforts of the Citizens Equal Rights Foundation (CERF) and the
Citizens Equal Rights Alliance (CERA). Our SCCPTA Board is comprised of 6
people. One of our Board members is an enrolled member of the Stockbridge-Munsee
Tribe. This person works with SCCPTA and CERA to find ways to achieve better
civil rights for Tribal members and to make the Tribal government more accountable to the members. We see our effort as search for a
better life, community relations and civil liberties for ALL citizens in our
community.
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NEWCER |
Why we formed our group:
NEWCER was formed September 27th, 2007 for the purpose of educating the citizens of Northeast Wisconsin regarding tribal issues, to support our Village of Hobart elected officials and to work toward the equal rights of all citizens of Northeastern Wisconsin. The recent Census debacle plus an unnecessary 500-year flood study and the creation of a huge Tribal Court System caused many citizens to see the need to have an organized group that would react to any encroachment of the Constitutional Rights of citizens of Northeast Wisconsin that reside on or near the original Oneida Indian Reserve. We also saw the need to provide assistance to the Village of Hobart in its struggle to retain and maintain full municipal jurisdiction as the Tribal Government attempts to take over control.
Our Goals:
• To educate the citizens of Northeast Wisconsin regarding the potential and actual encroachment of their Constitutional Rights by the Oneida Tribal Government;
• To support our local governments in the civil and legal challenges with the Oneida Tribal Government;
• To work toward equal rights for all citizens of Northeast Wisconsin;
• To oppose Fee-to-Trust land conversions;
• Oppose EPA turnover of their regulation responsibilities to the Oneida Tribal Government within the boundaries of the original Oneida Indian Reserve, and to ensure that the natural resources of our country are available to all citizens on an equal basis;
• To oppose Tribal Governments from governing non-Indian residents; and
• To work toward having the Federal Government reimburse our local governments for land that is removed from the tax rolls and placed into trust.
Our Accomplishments:
Our members participated in a successful writing campaign in 2007 with CERA and other groups to turn around a decision by the U. S. Census Bureau that would have given Native American Tribes sole responsibility for the Census data verification for the 2010 Census inside of the original reservation boundaries. We also participated in a letter writing campaign to stop a Corps of Engineers /Tribal initiated 500-year flood plain study that would have resulted in more land designated as unsuitable for building or development. NEWCER also distributed a flyer to all residents living inside the boundaries of the original Oneida Indian Reserve to introduce our group and provide contact information. Because many residents are not aware that they live on the original Oneida Indian Reserve this was an opportunity to educate them on how their Constitutional Rights may be in jeopardy because of actions taken by the Tribal Government, such as: instituting a full Tribal Court System with the intent of having jurisdiction over non-Indians; and although the Oneida Police force is allegedly cross-deputized by the County Sheriff, the Oneida Tribe has not waived sovereign immunity for their police officers as required by Wisconsin law.
We support CERA/ CERF mission and attended and participated in the CERA annual meeting in Washington DC in March of 2008.
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Nashville Association |
Why we formed our group:
Formed to save our heritage in forest county Wisconsin and was established in July 1996.
We have no staff, but are a dedicated grass roots group of volunteers in our area and across this Nation that work for and with you... We work to protect our liberties, our property rights, our
freedoms, and our future as citizens.. Federal policies are taking away our constitutional
rights. We can only function with your support and ideas.
Our Goals:
To promote constitutional accountability in government.
To oppose fee to federal trust land conversions.
To oppose federal TAS programs ("treatment as a state" for tribal communities.)
To oppose tribal jurisdiction people living within reservations on private land.
To promote equal justice for all citizen on or off reservations.
Our accomplishments:
At the present time we are working the Wisconsin Attorney General's office on a court
proceeding/action to reverse the EPA'S decision to allow the local tribe to set water standards for a small 1/2 mile creek running through the Mole Lake Community, to non-ambient
amounts of pollution.
We are working with the Wisconsin County Association to stop the federal government from placing any more lands into National Forest in the State of Wisconsin.
We are working to stop fee-to-trust lands in forest county and through out the state of
Wisconsin.
We are working with the State Assembly and State Senate to promote better relationships between governments and citizens.
We have a telephone tree for alerting members of up coming legislation and other important issues/events. That works quiet well
We support the CERA/CERF mission.