A reiteration of the settler trick (the real contest opposing government and settlers hides indigenous land and sovereignty): Matthew Rozsa, ‘Cliven Bundy’s “army” is back with more armed threats: “Time for another win”; Cliven Bundy’s gang of scofflaws are back after Obama designates Nevada land into a national monument’, Salon, 31/12/16 | settler colonial studies blog

A reiteration of the settler trick (the real contest opposing government and settlers hides indigenous land and sovereignty): Matthew Rozsa, ‘Cliven Bundy’s “army” is back with more armed threats: “Time for another win”; Cliven Bundy’s gang of scofflaws are back after Obama designates Nevada land into a national monument’, Salon, 31/12/16

31Dec16

Excerpt: The designation of the Gold Butte National Monument was part of a larger conservationist plan implemented by President Obama on Wednesday. In addition to the 300,000 acres outside of Las Vegas, Obama also designated 1.35 million acres in the Four Corners region of Utah as the Bears Ears National Monument. The purpose of both these designations is to protect the lands from energy development and other exploitative practices, while respecting the interests of both Native American tribes and environmentalists.

The Gold Butte National Monument will exist in the area near where Cliven Bundy led an armed standoff against federal agents in 2014. Two of his sons, Ammon and Ryan Bundy, led the seizure of Malheur. Although those two Bundy brothers and five co-defendants were acquitted in October, seven people face a separate trial next year for their role in the seizure. Similarly, Cliven Bundy, four of his sons, and 12 other people are facing a multitude of charges for their actions in Nevada from 2014.

So far the Bundy family itself has not threatened another showdown, despite the rhetoric of their supporters on social media. “This is about control, pure and simple,” they declared in a statement. “You don’t love this land, you have never visited here, but you love being in control of this land.”

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