This Land

8. The Next Battleground

This Land / Jul.22.19

Hosted By:
Rebecca Nagle

A murder case sparked an investigation into the treaty rights of five tribes. But another case — a simple case about an adoption — could actually dismantle America’s tribes as we know them.

Show Notes

Slate: The Court Got Baby Veronica Wrong
Dr. Phil: Adoption Controversy: Battle over Veronica
Tulsa World: Dusten Brown makes first public comments since ‘Baby Veronica’ custody battle

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1. The Case

The Supreme Court is about to make a decision that will determine the future of five tribes and nearly half the land in Oklahoma, and it all starts with a murder on the side of the road in 1999.

2. The Tribe

Muscogee (Creek) Nation's reservation spans 11 counties across Eastern Oklahoma. This land is now at stake, and the tribe’s legal team headed to D.C. to make its case in front of the Supreme Court.

3. The Opposition

There are some very powerful groups set against Muscogee (Creek) Nation. Who are they? What's their motivation? And what arguments are they using to win their case in Court?

4. The Treaty

A Cherokee leader is murdered in 1839 for signing a treaty with the United States, but the promise he died for was broken.

5. The Land Grab

The geography of this country was reshaped in the late 1800s and depending on who tells it, it's either a story of good intentions...or one of outright theft.

6. The Postponement

The Supreme Court punted a decision on Carpenter v. Murphy to the next term. What does this mean for the tribes?

7. Still Bleeding

Tribes are asking that the Supreme Court keep the promises that it made to them. Because what's lost when those promises are broken is more than just land.