According to this story ("Eminent Domain and a Horse Slaugherhouse at Wounded Knee?") the Oglala Lakota Nation has decided to condemn land on the reservation at Wounded Knee, South Dakota to prevent its sale by its current (non-Indian) owner to third parties. The Wounded Knee site is significant for at least two reasons, the infamous massacre by the U.S. 7th Cavalry in the 1800's, and the 1970's takeover and months-long armed standoff by AIM.
The case raises unsettled issues. Can the Nation to condemn land owned by non-members? According to an unnamed Indian law expert quoted in the story, it would be "very hard for me to see the tribe pull this off." What's the value of the land if it can be taken by eminent domain? The owner claimes to have offers from potential purchasers in the millions, while others claim that the land is worth much less, even though it has spiritual and emotional value.
Here's a video from Huffington Post with interviews with some of the players, and despite some initial technical and other glitches (the interview starts off with a question about whether to refer to the nation members as "American Indians" or "Native Americans" for example), it's worth working your way through it to start to understand what is going on.
While we can't say that we fully understand the circumstances, we're definitely going to be following this case as it raises fascinating issues.
