BKBH Attorney Evan Thompson Featured in The Atlantic Article “Return the National Parks to the Tribes”
BKBH tribal attorney Evan Thompson is featured in the May 2021 issue of The Atlantic in an article entitled “Return the National Parks To The Tribes”. Evan grew up on the Blackfeet Reservation, and at BKBH his practice is focused on issues of tribal sovereignty, civil litigation, and general tribal advocacy throughout the Northwest.
The Atlantic article describes the Native American dispossession that destroyed tribal relations and spurred a land grab that bled at least 90 million acres from Indian tribes across America – roughly equivalent to the 85 million acres that comprise America’s 423 national parks. Article author David Treuer highlights the growing initiatives focused on returning such land – including land that has been part of our national park system – to the Native American tribes, noting that “Native people need permanent, unencumbered access to our homelands—in order to strengthen us and our communities, and to undo some of the damage of the preceding centuries.”
To read more about the tainted history of our national parks and about new initiatives aimed at promoting Native American culture and sovereignty, we invite you to read The Atlantic article.