Modoc Tribe of Oklahoma

Oklahoma Modoc Tribal attorney Blake Follis states his tribe's intentions of land, airport and water acquisitions in the Tulelake Basin and beyond, 11/28/17

Modoc Nation purchases ranches near Sheepy Ridge, H&N 1/7/22. "With the Modoc Nation’s recent purchase of an overgrazed ranch near Sheepy Ridge, bison may be headed to the Klamath Basin — along with, tribal leadership hopes, cultural healing...Recently, the tribe has purchased several properties in the Tulelake area, intending to develop a presence on lands they were forcibly removed from..." KBC NOTE: they also bought the Newell Airport and private land north of that.

Modoc Nation adds local resource and development director, H&N 11/11/21. "The tribes’ top priority is to revive the overgrazed ranchlands recently purchased by the tribe near Tulelake, with the goal of establishing a new branch of the Modoc Nation’s bison herd."

Tule Lake Committee seeks injunction to stop airport sale, H&N 8/23/18. KBC NOTE: The H&N editor again did not collect comments from the agricultural community, which consists primarily of WWI and WWII veteran homesteaders and their families who are dependant on the Tulelake Airport for crop needs, emergency services, and the many services of an airport. It services a 200x200 mile area (40,000 square miles). The activist Tule Lake Committee has continuously sued our town, county and Macy's Flying Service for many years petitioning against an airport security fence to save lives of pilots and passengers. Their stated goal is to acquire our airport, along with the 1400 acres already acquired to tell their story of being relocated here for 4 years after Japan bombed Pearl Harbor. The city chose to sell the Tulelake Airport to the Modoc Tribe from Oklahoma because the tribe committed to keeping our airport as a functioning airport to service our communities. For more on the legal attacks on our community by this group for several years, and their ties with CAIR, go here:  Japanese vs Tulelake controversy

TuleLake Committee 1st amended complaint for Injunction: TLC vs Tulelake and Modoc Tribe from Oklahoma 8/22/18.
TuleLake Committee Injunction, TLC vs City of Tulelake and Modoc Tribe from Oklahoma 8/21/18

Tulelake council approves airport land sale to Modoc Tribe of Oklahoma, H&N, 8/2/18.

"...(Modoc) county commissioners offered to buy the land for the same price the Tribe offered, $17,500..."
"Of course we're disappointed," said Barbara Takei, representing the Tule Lake Committee, a group that includes Japanese Americans who were held in the Tule Lake Segregation Center during World War II, of the council decision. "We're exploring our options." "The Tule Lake Committee has sued the City of Tulelake and Modoc County over plans to build a fence around the airport." The TuleLake Committee also offered to buy the airport.

Tulelake council approves first step to sell land underlying airport, H&N 7/12/18. "Tulelake City Council held the first reading of an ordinance authorizing the sale of the land underlying the airport to the Modoc Tribe of Oklahoma. The airport itself is owned by Modoc County... In two legal challenges, the Tule Lake Committee, which includes Japanese Americans who were incarcerated at Tule Lake and their families, fought the construction of the (security) fence..."

Tulelake City Council ordinance to sell Tulelake Airport land to Modoc Tribe of Oklahoma, July 2018

Tulelake City Council Meeting 7/3/18 to read ordinance for sale of Tulelake Airport to Modoc Tribe of Oklahoma

"A meeting to discuss ways to work with the Modoc, Klamath and other tribes and with Rep. Doug LaMalfa, who's far Northern California congressional district includes Modoc and Siskiyou counties, (was) planned 1 p.m. Monday, (July 2) at the Natural Resource Conservation Office, 611 Main St., in Tulelake," H&N 6/29/18

American Indian tribes (Modoc Tribe from Oklahoma) used by convicted payday lender Scott Tucker settle with feds, Kansas City Star 6/26/18

What is the Modoc Tribe of Oklahoma? Tribe in negotiations to purchase Tulelake Airport, Herald and News 6/20/18.

Oklahoma Modoc Tribal attorney Blake Follis states his tribe's intentions of land, airport and water acquisitions in the Tulelake Basin and beyond, 11/28/17

Modoc Tribe of Oklahoma - Scott Tucker nears trial for payday loan rent-a-tribe scheme, Native Finance, followed by Oklahoma tribe agrees to pay $48 million to avoid prosecution in payday lending scheme, 9/6/17. "To skirt state loan interest caps, Tucker entered into agreements with three federally-recognized tribes- the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma, Santee Sioux of Nebraska, and Modoc Tribe of Oklahoma. In exchange for one percent of the profits from the payday lending operations, the tribes agreed to provide Tucker’s businesses with sovereign immunity.

Payday Lenders Join With Indian Tribes, posted to KBC 2/24/18. "We don't want to brag," said Bill Follis, a former loan officer at a bank who has been the Modoc chief since 1974. "But it's good."..." Because of the sovereign immunity granted to tribes by the U.S. government, they are shielded from interest-rate caps and other payday-loan regulations..."

Modoc Tribe of Oklahoma buys 800 acres near Lava Beds Oct 22, 2017

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