Government
As on other American reservations, the tribe runs the local government and provides most services, including courts, child welfare, employment assistance, wildlife management, health care, education, land management, and senior services, as well as garbage collection and water systems. The native police were replaced by the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs in 2003 because of problems in the local force.
The reservation includes several types of land use. Of the total 1,462,640 acres (5,919.1 km2), 650,558 acres (2,632.71 km2) are held in trust for enrolled tribal members, 311,324 acres (1,259.88 km2) are held directly by the tribe, 8,292 acres (33.56 km2) are Government Reserve, mostly irrigation projects and the Cut Bank Boarding School Reserve. The remaining 529,826 acres (2,144.13 km2) are Fee land which is taxable and may be privately owned by the tribe, tribe members or non-tribe members.
The tribe leases land for homes, farms, grazing, and commercial uses. Leases must always be offered to tribe members first before non-members. The tribe also has the right of first refusal; all private land offered for sale must be offered to the tribe first. If they decline to purchase it, a waiver is granted.
Read more about this topic: Blackfeet Indian Reservation
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