Still Native land? 

The “Land Back” movement and reparations – which were discussed in the Aug. 14 cover story “When $1 billion isn’t enough” – are interesting. I was surprised that there was no acknowledgment of the 2020 Supreme Court case McGirt v. Oklahoma. The court ruled in favor of Jimcy McGirt, who was charged with crimes on Muscogee (Creek) land, and found that 19 million acres of Oklahoma – nearly half of the state – is still Native land. It would have been interesting to know what impact the case could have for the Land Back movement your reporting identified in South Dakota.

David W. Holmes
Blue Ash, Ohio

Constructive approaches   

The Monitor has been an important part of my life for six or more decades, and one of the things I greatly value is the emphasis on the creative, constructive approaches to issues presented in your articles. In the July 24 Weekly, in the article titled “Conservation, Indigenous Thai traditions collide,” the controversies and difficulties were clearly outlined. However, I expected to read about alternatives that would improve the relationships between the government and the villages, as well as ways of farming that would produce healthier crops. I was sorry that no positive way ahead seemed in sight at this time.