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Project Community: Iowa Tribe receives land nearly 2 centuries after treaty forced them out

Project Community: Iowa Tribe receives land nearly 2 centuries after treaty forced them out
EVERY STEP OF THE BEAUTY SURROUNDING TWO HORSE FARMS REVEALED TOWERING OAK TREES, A GLISTENING CREEK, A NATURAL PRAIRIE, ALL OF IT MAINTAINED BY AARON AND BRIAN MALLOY FOR YEARS. WE BELIEVE THAT THE TREES AND ALL OF THAT ARE LIVING BEINGS. THE MILLS TOOK CARE OF 90 ACRES FOR YEARS, GETTING RID OF INVASIVE PLANTS. SO NATIVE PLANTS COULD GROW INSTEAD. MY HUSBAND AND I WORKED ANYWHERE FROM THREE TO 8 TO 10 HOURS A DAY. NOW THE JOHNSON COUNTY CONSERVATION BOARD WILL DO THE SAME WITH THE 83 ACRES, A PART FOR THE MALLOY THIS YEAR. THE REMAINING SEVEN OVERLOOKING THE IOWA RIVER. IN THE DISTANCE DONATED TO THE IOWA TRIBE. IT’S SYMBOLICALLY A SPIRITUALLY SIGNIFICANT THING FOR US. AFTER ALMOST 200 YEARS TO OWN A LITTLE PIECE OF THE LAND, LANCE FOSTER IS THE IOWA TRIBE’S HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICER. HE SAYS HIS TRIBE WAS ON THE LAND UP UNTIL 1837. BY THE TIME WHITE SETTLERS CAME INTO THE AREA, MAINLY IN 1830 AND 1940. THE IOWA HAD ALREADY CEDED MOST OF OUR LANDS IN IOWA, AND AS THE YEARS WENT BY, LANCE SAYS, MORE AND MORE TRIBES ARE PUSHED OUT OF THEIR LANDS. THERE WAS DESPAIR, THRUST NATION. WE BECAME ASSIMILATED IN A LOT OF WAYS. THE ULTIMATE GOAL THE UNITED STATES, WAS ALWAYS ASSIMILATION FOR US TO FORGET WHO WE WERE. THE IOWA TRIBE, ONCE WITH NUMBERS IN THE TEN THOUSANDS. NOW DOWN TO 2000. NOW WE’RE ON A RESERVATION ROUGHLY 12,000 ACRES AND HUNDREDS OF MILES AWAY FROM THE LAND IN JOHNSON COUNTY. BUT IT DOESN’T MAKE THE LAND ANY LESS SPECIAL. IT IS A PLACE TO STAND AND LOOK OUT OVER THE RIVER THAT WAS NAMED AFTER YOUR PEOPLE, WHICH IS A VERY SIGNIFICANT AND SACRED THING. JOHNSON COUNTY CONSERVATION BOARD WILL WORK CLOSELY WITH THE IOWA TRIBE TO MAINTAIN THE SEVEN ACRES. SO THAT MEMBERS OF THE TRIBE VISIT THEY CAN FEEL AT HOME. IN THIS DAY AND AGE, IT’S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER OUR HISTORY, RIGHT? WE CAN’T CORRECT IT, BUT WE CAN TRY TO HEAL IT. SOME COULD ARGUE SEVEN ACRES ISN’T ENOUGH, BUT LANCE FEELS DIFFERENT. I THINK OUR SOCIETY IS ABOUT SO MUCH ABOUT AMOUNT SO TO ME THE FACT THAT WE HAVE ANY IS AN AMAZING AND SACRED THING IN JOHNSON COUNTY. KAYLA JAMES. KC
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Project Community: Iowa Tribe receives land nearly 2 centuries after treaty forced them out
Nearly two hundred years after signing a treaty that pushed them for their land in Johnson County, the Iowa tribe was gifted seven acres of that very same land. Brian and Erin Melloy have personally owned 90 acres in Solon for several years, but the land has been in their family for over four decades. The couple worked hard to take care of the land, getting rid of invasive plants so native plants could grow instead. "We believe that the trees and all of that are living beings," said Erin Melloy. "My husband and I worked anywhere from three to eight to ten hours a day."They owned 90 acres, 83 of which were sold earlier in 2022 to the Johnson County Conservation Board. Those acres will be known as Two Horse Farm. The remaining seven acres were donated to the Iowa Tribe. "It's symbolically a spiritually significant thing for us after almost 200 years to own a little piece of the land," said Lance Foster, the vice chairman of the Iowa Tribe of Nebraska and Kansas. Foster is also the historic preservation officer for the tribe. He says the tribe was on the land up until 1837, which is when a treaty was signed. "By the time white settlers came into the area — mainly in the 1830s and 1840s — the Iowa tribe had already ceded most of our lands in Iowa," said Foster. As the years went by, Foster says more and more tribes were pushed out of their land. According to Foster, the tribe once had tens of thousands of people. Now, he says they are down to 2,000 people. "We became assimilated in a lot of ways," said Foster. "The ultimate goal of the United States was always assimilation; for us to forget who we were and to be absorbed." The Iowa Tribe of Nebraska and Kansas is now on a reservation of roughly 12,000 acres.Hundreds of miles away from their reservation is the land in Johnson County. However, the distance doesn't make the land feel any less special. "It's a place to stand and look out over the river that was named after my people, which is a very significant and sacred thing," said Foster. According to Foster, the Iowa Tribe of Nebraska and Kansas once reached out to the Johnson County Conservation Board to ask if they could be told when any land would be available. When Brian and Erin Melloy started the selling process, the wish for the land became a possibility. "The Melloys thought that was a great opportunity to get back to the people that have protected this land much longer than we have or before we have," said Brad Freidhof, the conservation program manager for the Johnson County Conservation Board. The board will work closely with the Iowa Tribe to maintain the seven acres. When members of the tribe visit, they can feel at home."In this day and age, it's important to remember our history, right? We can't correct it, but we can try to heal it," said Freidhof. Some could argue seven acres isn't enough, but Foster feels differently. "I think our society is so much about amount," said Foster. "So to me, the fact that we have any is an amazing and sacred thing."

Nearly two hundred years after signing a treaty that pushed them for their land in Johnson County, the Iowa tribe was gifted seven acres of that very same land.

Brian and Erin Melloy have personally owned 90 acres in Solon for several years, but the land has been in their family for over four decades. The couple worked hard to take care of the land, getting rid of invasive plants so native plants could grow instead.

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"We believe that the trees and all of that are living beings," said Erin Melloy. "My husband and I worked anywhere from three to eight to ten hours a day."

They owned 90 acres, 83 of which were sold earlier in 2022 to the Johnson County Conservation Board. Those acres will be known as Two Horse Farm.

The remaining seven acres were donated to the Iowa Tribe.

"It's symbolically a spiritually significant thing for us after almost 200 years to own a little piece of the land," said Lance Foster, the vice chairman of the Iowa Tribe of Nebraska and Kansas.

Foster is also the historic preservation officer for the tribe. He says the tribe was on the land up until 1837, which is when a treaty was signed.

"By the time white settlers came into the area — mainly in the 1830s and 1840s — the Iowa tribe had already ceded most of our lands in Iowa," said Foster.

As the years went by, Foster says more and more tribes were pushed out of their land.

According to Foster, the tribe once had tens of thousands of people. Now, he says they are down to 2,000 people.

"We became assimilated in a lot of ways," said Foster. "The ultimate goal of the United States was always assimilation; for us to forget who we were and to be absorbed."

The Iowa Tribe of Nebraska and Kansas is now on a reservation of roughly 12,000 acres.

Hundreds of miles away from their reservation is the land in Johnson County. However, the distance doesn't make the land feel any less special.

"It's a place to stand and look out over the river that was named after my people, which is a very significant and sacred thing," said Foster.

According to Foster, the Iowa Tribe of Nebraska and Kansas once reached out to the Johnson County Conservation Board to ask if they could be told when any land would be available.

When Brian and Erin Melloy started the selling process, the wish for the land became a possibility.

"The Melloys thought that was a great opportunity to get back to the people that have protected this land much longer than we have or before we have," said Brad Freidhof, the conservation program manager for the Johnson County Conservation Board.

The board will work closely with the Iowa Tribe to maintain the seven acres. When members of the tribe visit, they can feel at home.

"In this day and age, it's important to remember our history, right? We can't correct it, but we can try to heal it," said Freidhof.

Some could argue seven acres isn't enough, but Foster feels differently.

"I think our society is so much about amount," said Foster. "So to me, the fact that we have any is an amazing and sacred thing."