Darrin Smedsmo's Stinson returned (finally) by Red Lake Tribe

[Adventure]

Darrin did a great job presenting at the MN Aviation Gathering last month. Glad to see this coming to a close.

 

[MauleSkinner]

Gonna be an expensive inspection.

 

[Ed Haywood]

Too bad he didn't have an Aeronca 11 instead.

 

[pfarber]

They wanted a free airplane lol

Also how can the government tresspass anyone? From public property? Or are the Federal Laws just not a thing on reservations? Also for a tresspass to be 'legal' they have to tell you to leave and you don't... THEN you get arrested/cited.

 

[AA5Bman]

There are a number of strange things about this story:

1) What possible justification did the tribe have for seizing the aircraft other than "because we can" and "we feel like being pricks"?
2) The FAA actually interceded here? In a positive and helpful way?
3) A joe-citizen actually got the department of justice to A) pay attention and B) actually do something useful?
4) He actually got his plane back?

After dealing we many/all of these entities (well, not the tribes), I can report that this story is basically non-believable.

 

[Half Fast]

Maybe the tribe objected to the Stinson logo.....

 

[40YearDream]

Various Indian tribes, generally more so in the western US, are trying to assert legal authority, with the argument that they are a sovereign nation. The results are mixed, at best. There are some legal aspects, generally related to treaties from the mid to later 1800s, that were never clearly resolved - some might argue that the entire western half of South Dakota should be tribal land - depending on which treaty is followed, or not.

Not saying that this particular instance is justified - but the overall tribal land issue is complicated.

Cheyenne River Indian Reservation - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Lindberg]

Also how can the government tresspass anyone? From public property?

Happens all the time. You're not entitled to do anything you want on someone else's property just because it's owned by the government. Try scaling the fence at your 121 airport and see what happens. Or walk around the metal detector at your local federal building or city hall.

 

[AKiss20]

1) What possible justification did the tribe have for seizing the aircraft other than "because we can" and "we feel like being pricks"?

That’s been one reason people and nations have been doing things for millennia…

 

[WDD]

1) What possible justification did the tribe have for seizing the aircraft other than "because we can" and "we feel like being pricks"?

I've got a hunch you nailed it. Government - Indian or otherwise - is still government.

Don't conflate the people / Native Americans with the actions of their government.