The Magnolia Neighborhood Planning Council has just issued this strongly worded statement regarding the homeless encampment at Discovery Park.

While the Daybreak Star complex is an Indian cultural center, the promoters of this homeless occupation fiasco are sadly misinformed, claiming they are exempt from City regulation because they believe they are on federal land.  The leased land is not tribal land, it is not held in trust by the United States for a federally recognized tribe, a necessity for it to be considered “federal land”.  Only recognized tribes can make such a request, no tribe has such standing to have done so at this site, hence it is not federal land by any stretch of the imagination. 

It must be remembered, the United Indians of All Tribes Foundation is just that, like any other foundation, a non-profit formed for charitable and/or educational purposes.  It is not a tribe, an important distinction in this situation. 

 While garnering initial public interest and even begrudging support in many quarters, if for no other reason than this demonstration seems to tap into the public’s widespread disaffectation with the Mayor, in the long run this civic demonstration can only lead to a cessation of public interest in indulging what in the end are scofflaw antics on public property, and which are now causing a breach of a legal contract that the City has with UIATF.  - Elizabeth Campbell, Chair

 In case you are not familiar with the Magnolia Neighborhood Planning Council, here is their mission statement:

The Magnolia Neighborhood Planning Council’s purpose is to provide an opportunity for those who live in, work in, or identify with the social or business interests of the area, to work together for the common good of the community with a positive community spirit, and to facilitate the process for developing and implementing a neighborhood plan for the Magnolia area.