Organization
Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes
Not yet reviewed by this nation. What follows comes from public records and research. It does not speak for the nation.
The Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes seek return of Fort Reno land in Oklahoma and advise Boulder, Colorado on a Sand Creek-linked site.
- Kind
- Tribal government
- Native-led
- tribal-government
- Works with
- Southern Cheyenne, Southern Arapaho
- Region
- Oklahoma (Fort Reno); Colorado Front Range ancestral lands
- Focus
- Seeking return of about 6,700 acres at Fort Reno; blocked by USDA disposal bar (H.R. 7567 would make permanent)
- Vetting notes
- NonDoc 3/20/2026. KPBS 10/8/2026 film also links the nations to Boulder Valley allies.
What happened
The Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes are a tribal government based in Oklahoma. Their official website lists Reggie Wassana as governor and Hershel Gorham as lieutenant governor.
One land question is Fort Reno, west of Oklahoma City. News9 reports that the site was part of the tribes' reservation until an 1883 executive order by President Chester Arthur set apart a 9,493-acre military reservation. It says that after the military no longer needed the land, the roughly 9,500 acres went to the U.S. Department of Agriculture rather than back to the tribes. News9 reports that the tribes' leadership says the land is rightfully theirs and should be returned, and that farm bill language bars the transfer. Rep. Frank Lucas calls its use for agricultural research the "highest and best use for the property."
A second matter is in Colorado. The City of Boulder says it worked with Arapaho and Cheyenne tribal representatives on a draft stewardship plan for open space where Fort Chambers likely stood. Men trained there before the Sand Creek Massacre of November 29, 1864. The plan, titled "Heal the Land; Heal the People," keeps the land city-owned, with continuing tribal guidance.
Neither matter is a completed return of title to the tribes.
Good to know. A tribal government, not a place to donate. Neither Fort Reno nor the Boulder site has been returned; the City of Boulder keeps ownership of the Boulder land.
Summarized with AI assistance from 4 sources and checked against their words; not yet reviewed by historians or by the nations. Report an error
What the sources say, and how this was checked
Supported by the sources below; some details rest on one source.
Reggie Wassana Governor
Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes - Homepageinstead of the 9,500 acres being returned to the Tribe, the government transferred it to the US Department of Agriculture
News9 - 5 things to know about Fort RenoThe Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes' leadership says it has always maintained that the land is rightfully theirs and should be returned.
News9 - 5 things to know about Fort Renowith continuing guidance from Tribal Representatives
City of Boulder - Concept Stewardship Plan
Research notes. News9 is April 2025; a March 2026 NonDoc report on a farm bill provision about Fort Reno (named in the record) could not be opened, so the current status of the bill is not covered. Boulder sources are about a draft plan whose adoption status was not checked; Boulder owns the land. Tribal government, not a donation channel. The tribes' own statement on Fort Reno was not found on their site.
We have not verified this organization well enough to link to it. See our donation integrity policy.
Connections
Links marked “suggested” were matched automatically by name or date and have not yet been reviewed by a person.
Works in 2
Governing body of 1
- Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribessuggested
Supports the return of 1
Sources
No source is linked to this record yet. That is a gap we are working to close.
The record’s fields
- Registry
- Sovereign government (no EIN needed); status per Federal Register list not checked this session
- Kind
- Organization
- Confidence
- High
- Nation review
- Not yet reviewed by this nation