Lakota Journal: Daschle responded "abstractly" to question of Black Hills return

I've been extremely remiss in overlooking an excellent report from the Lakota Journal's Nestor Ramos headlined "Summit at Crazy Horse." Excerpt:

A historic, long-rumored meeting between South Dakota’s congressional delegation and representatives from six of the state’s nine tribes took place on Saturday at Crazy Horse Mountain in Custer....

Asked whether there had been any discussion of the contentious Black Hills Land Claim issue, Daschle responded abstractly. “Federal lands have always been a matter of great controversy and contention over the last 150 years, and I think we have to continue to strive to find ways to resolve these issues,” he said....

“The treaty obligations came up in our discussions throughout this morning,” said Daschle. “We talked about the 1851 Treaty, the 1868 [Fort] Laramie Treaty. We talked about the importance of the recognition of those treaties as we enter into government to government responsibility and that relationship between governments. There is no question that we have to continue to strive to recognize the importance of that treaty obligation and the sovereignty that comes with it.”

Questions about the apparent secrecy surrounding the meeting were also addressed. Neither the public nor the media were permitted access to the meeting, held in the lower-level space beneath the Crazy Horse visitor’s center.