Three Affiliated Tribes a step closer to building oil refinery

The Three Affiliated Tribes were granted control of 469 acres of land near Makoti to build a refinery, a project that’s been in the works for many years. The tribes requested the land from the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Indian Affairs nine years ago. The land will be in a trust that the Interior Department owns, and the tribes will control and manage it. Ken Salazar, Secretary of the Interior, announced the land approval Wednesday. Salazar said that having control of the land allows the tribe to move forward on the refinery , which could create between 800 and 1,000 jobs. Read the story in the Bismarck Tribune.