Farm bill provision could block return of Fort Reno to Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes

A provision in a congressional farm bill could permanently prevent the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma from regaining ownership of Fort Reno, according to a report by KOSU. The House Committee on Agriculture passed the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 on March 4, including language that would remove a 2026 expiration date on restrictions preventing the land’s transfer, making the site permanently federal unless Congress changes the law.

Cheyenne and Arapaho Gov. Reggie Wassana urged lawmakers to return the land, writing in testimony that the tribes were not repaid for 9,500 acres and that the land was not returned after military use, according to the report. “Returning Fort Reno to the Cheyenne and Arapaho is a concrete, lawful, and moral step Congress can take,” Wassana wrote. The bill now awaits consideration by the U.S. House of Representatives, according to KOSU.