The WESTERN SHOSHONE NATIONAL COUNCIL is not an IRA government
under BIA control, but the traditional government of the
Western Shoshone Nation. It has been the driving force in the
struggle for land and treaty rights, for the protection of the
environment and against nuclear tests on their land. Since they
received no justice in the courts of the USA, the National
Council initiated the yearlong efforts for a negotiated
solution of their landrights in Congress.
These efforts led to first talks on "negotiations", but the
Senate Select Committee on Indian Affairs invited only IRA
councils of selected reservations, ignoring the Western
Shoshone National Council as the representative of the Western
Shoshone Nation as a whole. Internal papers reveal prejudice
and discrimination against traditional Western Shoshone like
the Dann Band and Chief Raymond Yowell due to their worldwide
recognized activism. Former US presidents have proclaimed a
government-to-government relationship with Indian Nations. The
new government under president Clinton must be challenged to
offer a "Nation-to-Nation relationship.
The armed roundup of livestock at the Dann Ranch in the heart
of Western Shoshone territory is part of the strategy of
harrassment and repression against traditional leaders of the
landrights struggle. The BLM's contention that the confiscation
of lifestock is justified by overgrazing has never been proved
by scientific data. It is to cover-up a war over landrights and
to alienate environmentalists' support for the Western Shoshone
landrights struggle. A letter campaign against the "divide and
conquer" strategy of the government and its agencies is
urgently needed. Please send faxes if you can, or letters to
the adresses below.
United States Senate Governor Bob Miller
The Honorable Harry Reid Nevada State Capitol
SH 324 Senate Hart Builg. Carson City, NV 89710
Washington DC 20510 Fax 001 (702) 687 4486
Fax 001 (202) 388 6829
Committee on Interior and Senate Select Committee on
Insular Affairs Indian Affairs
Rep. George Miller Senator Daniel Inouye
1324 Longworth House SH 724 Cannon House Blg.
Washington DC 20515 Washington DC 20510
Fax 001 (202) 225 5609 Fax 001 (202) 224 6747
Rep. Ben Nighthorse Campbell President Bill Clinton
(same adress as George Miller) White House
Washington DC 20500
Please keep the Western Shoshone National Council informed
of your actions, send them copies of your letters.
Western Shoshone National Council
POB 140115
Duckwater, Nevada 89314
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