As promised, here is the article from the PI. I think it pretty much gives
a good view of our situation here in the state. I should point out that the
Cowlitz Indians were also named in the Boldt decision. The lines in the
following story are plenty big enough to read through to understand the true
nature of the involved parties.
Enjoy!
AMR
dAVe
CIT/CIPC
METCALF WOULD BLOCK TRIBAL RECOGNITION
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER (SP) - FRIDAY, March 22, 1996
By: PAUL SHUKOVSKY P-I Reporter
Edition: Final Section: News Page: C1
Word Count: 1,226
TEXT:
Congressman Jack Metcalf, R-Wash., has introduced a bill that could prevent
dozens of Indian tribes around the United States from getting official
recognition from the federal government.
In Western Washington, the bill could affect the unrecognized Chinook,
Cowlitz, Duwamish, Snohomish, Snoqualmoo, Snoqualmie and Steilacoom tribes.
The Samish Tribe, which recently was recognized, probably would not be
affected.
Metcalf says the bill is necessary to keep tribes that have failed to
gain treaty rights in court from continually trying to gain recognition
through administrative avenues.
Hearings probably will be held sometime next month by the House
Resources Subcommittee on Native American and Insular Affairs, said Jim
Miella, spokesman for committee Chairman Elton Gallegly, R-Calif.
Metcalf introduced the bill at the behest of the Tulalip Tribes of
Marysville, which have a history of seeking to block unrecognized Western
Washington tribes from gaining recognition.
The Tulalips are particularly concerned about the Snohomish and the
Snoqualmie, which they contend are merely social groups descended from the
two tribes. But the chairmen of those two tribes say the Tulalips are
acting out of ``greed'' and simply want to prevent unrecognized tribes from
sharing in treaty fishing rights, casino gambling revenues and increasingly
scarce government funding.
Recognition carries with it federal dollars for support of tribal
government, health care, social services, education, housing and cultural
resources. Recognized tribes become sovereign governments with a legal
status similar to states. Without federal recognition, it would be
difficult for tribes to survive.
Metcalf last week refused to be drawn into the intertribal debate,
saying ``the tribes have squabbled among themselves since time
immemorial.'' He said it is time to bring some finality to the government's
decades-long process of deciding which Indian groups deserve to be
officially recognized.
[ 115 lines deleted at this point. --Gary ]
Copyright (c) 1996, The Seattle Post-Intelligencer
DESCRIPTORS: CONGRESS; INDIAN; PROPOSAL; STATE