The Duwamish Tribe in Washington filed a lawsuit on May 7 against the federal government to reverse its determination that the tribe is an “extinct” group of people, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reported on May 7.
In the lawsuit, filed with the U.S. District Court in Seattle, the tribe is seeking a declaration from the court that makes the Duwamish a federally recognized tribe. The suit alleges that the U.S. Interior Department ignored evidence in favor of the tribe due to political motivations and challenges the competency and fairness of the Bureau of Indian Affairs and its team of lawyers.
The 500-600-member tribe — which had received federal acknowledgement near the end of the Clinton administration, only to have it reversed in 2001 due to “procedural errors” — has so many reasons to want federal recognition, with a huge one being getting access to federal funding for housing, health care, education and cultural programs. Federal recognition may also prevent Duwamish people from assimilating into the general population, which could ultimately lead to extinction.
No comments:
Post a Comment