Native American authority is pitted against civil rights in a tribal eviction scheme. The intention of a Washington state tribe to expel disenrolled members from federally supported tribal housing puts two widely praised principles against one another: the responsibility of U.S. authorities to protect civil rights and the sovereignty of Native American tribal governments.
In response to a letter sent to the tribe in late December, two federal agencies have urged the Nooksack Indian Tribe to postpone eviction plans, which would affect 63 people living on 21 tribal properties. The Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Indian Affairs is investigating “extraordinarily regarding allegations of potential Civil Rights Act and Indian Civil Rights Act violations concerning these evictions,” according to the letter.
