And now:Sonja Keohane <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes:
<http://www.billingsgazette.com/region/991018_reg10.html>
Lawyer says decision on Little Shell tribe recognition not too far off
GREAT FALLS (AP) - After several bureaucratic delays and more than a
century without land, the federal government soon will recognize the Little
Shell tribe of Chippewa Indians, said the lawyer who first helped petition
for the tribe 20 years ago.
Bob Peregoy spoke at a meeting of the Little Shell Tribal Council
Saturday. While Little Shell leaders share his optimism, the tribe is still
awaiting preliminary decision on its status from Interior Department, which
can corroborate the tribe's claims to its existence. The tribe expects a
preliminary finding from the agency by Thanksgiving.
>From there, it could be a year before Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt
officially recognizes the tribe. "The decision won't be final for another
year, but the proposed finding is the big one," Peregoy told Saturday's
meeting of about 30, including tribal members from as far away as Spokane.
At stake is $2.2 million that the government holds in reserve for the tribe
and its members until the tribe's status is resolved. Recognition would
also mean access to federal health services and housing programs, plus
educational opportunities for tribe members.
The tribe has been without a home since they did not sign the so-called
"10-cent Treaty," 109 years ago. The Little Shell tribe claims about 4,000
members, who live out of and across Montana, as well as on every Indian
reservation in the state. The Little Shell petition for recognition is one
of the largest such actions of its kind, said Peregoy. He said earlier
petitions have never involved more than about 1,900 people.
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