Narragansett Tribe questions state legal spending

Monday, May 7, 2007  

The Narragansett Tribe says the state of Rhode Island is using taxpayer money to attack tribal sovereignty.

The tribe questions why the state paid $40,000 to help the town of Charlestown with legal fees. The town is suing the federal government for approving a land-into-trust application for the tribe.

"They are using taxpayer money to attack the Narragansett Indian Tribe," council member John Brown told The Providence Journal.

The case was recently heard by the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals. The state and the town argue that the Bureau of Indian Affairs can't take land into trust for tribes that weren't recognized as of the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934. They also say the Narragansett Tribe's land claims settlement act bars future acquisitions.

Get the Story:
Tribe attacks state subsidy of legal fights (The Providence Journal 5/7)
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Relevant Links:
Narragansett Tribe - http://www.narragansett-tribe.org

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