Race, history at issue in Narragansett case
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Filed Under:
Law
Members of the Narragansett Tribe of Rhode Island are seeking to introduce evidence of historical racism and discrimination as they head to trial for the state's raid of the reservation.
On July 14, 2003, state troopers stormed the reservation and shut down a smokeshop that was selling tax-free tobacco products. Seven tribal members, including Chief Sachem Matthew Thomas, were arrested on charges ranging from disorderly conduct to assault.
The trial was put on hold as the tribe challenged the legality of the raid. After two hearings, the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals said the state was within its rights.
The state then moved to prosecute the seven tribal members, who have asked the trial to be moved out of southern Rhode Island. They say they won't receive a fair trial due to historic mistreatment of the tribe. They also want to introduce reports that refer to the state's repeated attempts to break up and terminate the tribe.
Get the Story:
Racial Issues Raised In Smokeshop Case
(AP 7/12)
Username:
indianz@indianz.com, Password:
indianzcom
Relevant Links:
Narragansett Tribe -
http://www.narragansett-tribe.org
Related Stories:
Narragansett smokeshop
case moved to new court (3/6)
Narragansetts in court over smokeshop raid
(01/24)
Column: Smokeshop raid still burns
years later (1/23)
Narragansett smokeshop
case delayed a week (1/15)
State revives Narragansett
smokeshop case (12/19)
Narragansett
chief meets with Rhode Island governor (12/13)
Narragansett Tribe faces action on smokeshop
(12/12)
High court rejects state raid,
land claim (11/28)
Supreme Court won't
hear land-into-trust cases (10/3)
Court
subjects Narragansett Tribe to all state laws (05/25)
Appeals court hears tribal-state sovereignty
dispute (12/07)
Narragansett Tribe back
in court over sovereignty (12/6)
Rhode
Island set to appeal trust land decision (09/16)
Trust land challenge rejected by appeals court
(9/14)
Appeals court agrees to rehear
sovereignty case (07/11)
Tribal
sovereignty must be respected, court rules (05/13)
Appeals court sides with tribe in trust land
dispute (02/10)
R.I. tribe takes
smokeshop case to higher court (01/27)
State's raid on tribal land
sparks strong reactions (07/16)
R.I.
to appeal Narragansett land-into-trust case (10/1)
Judge affirms Narragansett Tribe
land-into-trust (9/30)
State's raid on tribal land
sparks strong reactions (07/16)
R.I. escalates fight over tribal smoke
shop (07/15)
Narragansett chief arrested in
'violent' raid (7/14)
R.I. governor promises to help
Narragansett Tribe (06/04)
R.I. tribe upset over reservation
checkpoint bill (05/30)
R.I. bill sets up reservation
checkpoints (5/28)
R.I. tribe delays opening of
tobacco shop (5/23)
Copyright © Indianz.Com
Subscribe