Charlene Abrahamson: Oregon's illegal policy against tribal ID

Now here we are in 2014, and a member of a federally recognized Washington tribe living in Oregon is told by their Department of Motor Vehicles that they do not recognize Washington tribal IDs. This was in response to her attempts to renew her driver’s license in a state where she has lived for many years.

Oregon generally has a reputation for being progressive, inclusive and perhaps even on the forefront of embracing diversity in all forms. But unlike the immediate response I received from Mr. Silva, and despite being inundated with calls and e-mails, I have yet to hear from anyone within Oregon agencies and tribal liaisons about the reason behind what I consider an illegal policy. I began e-mailing different people, including the Oregon governor’s office and members of Congress in a respectful manner.

Full disclosure, this affects a family member, but I have advocated for many years for Native people. My family member had her military ID, birth certificate, social security card, and her Tribal ID to prove her citizenship. She made four trips back and forth to try and meet the varying, and seemingly arbitrary, requirements of the Oregon DMV.