Robert T. Coulter on why the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe filed a lawsuit to stop an Act of Congress

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Timbisha Shoshone Tribe filed a lawsuit today to stop an Act of Congress that threatens to take a fund of money belonging to the Timbisha Shoshone and the Western Shoshone Nation as a whole.

The lawsuit -- against the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of the Treasury -- seeks to overturn an Act of Congress, called the Western Shoshone Claims Distribution Act, which will confiscate a judgment fund belonging in part to the Timbisha Shoshone of the Western Shoshone Nation and distribute the fund to individuals according to rules created by Congress. This Act of Congress takes the Timbisha Shoshone's funds without due process or compensation and violates the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution.

"The Timbisha Shoshone, not Congress, should be the one to decide how the money is to be used," said Robert T. Coulter, executive director of the Indian Law Resource Center and lead counsel in the suit. "Congress believes that it can do as it pleases with the property and funds of Indian Nations, including taking property and funds without any compensation. This is obviously wrong, and it hurts all Indian Nations."

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• Land Law
• Indian Law
• Native American
• Human Rights
• Indigenous Rights
• Robert T. Coulter
• Indian Law Resource Center

[geoghol]

I hope the Western Shoshone people understand that there were five individuals that filed the lawsuit. The Timbisha Shoshone General Council was never presented with the suit nor were they asked to approve the filing of the suit. (Which is required by the Tribal Constitution) There is a large number of the Timbisha members that are going to receive the Western Shoshone money. Why would our Tribe try to stop the money for everyone? We would not do that.