FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE From the Klamath Tribes May 10, 2002 CONTACT: Allen Foreman, Tribal Chairman, 541-783-2219 Doug Barber, The Ulum Group, 541-434-7023
Commissioners oppose Tribal Treaty Rights Taxpayer money used to fight Indian water rights Chiloquin, Ore. "The Klamath Tribes today questioned the wisdom and the legality of the Klamath County Commission�s decision to use public funds to support anti-Tribal litigation by local farmers. Klamath Tribes Chairman Allen Foreman said, "The federal courts have repeatedly recognized what solemn U.S. government treaties and recent Interior Department decisions make clear, " it is the Klamath Tribes who have senior water rights in the Klamath Basin, and those rights can be used to protect the wildlife and fisheries important to the Klamath Tribes - culture and economy." Foreman was commenting on the Klamath County Commissioner�s decision to give $50,000 to local irrigators to help fund their appeal of a court case against the Klamath Tribes. "Local governments have historically been party to the shameful treatment of native people," says Bud Ullman, Klamath Tribes� Water Attorney, "so I suppose this episode should not be surprising." In March 2002, the federal court reaffirmed that the Tribes have senior water rights in the Klamath Basin dating back to "time immemorial." That decision goes on to say the Treaty of 1864 entitles the Tribes to "whatever water is necessary" to support productive habitat for the Tribes� hunting, fishing, trapping and gathering activities. The irrigators, with support from the Klamath County Commissioners, are appealing the decision to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Foreman adds, "The courts have spoken so strongly on this issue, and the Klamath Tribes� rights are so clearly spelled out in Treaties and in federal policy, we feel it is a real shame that the County Commission wants to waste public money on more court fights instead of encouraging all of us to work together to resolve this conflict." For the past three months the Commissioners have repeat-edly cancelled appointments to meet with Tribal officials to discuss issues important to the Basin. The Commissioners again cancelled a meeting scheduled for today, May 10, 2002. "We should be working together to encourage the federal and state governments to restore the Klamath Tribes� Treaty-protected fisheries, and working to restore an environmentally healthy water-shed in the Klamath Basin. Then we will know how much water can be devoted to supporting a sus-tainable agricultural economy," Chairman Foreman said. "It is bad enough that our local govern-ment would refuse to recognize the valid property rights of taxpayers who are members of the Klamath Tribes. It is worse that Klamath County wants to spend public funds to help pay for a pri-vate lawsuit. We know what the County Commission has done is not fair. It will be interesting to see if the County's action is lawful." -- Andr� Cramblit: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Operations Director Northern California Indian Development Council NCIDC (http://www.ncidc.org) is a non-profit that meets the development needs of American Indians and operates an art gallery featuring the art of California tribes (http://www.americanindianonline.com) Visit and show your support for the Grass Roots Oyate http://members.tripod.com/GrassRootsOyate Clemency for Leonard Peltier. Sign the Petition. http://petitiononline.com/Release/petition.html ==^================================================================ This email was sent to: [email protected] EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?b1ddNB.b2HgmN Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
