And now:Ish <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: VIA Tribal law Date: Thu, 29 Jul 1999 08:11:54 -0700 To: "List, Nez Perce Treaties" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> From: Charles Petras <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Nez Perce Treaties : Lewis County decides to tax Indians' fee land With Perfect Justice... Nez Perce Treaties - http://members.stratos.net/cpetras Lewiston Morning Tribune (Lewiston, Idaho) Thursday, July 29, 1999. p. 6A. Lewis County decides to tax Indians' fee land * Tribal member plans to appeal BY JODI WALKER OF THE TRIBUNE NEZ PERCE -- The Lewis County commissioners have denied property tax exemptions on seven properties owned by the Nez Perce Tribe and one owned by a tribal member within the county. The decision was made in the wake of a U.S. Supreme Court decision that said fee land owned by tribal members could be taxed. Fee land is land that is within reservation boundaries but has been sold into private ownership. "We are following the code," said Commissioner Laurine Nightingale. A letter from the Idaho attorney general earlier this year gave counties the go-ahead to tax the properties. The letter gave little indication of state support to do it, however. "The state doesn't have enough confidence to bring it themselves," said Tom Keefe, who with his wife, JoAnn Kauffman, applied for tax exemption on their property in Kamiah and were turned down. Kauffman is an enrolled member of the Nez Perce Tribe. "I am puzzled at the poor judgment of local officials," Kauffman said. She and Keefe will appeal the decision and she expects the tribe will do the same in the other cases. "I fully expect the support of my tribe," she said. "The Nez Perce Tribe has taken the position that fee land within the reservation is not subject to local or state taxation." Tribal officials did not return phone calls from the Tribune. Kauffman and Keefe have owned the property in Kamiah for a year and a half. They were given the tax exemption last year. Several tribal members were given exemptions last year, Nightingale said, but were told it would only be for one year, pending the outcome of the Supreme Court case.<< Reprinted under the Fair Use http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html doctrine of international copyright law. &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& Tsonkwadiyonrat (We are ONE Spirit) Unenh onhwa' Awayaton http://www.tdi.net/ishgooda/ UPDATES: CAMP JUSTICE http://shell.webbernet.net/~ishgooda/oglala/ &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&