But they self-identify as Nooksack Indians!
The reason for all this is the long-running fight in this tiny tribe of roughly 2,000 over whether about 300 members should be kicked out. The tribal government’s attempt to do so became a symbol of tribal disenrollment nationwide and unraveled in such a tumultuous and legally suspect way that federal and state authorities paused millions of dollars in funding.
“The way I see it, the tribe was set back 25 years,” said Cline, talking recently at a Bellevue Starbucks on the way back from an Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians conference.
What he said should have been done: kicking out the 300 “right off the bat” instead of allowing the process to drag out for years.
Suffice it to say, Cline’s plan for healing does not include making amends with the so-called “Nooksack 306,” who received a new round of disenrollment letters in March.
Here’s his reasoning:
Asked why kicking them out is so important, he likened tribal enrollment to registering dogs with the American Kennel Club. “If you owned a purebred dog, you’d better understand the question,” he said.
Via the AP