Former assistant secretary Kevin Gover calls the Bureau of Indian Affairs "cowardly" for denying recognition to the Chinook Nation of Washington.

Gover, on his last day in office on January 3, 2001, issued a final determination in favor of the tribe. But the Bush administration, under Neal McCaleb, revoked the decision after BIA staff had alleged Gover made a mistake.

"I think it was politically cowardly to do what they (BIA officials) did," Gover tells The Seattle Times.

Gover battled with staff over the level of proof needed to prove recognition. His views have since been embraced by BIA deputy Aurene Martin, who now handled all recognition decisions since assistant secretary Dave Anderson has recused himself.

Stephen Beckham, a professor at Lewis & Clark College, has helped the Cowlitz, Chinook and Duwamish tribes of Washington with their federal recognition petitions. He says satisfying the political continuity requirement is the hardest part of the process.

"I didn't know it was going to take 20 years," Beckham tells the paper. "And neither did the tribes."

The Cowlitz Tribe gained federal recognition but the Chinook and the Duwamish have been denied. Opposition to all three tribes came from the federally-recognized Tulalip Tribes of Washington.

Get the Story:
Some tribes still see promises broken, dreams thwarted (The Seattle Times 5/3)
Tribal research takes tenacity (The Seattle Times 5/3)

Relevant Links:
Chinook Nation - http://www.chinooknation.org

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McCaleb reverses Chinook decision (7/8)
Chinook recognition delayed (3/6)
Chinook recognition sent back to BIA (11/8)
Chinook recognition to be reconsidered (11/7)
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