"Until the village of Hobart recognizes the sovereignty of the Oneida Tribe of Indians of Wisconsin, we can expect a seemingly endless cycle of litigation.

In the latest installment of their ongoing stalemate, the Oneidas on Friday filed a federal lawsuit claiming that Hobart is illegally imposing a stormwater treatment fee on the 1,420 acres of federal trust land within village limits.

The village could have done what Brown County and other local municipalities have done regarding trust land jurisdiction — negotiate a service agreement with the tribe. The municipalities recognize that they can't tax the tribe, and the tribe recognizes it receives a service from the municipalities, so the two sides agree on a different form of payment.

But before Hobart officials could negotiate with the tribe, they would have to recognize the tribal government's right to exist. They haven't, and they should. And there's the rub."

Get the Story:
Editorial: Lawsuit an unfortunate path to resolution (The Green Bay Press-Gazette 2/24)

Also Today:
Oneida Tribe sues Hobart over stormwater fee (Gannett Wisconsin Media 2/21)

Relevant Documents:
Complaint: Oneida Nation v. Hobart

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