The Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe in Minnesota recently banished four tribal members who were accused of committing a series of violent crimes on the reservation.

The banishment of the four -- all males in their 20s -- was considered a last option. Under the Indian Civil Rights Act, tribes are limited to imposing one-year jail sentences and a $5,000 fine.

"We are left with banishment or exclusion as the sole means of dealing with individuals where one year in jail is not enough," Rjay Brunkow, the tribe's solicitor general, told The Minneapolis Star Tribune.

The banished members are still eligible for their $7,000 annual per capita payment. They can request a reinstatement in 2013.

Get the Story:
Age-old tribal practice battles a modern threat (The Minneapolis Star Tribune 10/6)
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