"In keeping with the Obama administration’s effort to provide greater access to the White House, a packet of materials was delivered back in September to two members of President Obama’s staff, complete with a DVD, about the Yakama people and the Yakama Nation Treaty.

The fact that the Yakama Nation is approaching the President of the United States on the basis of the Yakama Nation treaty makes this story newsworthy. The Yakama Treaty has a unique provision for trade and “free access” to the public highways.

In the case United States v. Smiskin, 487 F. 3d 1260 (9th Cir. 2007), the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals interpreted the travel provision of the 1855 Yakama Nation Treaty as providing the Yakama Nation, its corporations, and its members with powerful exemptions when it comes to state fees and forms of taxation.

As the court stated in its opinion, “The Right to Travel provision of the Yakama Treaty of 1855 secures to Yakama tribal members the right to travel upon the public highways.” Other legal cases have also been decided in favor of the Yakamas, and the packet of information given to White House staff was designed to inform President Obama of these features of the Yakama Nation Treaty.

Initially, a Yakama Nation packet was delivered to Assistant Secretary of the Interior Larry Echo Hawk. Then, at a Sept. 27 meeting, Kimberly Teehee, a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, and a domestic policy advisor for President Obama received one of the packets. Another was given to Jodi A. Gillette, Standing Rock Lakota, in her capacity as deputy associate director of the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs in the White House."

Get the Story:
Steven Newcomb: A Yakama Nation message to President Obama (Indian Country Today 12/15)

Related Stories:
Steven Newcomb: Slowly chipping away at Doctrine of Discovery (11/10)
Steven Newcomb: Mayor a threat to New York tribes on taxes (10/4)
Steven Newcomb: Taos Pueblo prevailed in fight for sacred lake (9/15)
Steven Newcomb: Word reality and rights of indigenous people (8/10)
Steven Newcomb: Colonialism and the rights of indigenous peoples (7/30)
Steven Newcomb: Obama won't recognize Iroquois documents (7/13)
Steven Newcomb: On the Vatican and doctrine of discovery (6/4)
Steven Newcomb: The Vatican still in denial on domination (5/10)
Steven Newcomb: Indian title in the eyes of the conquering (4/5)
Steven Newcomb: Uncomfortable truth about Indian law (1/11)
Steven Newcomb: Racism in Supreme Court brief (10/21)
Steven Newcomb: How to rid Indians of land (10/02)
Steven Newcomb: Tricking Indians out of land (08/24)
Steven Newcomb: The Christian invasion 'right' (7/31)
Steven Newcomb: Putting Indian nations on maps (7/10)
Steven Newcomb: Colonialism clash in Peru (6/19)
Steven Newcomb: Colonialism and border crossings (6/5)
Steven Newcomb: Domestic dependent nations (6/1)
Steven Newcomb: PBS fails on Tecumseh's story (5/13)
Steven Newcomb: Non-Indian, anti-Indian law (5/1)
Steven Newcomb: Brutality at boarding 'schools' (4/7)
Newcomb: Dehumanization in Indian law and policy (3/13)
Steven Newcomb: How not to fix U.S. Indian policy (12/30)
Steven Newcomb: Free and independent 'savages' (12/15)