Amy Trice, a former chairwoman of the Kootenai Tribe of Idaho, died last Thursday. She was 75.

Trice made headlines in 1974 when she declared "war" against the United States. She drew attention to the tribe's lack of federal recognition.

“We lost a legacy for our tribe,” current chairwoman Jennifer Porter told The Spokesman Review.

Trice and other tribal members set up a toll booth along a major highway. Authorities responded with a show of force.

“The state police came with Mace and sawed-off shotguns,” Trice said at the time, The Spokesman Review reported. “The closest thing we had to a weapon in our tribal office was a fly swatter.”

The effort led to establishment of a 12-acre reservation, housing and a clinic. Later, Trice helped bring gaming to the tribe.

Get the Story:
Kootenai tribal elder Trice dies (The Spokesman Review 7/29)

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