Chair of Duwamish Tribe in 'state of shock' after court decision

Tuesday, March 26, 2013  

The Duwamish Tribe of Washington will get a second look at its federal recognition petition after a federal judge's historic decision on Friday.

The tribe started the recognition process in 1977. The Bureau of Indian Affairs issued three conflicting rulings and Judge John C. Coughenour said the final one issued by the Bush administration needs to be explained further.

“I’m in a delighted state of shock,” Chairwoman Cecile Hansen told The Seattle Times in response to the decision, the first of its kind in the BIA's history of federal recognition.

The tribe traces its ancestry to Chief Seattle, the Duwamish leader for whom Seattle was named.

Get the Story:
Duwamish get another shot at recognition as a tribe (The Seattle Times 3/26)

Judge orders BIA to reconsider Duwamish Tribe recognition (3/25)