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MONDAY, MARCH 17, 2003

"It's time for the Florida Legislature to right a wrong inflicted on the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida more than 40 years ago. It happened during a disgraceful period when the federal government attempted to terminate its jurisdiction over Indian tribes.

The tribe is seeking approval of a bill that will clarify in state law our right to have exclusive federal jurisdiction on our reservations in the Florida Everglades. Our bill would treat the Miccosukee reservations as other Indian reservations are treated in a vast majority of the states. It will clarify once and for all that federal, not state courts, will try criminal offenses committed on our reservations.

The bill will bring Florida into conformance with 44 other states that have acknowledged federal jurisdiction over Indian tribes. It will also remove a vestige of the government's disgraceful - and long since repudiated - termination policy that attempted to eliminate Indian tribes and their reservations."

Get the Story:
Billy Cypress: State must give tribes dignity of self-government (The Tallahassee Democrat 3/17)

Related Stories:
Fla. panel approves tribal jurisdiction bill (3/14)
Fla. asked to cede jurisdiction over tribe (02/19)
Miccosukee Tribe seeks end to state police power (02/06)
Fla. tribe arrests court official (07/10)
Billie given two life sentences (4/20)
Billie plans appeal of murder conviction (2/23)
Fla. murder trial winds up (2/22)
Mother testifies about death of sons (2/8)
Murder trial begins in Florida (2/7)
Feds dispute tribe's brand of justice (10/16)
Miccosukee tribe tries to protect sovereignty (9/26)