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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2001

The dispute over the leadership of the Skull Valley Goshute Tribe has landed in federal court.

Leon Bear, who claims he is still chairman, has sued three Utah banks, saying an illegal withdrawal of $367,000 was made from a tribal account while another account was frozen.

According to the suit, three tribal members who claim they are the real leaders of the tribe, got a "court order" from the "Nato Indian Nation," a non-recognized group. According to the order signed by Henry Clayton, a judge in NATO's "Ministry of Justice," Marlinda Moon, Sammy Blackbear and Miranda Wash were authorized to withdraw the allegedly missing funds.

None of the banks would comment or were available for comment to The Salt Lake Tribune.

Bear has faced challenged because he signed a lease to store up to 40,000 tons of highly radioactive nuclear waste on a small part of the tribe's 18,000-acre reservation.

Get the Story:
Goshutes Take Battle Over Funds to Court (The Salt Lake Tribune 10/23)

Relevant Links:
Utah Office of High Level Nuclear Waste Opposition - http://www.eq.state.ut.us/HLW/Hlw_opp.htm
Private Fuel Storage Facility Application, Nuclear Regulatory Commission - http://www.nrc.gov/OPA/reports/pfs.htm
Private Fuel Storage - http://www.privatefuelstorage.com
The Skull Valley Goshutes - http://www.skullvalleygoshutes.org

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