Tribe Asks Congress To Help Settle Dispute Craig Schedules May Hearing On Lengthy Property Line Fight

The Nez Perce Tribe has weighed into a 6-year-old property line dispute at Kamiah by calling for new federal legislation plus reasoned discussion.

The request was contained in a Friday letter to U.S. Sen. Larry Craig, who has scheduled a May 25 congressional hearing in Washington, D.C., on the matter.

“We would recommend and request that you introduce legislation which would recognize the history and cause of the problem,” wrote Charles Hayes, chairman of the Nez Perce Tribal Executive Committee.

Hayes also suggests that Congress should create funds for finding an equitable agreement of such dilemmas.

The land squabble involves tribal members, non-Indians and century-old survey errors.

Beyond concern over the complex issues, Hayes wrote, published statements from some involved “reflect a very real propensity toward violence which extends our concerns to public safety in that area.”

Non-Indians say they were told by the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs that, despite having paid for land they were living upon, new surveys showed they were not legal owners.

Heirs of the original tribal members cite the new surveys and claim the property is theirs.