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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Coeur d’Alene Tribe claims coroner held member’s body against family’s will

FILE - Olivia Pakootas (23) shoots over Colton during the first half of a WIAA Girls 1B championship basketball game in March 2014. (Tyler Tjomsland / The Spokesman-Review)

The family of a 21-year-old who was killed in a car accident Friday has filed a restraining order against the Kootenai County Coroner’s office alleging they kept her body against the family’s will.

A spokeswoman for the Coeur d’Alene Tribe, Heather Keen said the tribe filed a restraining order against the coroner’s office to try and stop an autopsy on 21-year-old tribal member Olivia Pakootas. She added that performing an autopsy trespasses on the tribe’s sovereign right to bury their dead according to their beliefs.

She added that since there is no criminal investigation, there is no reason for an autopsy to take place and the coroner’s office should release Pakootas’ body to her family. The tribe also doesn’t believe the county has jurisdiction over the Pakootas case because the car accident occurred on the Coeur d’Alene reservation.

A representative from the coroner’s office said they could not comment on the case and deferred to a county attorney, Patrick Braden, who could not be reached for comment.

Pakootas’ mother, Nicky James, wrote in an email that her daughter had broken many barriers for Native American children through a battle with her high school over wearing an eagle feather on her graduation cap to her athletic accomplishments.

“Even in her death,” she wrote, “she is making her mark to ensure that no other Coeur d’Alene tribal family has to fight the state to take care of our people and send them on their final journey.”

Pakootas helped bring the Tekoa-Oakesdale basketball team to the 2014 WIAA 1B title game and competed in track and field for Spokane Community College.

Editor’s note: This story was changed on Tuesday, June 5, 2018 to correct the name of the Coeur d’Alene Tribe spokeswoman. The name was incorrect due to an editor’s error.