Show Ute Tribe files suit to apply new near law code The Ute Ule Indian Tribe filed flied suit in fn federal court Wednesday of ot last week in an attempt to apply its tribal laws to non non- Indian towns lying within reservation boundaries The suit filed Wed in U. U US U.S. S S. S District Court by the member 1600 tribe named the State Stale of ot Utah and towns of ot Duchesne and Roosevelt as defendants TilE THE UTE action was in response to Governor Calvin L L. L Hamptons Hampton's directive to Attorney Attorney Attorney At At- torney General Vernon B B. B Romney Tuesday of last week to file a suit seeking a declaratory judgment to settle the dispute over the new Ute Law and Order Code State and local officials contend Utes have no jurisdiction in communities which are carved out of the Uintah-Ouray Uintah ouray Reservation years ago under homestead and townsite acts The he Indians were paid for the land The Utes said that if state officials could prosecute Indians Indians Indians In In- who violate state laws off the reservation the Utes could prosecute non-Indians non who violate Ute l laws ws on or affecting the reservation WE WILL no longer stand idly by and watch our resources ruined our people humiliated and our competency questioned Lester fester Chapoose chairman of the Ute Indian Tribal Business Committee said Wednesday If It we find people on our reservation who will willfully disobey the law we will arrest and prosecute them in our courts just as Indian people are arrested and prosecuted in instate instate instate state courts off ort the reservation reservation reser reser- Chapoose said Steven Boyden tribal attorney attorney attorney at at- torney said the Utes Ules were one of the first Indian tribes to codify their ordinances The new code approved by the Interior Department became effective September 15 THE TilE CODE was prepared by us for the purpose of governing our own people Chapoose said Id But for some reason local officials in the Uintah Basin have determined to resist all efforts of the tribe to enforce the provisions of the code I view this code as a step forward for my people I am proud of our accomplishments and have faith in our destiny Those people who oppose the assertion of tribal rights either misunderstand our purpose or would like to relegate us to the shadows of the council fire as a tourist curiosity the Ute official official official of of- maintained The tribal code is not an attempt attempt at tempt to supercede local authority Boyden said The suit is an attempt to prevent the state from interfering with the tribes tribe's right of self government by telling people they should disregard provisions of the code he explained HAMPTON HAMITON WHO WIIO has said the state stale may have to seek remedial action from Congress says the tribes tribe's suit will in the meantime provide a court test and that the state itself will not have to bring action Chapoose also said that the tribe will continue to issue traffic citations But he added that the new code will not substantially change the deer hunting situation on the reservation The tribe as in the past several years will close the entire reservation to deer hunting Chapoose said This Thus has been prompted by the fact that there is a declining deer population throughout our reservation area We have also closed a number of tribally- tribally owned roads which have frequently been used by hunters to poach on our reservation lands |