Seven members, including the chief, of the Narragansett Tribe of
Rhode Island will be arraigned on charges connected to the state's
raid of a smokeshop on the reservation. Chief Sachem Matthew Thomas and the other tribal member were
arrested on July 16, 2003, when state troopers stormed the
reservation and shut down the tax-free cigarette shop. The raid
was aired on television nationwide. The tribe challened the raid but lost in court in a series of rulings.
When the U.S. Supreme Court refused to take the case, the state
revived its prosecution. The seven face various charges of disorderly conduct, resisting
arrest and assault. They will be arraigned on January 16, 2007,
in state court. The Supreme Court has refused to hear tribal cases several times
in the past without comment. In the past few years, states have become
bolder, raiding tribal businesses on reservation and trust lands. The
courts recently ruled that Kansas wrongfully raided the Wyandotte
Casino in downtown Kansas City. This is just one more sign that the attack on tribal sovereignty
by the states is alive and well. Click here to return to front pageState Revives Narragansett Smokeshop Case
