RealAudio Reports of civil rights violations on Minnesota's Indian reservations have been persistent for years. Indians have filed scores of complaints to state and federal agencies, saying they live under a system where political patronage and nepotism rule the day and tribal leaders can manipulate the legal system to benefit themselves and their supporters. The past few years have brought major reforms in tribal government, but there is still a lingering mistrust. Red Lake Tribal Chairman Bobby Whitefeather says he has tried to make the tribal court system more responsive to the civil rights of band members.
Critics say the situation is still far from ideal.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled more than 100 years ago that the document does not apply to Indians living on reservations. Legal rulings since then have established it's up to tribal governments to protect basic civil rights that non-Indians take for granted. If tribal governments abuse that responsibility, victims have few places to turn. The Red Lake Indian Reservation in northern Minnesota has had a tribal court for more than a century. Chairman Bobby Whitefeather says the court does its best to protect the civil rights of band members.