Newspaper Article

Duluth, Minnesota; As tribes assert their sovereignty with license plates, some states resist

Stanich, Susan

1991

Overview

\"They're really in demand,\" said Milton Hill, a collector here. \"People from as far away as Australia write, asking me to assist in making swaps-country plate for tribal plate.\" \"Every tribe, in my understanding can issue title registrations and license plates,\" said Marlene Swanson, director of driver and vehicle services for the Minnesota Department of Public Safety. \"But some states disagree... In Minnesota, we're convinced that we should build the same reciprocity with tribes as we do with any other state or (Canadian) province. If we can drive in their territory, they can drive in ours.\" \"This case was one of the most interesting I'd handled,\" said Patrick O'Brien, who grew up next to a reservation near here. \"Until then, I didn't realize that Indian tribes had rights. I thought a tribe was just a bunch of Indians living on a reservation, subject to state law.\"

• Publisher: Indian Country Communications
• Subject: Culture / Government / Indigenous people / International / Minority & ethnic groups / Municipal government / Native Americans