Rick Desautel Archives - Northwest Public Broadcasting

Canadian Court Again Rules For Washington Man In Tribal Hunting Rights Case

By Emily Schwing May 2, 2019

British Columbia’s Court of Appeal has sided with a Washington man in a decade-long tribal sovereignty case. On Thursday the Court dismissed a second appeal of the sovereign tribal hunting rights case of Rick Desautel, effectively reinstating a tribe the Canadian government declared ‘extinct’ more than six decades ago. Read More

‘We’re Still Here:’ Washington’s Sinixt Tribe Defends Hunting Rights And Fight For Canadian Recognition

By Emily Schwing September 20, 2018

For nearly a decade, Desautel, who is a U.S. citizen living in Washington, has been making his way through British Columbia’s court system. He’s trying to reinstate his indigenous rights north of the border. His is a case about tribal sovereignty, recognition and reconciliation in Canada.Read More

In Canadian Court, Washington Tribal Member Again Argues For Indigenous Identity And Hunting Rights

By Emily Schwing September 12, 2018

More than 40 people – many from Washington state – piled into a courtroom in Vancouver, British Columbia Wednesday, Sept. 12, to hear arguments in a long-running case regarding indigenous rights in Canada.Read More

British Columbia Files Second Appeal Of Washington Man’s Tribal Sovereignty Case

By Emily Schwing January 29, 2018

File photo of the roof of the British Columbia Parliament Buildings in Victoria, BC.File photo of the roof of the British Columbia Parliament Buildings in Victoria, BC.

British Columbia is taking the next step in a decade-long battle over native tribal rights. The province has filed paperwork to appeal a decision that granted Washington state tribal members rights to their ancestral lands in Canada.Read More

Fight Over Sovereign Tribal Rights Spanning U.S. – Canada Border Could Be Nearing End

By Emily Schwing January 12, 2018

Tribal members are waiting for the next move from British Columbia’s provincial government in a long-running battle over sovereign rights. Rick Desautel is one of roughly 4,000 Sinixt tribal members who live on the Colville Reservation in northeastern Washington state.Read More