Reservation Police (Navajo: home, buying, hunting)

[Steve-o]

Anyone have any horror stories to share? Since theyre self-governing, Ive heard several stories (which might be wives tales for all I know) about them that have me a little edgy. Now, I fully respect their laws and ours, and have the utmost sympathy for Natives, dont get me wrong. Ive just heard that the Reservation police can be very "Gestapo-like", is this true? I read a story once where some snake hunters had accidentally wandered onto Reservation land, and their police confiscated their truck and refused to give it back, as well as fined them. Anyone have any stories like that or heard any that can be factually backed up? I go to NM and AZ to do some snake hunting myself, and always make sure to know where the Reservations are so I dont tread onto their land, but accidents happen and I wouldnt want to be on the wrong side of their law, ya know?

[GregW]

Bring along some USGS Quadrangle maps and learn how to figure out exactly where you are using a compass and landmarks. Or GPS if the batteries hold up.

[johnrex62]

I only know one story, and it is not all that bad.

A friend of my father's went on a paid reservation deer hunt. He was guided to an animal, but when he shot it the bullet went through the buck and also killed a young spike hidden in the brush behind the buck. Apparently the hunt rules for that 10 grand hunt specified only one animal. His bullet was not in the trophy buck, but was lodged in the spike, so the spike is the animal he got to take home while the police kept the trophy buck.

At least he wasn't fined for killing two animals.

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by johnrex62

I only know one story, and it is not all that bad.

A friend of my father's went on a paid reservation deer hunt. He was guided to an animal, but when he shot it the bullet went through the buck and also killed a young spike hidden in the brush behind the buck. Apparently the hunt rules for that 10 grand hunt specified only one animal. His bullet was not in the trophy buck, but was lodged in the spike, so the spike is the animal he got to take home while the police kept the trophy buck.

At least he wasn't fined for killing two animals.

How bizarre.

[mortimer]

GregW advised:

> USGS Quadrangle maps ... compass and landmarks. Or GPS ...

Suppose YOU know where you ARE, but the police disagree?

It's kind of like knowing you DIDN'T run the red light, but the police report says you DID.

[desert sun]

All I know is I make sure I go the speed limit when Im driving through a reservation.

[penelopelp]

We got stopped by a Navajo policeman for speeding back in 2000. He was really friendly. He asked us where we were going, and what we were doing. We said we were tourists and were on our way to the Zuni rez. He just gave us a warning, which we kept for a souvenir.

[sjbasin]

They're pretty much like any other police. The big difference is the law and the court system, not the cops. If you annoy a judge on the rez (I don't know about the pueblos) you better bring a lunch. You're going to be there a while. The Jicarilla are notorious for confiscating high dollar rifles during hunting season when the driver of a vehicle inadvertantly crosses the boundary with a loaded gun. Typically you end up buying your rifle back from the tribe.
The Navajo courts are set up to protect the interests of the Navajo, not to serve justice. You just have to understand that when you're out there. If you sell something to someone who lives on the rez you cannot assume that your interests are the same as they would be if you sold to someone off the rez. You're not going to have the same recourse as US courts.
On ALL tribal lands the flora, fauna, artifacts, etc should be considered protected and more importantly, sacred. Just don't mess with it and you'll be ok. Usually.

[GregW]

Nice to know the reservations are as good at shaking down the strangers as any other small town justice system in these United States.
[Lecture on]
I do think that anyone dumb or careless enough to carry a loaded rifle in a pickup should probably not be carrying it. After all it does not take a lot of time to load a rifle after you get out of the truck to take a shot at the trophy target. Remember safety first, last and always when dealing with firearms.

[lecture off]

[jazzlover]

People assume the legal status of an Indian reservation is the same as the relationship of the Federal government to the states or other non-federal governmental entities. It is not. Legally speaking, without getting technical, the legal status of an Indian reservation is similar to a foreign country occupied by the United States. This Department of Justice fact sheet describes it ( USDOJ: OTJ: FAQs About Native Americans ).

Note this passage:

Tribes retain certain inherent powers of self-government as "domestic dependent nations."

This is much different than, say, the relation between the federal government and the states. In fact, in many cases, tribal law on the reservation trumps state law.