Regarding Greg Young’s letter, “Might as well collect the taxes,” about the Tulalip Tribe’s authority regarding taxes on lands within the Tulalip Reservation.
The taxes referred to, which have been taxed by Snohomish County, are for buildings located on land that lies within Quil Ceda Village located on the Tulalip Indian Reservation and said land in question is owned solely by The Tulalip Tribes in trust status.
Lands within the Tulalip Reservation that are held in Trust Status for individual Indians or the tribe are held in Trust by the United States Government and are not subject to taxation. A majority of the Tulalip Reservation over the years has lost this trust status when it was sold to non-Indians and in that case the county can collect taxes.
The United States government must treat tribes as governments under the treaties they entered into with the tribes in the 1800s.
I suggest Mr. Young read the treaties the United States entered into with the tribes and do a research on the history of the treaties. If he disagrees with the treaty language then he should refrain from doing any business with establishments located on lands that are owned by the individual Indians or the tribes.
I hope this will explain the status of lands located with tribal reservations as it is a mixed land ownership, where individual Indians may own land in trust, tribes own land in trust and lands that have been sold to non-tribal individuals or business are no longer held in trust and are subject to taxation.
Virginia Carpenter
Tulalip Tribal Member
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