This is a very exciting time for me and the people who have been working on the Felter v. Kempthorne case, and will be for all Mixed Blood Uintas.
We are in the process of working with a Reporter from Oklahoma, who in a matter of a few days has spread the word about the Terminated Mixed Blood Uintas and their families across the United States thorough a press release. This press release urged readers that the Racist Public Law 671 should be repealed and our identities be restored immediately. (See enclosed article).
This Press Release is traveling at an unbelievable speed across the United States. It is being viewed by a lot of people. The first day it was published in the California Chronicle within a few hours was viewed by 800 people. The article tells about the struggles of the terminated Mixed Blood Uinta's and their Children.
The Reporter who contacted Oranna and started getting the article ready is very well known and has ties with many newspapers, websites, Congressional people and several Indian groups just to mention a few. He states he is 100% dedicated in helping getting this genocidal law that terminated Native American people gone forever.
As most of you are aware, we just put the April 2008 Newsletter out. Had we known this press release was going to happen, we would have informed all of you in the Newsletter. However, this came as a total surpise and a good one it is. In doing the last newsletter it took over four thousand pages of paper to put the newsletter out. That's not counting the printing, stamps, envelopes, and many hours of time spent by Earl and Oranna to make sure you are kept informed about your case and efforts to spread the word out abourt the need to repeal Public Law 671.
We are still waiting on Judge Roberts's decision; hopefully it won't be too much longer for him to issue his decision. But as I have told the members since we started the case, we would be working at the same time on getting the Public Law that Terminated the Mixed Blood Uinta's in 1954 repealed. True to our promise and word, we have spent many hours, funds and time doing just that. Postage does not come cheap. We have incurred a great many necessary expenses since we started the case in November of "2002" almost "6" years ago!
We could have never brought the case this far without the support of the ones who believe in the case and me as your attorney. I have spent hundreds of hours of my professional time and gone forward on your behalf with very little to reimburse me for my efforts. I am not in this for the money but to destroy a genocidal law and prove that there is justice for all Indigenous People who continue to fight and not give up. You have shown by helping to pay for the expenses of the case when you were called upon.
No one should sit idly by while others sacrifice going to a movie, to help pay the expenses of the case. This unique case isn't just your case alone, it is a major case filed to correct a historical wrong that belongs to all of the Plaintiffs! That's why I am now calling on each one of the named plaintiffs in our lawsuit to "step up to the plate" and help with the expenses of this very important case. If you can't pay your "back payments" at this time...sit that aside...but reach into your pockets along with the rest of the members and get $200.00 sent in "as quickly as you possibly can." Please understand that this does not mean you won't be liable to pay back payments.
On September 10, 2007, I told you in a Notice that I would be asking the U.S. Court, Judge Roberts to let us present oral argument in Washington D.C. We are still waiting. I also told you that I wanted to continue our efforts to personnally meet with members of the U.S. Congress to update them on the status of your case and "to reverse the Ute Partition Act, the most glaring historical social injustice enacted by Congress."
In the first part of June, Just six weeks away, I will be presenting a Resolution (Read the resolution) to the "National Congress of American Indians" in Reno, Nevada at the Mid-Year Conference. This resolution will be to ask Congress to repeal Public Law 671. We will decide if I am able to attend and present this Resolution depending on how much support we get on the request for contributed funds.
We have waited a long time for someone to come along, help up take our story from a forgotten remote place of the world and put our injustice "on the map" in bold letters. We now have him and he is totally decicated to our cause and us. He will be also be in Reno, Nevada with his backers and supporters along with me, Oranna and who ever else will be able to make this most important trip. Securing an NCAI resolution will help us tremendously in our effort toward repealing the one remaining termination law that haunts all of us while non-Indians reap the benefits of what Congress allowed to be stolen from our childred and us. This is why each one of you must send contributions in right now!
We have kept "your" alive in the federal courts and we have to keep it alive now. Effective Adcocacy take a great deal of time and money, any legal case is expensive and time6consuming. When funds are requested for such an essential part of this case I feel it is imperative that all members participate and do their share. None of us in this major federal case can sit back and watch others sacrifice our time and money. Do not let others pay your way.
Please get these funds sent in to: Oranna B. Felter, P.O. Box 465 Ft Duchesne, Utah 84026 as soon as you receive this Notice. We have "NO" time to waste as june is not that far away and make preparation for the next "battle".
Please..."Keep the Fires Burning on Our Journey To Justice!!"