Russell Brunelle (russellb) wrote,
Russell Brunelle
russellb

The Tlingit

After studying a case, I like to spend a few seconds zooming in and finding some memorable detail that makes either the whole conflict or one of the parties seem more real.

For example, the Tlingit tribe of coastal Alaska, the plaintiff in Tee-Hit-Ton Indians v. United States (348 U.S. 272), had a delightful saying about the bounty of their land: "when the tide goes out the table is set."

This was the 1955 case in which we decided we didn't owe them compensation under the fifth amendment for taking their natural resources without permission.
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