News Release
Shoshone-Bannock Tribes
Coeur d’Alene Tribe
The Coeur d’Alene and Shoshone-Bannock Tribes filed a joint challenge to the Idaho Supreme Court on the decision of the Idaho Commission for Reapportionment’s (Commission) 2021 legislative district boundaries. The tribes contend the approved map ignore their requests, splits important communities of interest, and violates the Idaho Constitution.
Under the Idaho and federal Constitutions, congressional and legislative district boundaries must be redrawn every ten years based on current census data. The Commission is the body responsible for drawing new district boundaries according to legal requirements to split the fewest number of counties, keep district populations substantially equal, and keep communities of interest intact.
The Idaho Constitution defines counties as a legal subdivision of the state, but Indian reservations of federally recognized tribes are not subdivisions of the state. The census data used to conduct redistricting does not sort tribal populations into counties. According to the tribes’ challenge, the Commission prioritized mathematical equality between districts over every other criterion, and ignored tribal requests to keep unique tribal communities of interest together.
Under the approved plan, the Coeur d’Alene Reservation would be split into two legislative districts and the tribal population center would be in a new district which includes parts of five different counties, stretching from Priest River and the Washington border in the north all the way to Weippe and the Montana border in the south and east — the new boundaries create the potential of future representatives living over 3 hours away from tribal lands.
“This district does not consider the tribal community, or any community of interest for that matter,” said Chief Allan, Chairman of the Coeur d’Alene Tribe. “Our communities all deserve responsive, local representation by citizens who are familiar with the needs of their constituents and who are accessible to their constituents.”
The Shoshone-Bannock Tribes are very concerned that the new plan drew legislative district boundaries that divide the Fort Hall Reservation into three different legislative districts. The decision ignored repeated requests by the Tribes and divides eight counties when it is possible to divide only seven while keeping the reservation intact.
The largest population group on the Fort Hall Reservation live along the Bingham/Bannock county borders, and the 2021 Legislative map splits our population into two districts. Chairman Devon Boyer of the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes indicates “this decision ignores the sovereignty of the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes, and also ignores the tribes’ long repeated request to preserve our community of interest by keeping the reservation in substantially one legislative district.” State legislative and congressional redistricting is a difficult and highly controversial concept for tribes. It is our intent to have equal voice and opportunity to elect representatives who consider and represent our tribal needs and interests in state and congressional districts.
