January 17, 2003.  Crescent Valley, NV.  "Wild Horse Rescue" Unfolds into Story of Human Rights Violations Against Western Shoshone Indians.

Horse Rescuers brought in by State and Federal authorities to "rescue wild/unclaimed horses" found instead a troubling story of government violations of Western Shoshone Indians' human rights.

The so-called Nevada 980 rescue has been touted as the largest wild horse rescue ever attempted in history.  What unsuspecting horse rescuers did not know is that these horses are not wild and are not unclaimed.  The horses belong to Western Shoshone grandmothers Mary and Carrie Dann and the horse rescuers are being used as the latest pawn in the decades long land and treaty rights dispute between the Western Shoshone Nation and the United States.  Horse rescuers from around the country, as far as Texas, South Carolina and Missouri have contacted the Western Shoshone Defense Project and the Indian Law Resource Center with questions and support.  Several of these organizations have created a website devoted to the moral question of assisting the government in engaging in these ongoing abuses against the Western Shoshone and their animals.  See http://www.home.earthlink.net/~dannhorses/index.html .

As the horse rescue debate ensues, the Shoshone continue to gather their horses and prepare for temporary relocation to an undisclosed location.  Shoshone cowboys have arrived from several communities and are working hard to help save the horses from federal confiscation.  The horses will be part of the Western Shoshone International Goodwill Horse Program to promote economic development and youth empowerment activities.  The Western Shoshone National Council is performing this relocation of the animals under protest.  "We continue to assert our land and treaty rights. The 1863 Treaty of Ruby is in full force and effect and the United States is using threat of physical force and destruction of our livelihood in an effort to intimidate our people into submission."  Stated Raymond Yowell of the Western Shoshone National Council.   "We will not be intimidated and we will not relinquish our fight for our rights and the rights of the future generations.  This emergency evacuation of the horses by the Western Shoshone Nation is a survival tactic to preserve these animals which our part of our culture as Shoshone people."  The Western Shoshone National Council plans to return the horses to their homelands after successful resolution of the land dispute.

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