Ken Hansen, Tried To Prove Existance Of Samish Indian Nation, 53

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It was reported from Seattle, Washington, that Ken Hansen, who spent
three decades trying to convince the U.S. government that the Samish
Indian Nation wasn't extinct and deserved treaty fishing rights, died
Wednesday, July 26, 2006, tribal officials said, at the age of 53.

Hansen was a diabetic and had heart problems and other chronic
illnesses. He retired from leadership last October because of his
failing health, said Thomas Wooten, who succeeded Hansen as chairman.

Hansen gained attention in the 1980s when he petitioned the Fish and
Wildlife Service for listing under the Endangered Species Act, noting
that his San Juan Islands-area tribe and several others had been
dropped from a tribe list prepared by a Bureau of Indian Affairs clerk
in 1969.

The Samish, which were federally recognized under the 1855 Treaty of
Point Elliott, were also excluded in a federal judge's 1974 ruling on
allocation of fishing rights.

Thirty years later, in January 2005, a federal appeals court panel
helped clear the way for the Samish tribe to acquire a share of the
state salmon catch.

Hansen also was known for his leadership among the small tribes of
Washington state and worked for other tribes as a consultant and policy
analyst, Wooten said.

He grew up in the Seattle area, became active in tribal politics at age
18 and moved about 20 years ago to Anacortes, Washington, where he
lived until his death.

AP