Native American Tribe Legalizes Gay Marriage

An Oregon native American tribe has legalized same-sex marriage, but its gay weddings may only be recognized within its tribal borders and in California and Massachusetts.
The Coquille Indian Tribe, located on the southern Oregon coast, says that under the federal Indian act it is not bound by Oregon’s 2004 constitutional amendment limiting marriage to opposite-sex couples. But some legal analysts say that the tribe is likely bound by the federal Defense of Marriage Act which denies federal government recognition of gay marriage.
That is not deterring the Coquilles.
Chief Ken Tanner tells The Oregonian newspaper that Native Americans are “sensitive to discrimination of any kind.”
“For our tribe, we want people to walk in the shoes of other people and learn to respect differences. Through that, we think we build a stronger community,” he said.