Members of Blackfeet Nation filed a lawsuit against the federal government over recent tariffs imposed on Canadian products. They claim the move impedes tribal sovereignty.
Browning Democratic Senator Susan Webber and Blackfeet Tribal Member Jonathan St. Goddard filed the suit Friday over tariffs they say impacts trade between Canada and the Tribe.
Former Congressional Candidate and Missoula-based attorney Monica Tranel is carrying the case
"Congress has constitutional authority to do tariffs. The executive does not have the authority to impose tariff in this way, either under the Constitution or under the statutes that were invoked. And it's unconstitutional, illegal, and it needs to stop."
The Blackfoot Confederacy’s historical territory overlaps the U.S. and Canadian border. The lawsuit says tribal members are legally exempt from tariffs. Plaintiffs say they damage the Blackfeet Nation’s cross-border trade and commerce.
Tranel is asking the court to freeze Canadian tariffs or find other ways to protect tribal members specifically.
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