The Dann Sisters | |
---|---|
Born | January 2, 1923 1932 (Carrie) United States | (Mary)
Died | April 22, 2005 January 2, 2021 (aged 88–89) (Carrie) | (aged 82) (Mary)
Nationality | Western Shoshone Native American |
Occupation(s) | Ranching, cultural and spiritual rights, and land rights activists. |
Known for | US Supreme Court case U.S. v. Dann |
Awards | Right Livelihood Award |
The Dann Sisters, Mary Dann (1923–2005) and Carrie Dann (1932–2021), were Western Shoshone elders who were spiritual leaders, ranchers, and cultural, spiritual rights and land rights activists. They challenged the federal government over uses of their tribe's traditional land, in a case that reached the United States Supreme Court as U.S. v. Dann.
In 1993 the Dann sisters received the Right Livelihood Award for "exemplary courage and perseverance in asserting the rights of indigenous people to their land."[1] American Outrage (2008) was a documentary film that explored their leadership in the disputes with the federal government over use of the Western Shoshone territory.[2]