Oregon indian tribe to allow same-sex marriages

At the request of a lesbian couple, the Coquille Indian Tribe on the southern Oregon coast has adopted a law recognizing same-sex marriage.
Tribal law specialists say the Coquille appear to be the first tribe to sanction such marriages. Most tribal law doesn't address the issue. The Navajo and Cherokee tribes prohibit same-sex marriages.
The couple planning their wedding at the tribal plankhouse say they seek only tribal recognition and are unconcerned about Oregon and federal prohibitions against gay marriage.
"For me, the important thing wasn't about rights or the benefits," 25-year-old Kitzen Branting told the Eugene Register-Guard. "I just wanted the tribe to say 'Yes, we recognize that you are just as important as any other tribe member, and we will treat you and your spouse as we treat all tribal members.' "
Legal scholars said that tribes do have authority over domestic relations among tribal members, but Congress may have the ultimate say-so. ( News- USAToday)