American Outrage

Filmmakers George and Beth Gage ponder why the U.S. government is spending millions on prosecuting a pair of elderly Western Shoshone sisters for the perceived crime of allowing a few hundred horses to graze on the open range outside their private ranch. In 1974, the U.S. government sued the Dans for trespassing in a case that eventually went to the Supreme Court and, ultimately, the United Nations. The ranch in question is part of the 60 million acres officially recognized as Western Shoshone territory by the U.S. So why does the government seem so intent on pressing charges against these two grandmotherly ranchers? As the sisters, and they'll likely tell you that it's due to the fact that their humble ranch sits atop the second largest gold producing area on the planet.