In 1891, the Bureau of Indian Affairs opened an “Indian Day School” for Native children living in the Big Pine School District. This facility was continuously underfunded, prepared students only for manual labor jobs, and provided a poor education compared with local public schools. In 1923, a 15-year-old Paiute girl named Alice Piper applied to a much better public school, Big Pine High, but was denied admission due to her race. Piper and six other Native students sued the school district in the Supreme Court of California for the right to attend. According to the Political Code of California, if a separate school for Native Americans existed within 3 miles of a public school, Native children had to attend the separate school. Regardless, on June 2, 1924, the Court ruled in Alice’s favor. According to the Dawes Act of 1887, because Alice’s father paid taxes and she had “adopted the habits of civilized life,” she could be considered a U.S. Citizen, entitled to attend Big Pine High.  The Court's ruling implied that the Piper family had abandoned their Paiute tribal affiliation. However, the family continued to identify as members of the Paiute Nation, and Alice retired on the reservation. [199 words]