Two Indian Law Cases are “Petitions to Watch”

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

Keep an eye out for Monday’s announcement of new orders in pending petitions, and expect at least one Indian law case to be granted. My money’s on the Tohono O’odham case.

From SCOTUS Blog:

Title: United States v. Tohono O’odham Nation
Docket: 09-846
Issue: Whether 28 U.S.C. § 1500 — which precludes jurisdiction by the Court of Federal Claims (CFC) over ”any claim for or in respect to which the plaintiff has any suit or process against the United States” or its agents “pending in any other court” – deprives the CFC of jurisdiction over a claim seeking monetary relief for the government’s alleged violation of fiduciary obligations if the plaintiff has another suit pending in federal district court based on substantially the same operative facts, especially when the plaintiff seeks monetary relief or other overlapping relief in the two suits.

Title: Wolfchild v. United States; Zephier v. United States
Docket: 09-579; 09-580
Issues: (1) Whether federal court subject matter jurisdiction exists over Native American beneficiary claims of purported federal government violations of the 1934 Indian Reorganization Act or other applicable federal statutes when post-1934 IRA non-tribal community governments are involved; (2) whether the Federal Circuit’s holding of “statutory use restrictions” in congressional appropriation acts establishing statutory obligations on the United States, but no “trust,” departs from applicable statutory interpretation and trust principles; and (3) whether the Federal Circuit’s holding that a 1980 Congressional Act terminated a trust was impermissible given that the court failed to consider the 1934 IRA’s extension of all Native American trusts under 25 U.S.C. § 462 and failed to apply the “clear and unambiguous requirement” for a trust termination act.

One thought on “Two Indian Law Cases are “Petitions to Watch””

  1. Pingback: Top Side Briefing in U.S. v. Tohono O’odham Nation « Turtle Talk

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