Estate of Gopher

Federal Court Dismisses Pro Se Effort to Return “Peace Flag”

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

Here are the materials in Gopher v. Cascade County (D. Mont.):

Complaint

DCT Order Dismissing Complaint

An excerpt:

Ms. Gopher seeks the return of a 13-star peace flag bundle and its contents. She contends that Cascade County has exercised illegal control over the Gopher family’s artifacts. She seeks an immediate injunction barring the effect of a November 12, 2012 state court order, the return of her family’s property which was subject to a probate action which commenced in Cascade County on July 22, 2010, and a stay of all state court proceedings.

The Montana Supreme Court ruled on this matter previously.

Montana SCT Asserts Jurisdiction over “Ojibwe Peace Flag” Probate

Matthew L.M. Fletcher1 Comment

Here are the materials in Estate of Gopher:

Appellant Brief

Appellee Brief

Reply Brief

Mont SCT Opinion

An excerpt:

In its order, the Blackfeet Tribal Court unequivocally declined to assert subject matter jurisdiction with respect to the flag, the subject of this appeal. The Blackfeet Tribal Court noted that the “flag is located in Cascade County and has never been on the Blackfeet reservation” and Dorothy was domiciled in Cascade County at the time of her death. The Blackfeet Tribal Court stated it “will not accept any further filings from the Gopher family in regards to the thirteen star flag until they have prevailed in their litigation in the State Court.” No evidence supports the siblings’ argument that the Blackfeet Tribal Court’s decision was made “prematurely or through error.” Because the Blackfeet Tribal Court has expressly declined to assert jurisdiction over the Estate property, it is clear that the District Court did not unlawfully infringe on the Blackfeet Tribe’s right of tribal self-government. Moreover, because Dorothy resided in Cascade County at the time of her death and the corpus of the Estate is located in Cascade County, venue was proper, and the District Court did not err when it assumed jurisdiction over the probate of the Estate.