Navajo Prevails in D.C. Circuit over Interior in Judicial Funding Dispute

Here is the opinion in Navajo Nation v. Dept. of the Interior.

An excerpt:

We conclude that the ISDEAA does not require the DOI to approve Navajo Nation’s funding requests for the years 2017 through 2020 but its regulations do. The 2017 proposal requested “the renewal of a term contract” with “no material [or] substantial change to the scope or funding” of the previous contract, see 25 C.F.R. § 900.33, and the 2018 through 2020 proposals are “successor[s]” to and “substantially the same as” the 2017 proposal, see id. § 900.32. The DOI therefore violated 25 C.F.R. §§ 900.32 and 900.33 when it considered the section 5321(a)(2) declination criteria and partially declined the Tribe’s proposed AFAs. Accordingly, we reverse the district court.

Briefs here.

Lower court materials here.

Fort Belknap Sues United States over Law Enforcement Funding

Here is the complaint in Fort Belknap Indian Community v. United States (D. Mont.):

Update (6/1/25):

D.C. Circuit Briefs in Navajo Nation v. United States [ISDEAA Contract Approvals]

Here:

Other briefs TK.

Lower court materials here.

D.C. Federal Court Awards $15M+ to Navajo Nation for Judicial Costs under PL638

Here are the materials in Navajo Nation v. United States (D.D.C.):

17 Navajo MSJ

19-1 US Cross Motion

21 Navajo Reply

23 US Reply

D.C. Circuit Briefs in Navajo Challenge to 2014 Annual Funding Agreement

Here are the briefs in Navajo Nation v. Dept. of Interior:

Navajo Opening Brief

US Brief

Navajo Reply

Lower court materials here.