Hae-June Ahn has published, “Tribal Governments Should Be Entitled to Special Solicitude: The Overarching Sentiment of the Parens Patriae Doctrine,” in the Ecology Law Quarterly.
parens patriae
Federal Court Rejects Quapaw Tribe’s Parens Patriae Claims
Here is the most recent opinion in Quapaw Tribe v. Blue Tee Corp. (N.D. Okla.) (Quapaw v Blue Tee DCT Order), where the court rejects most of the claims of the Tribe on grounds that it does not have standing to pursue land claims on behalf of individual tribal citizens. An earlier opinion dismissing the Tribe’s related claims against the United States is here.
Quapaw v. Blue Tee & United States (Tar Creek Mine Superfund)
The Quapaw Tribe brought suit against mining companies and the United States over the Tar Creek Superfund Site. The private defendants have been successful in having the tribe’s claims for medical monitoring of tribal members dismissed on the grounds that the tribe didn’t have authority under the parens patriae doctrine to bring those claims. Other claims are pending, as is the United States’ motion for summary judgment.
A description of the mine from the recent district court order is here:
Turtle Talk 