Judge expands Dakota trust mismanagement suit

Monday, April 30, 2007  

A federal judge has expanded the number of plaintiffs in the Dakota trust mismanagement suit.

In a decision issued Friday, Judge Charles Lettow of the U.S. Court of Federal Claims added 22,000 plaintiffs to the Wolfchild case. He now plans to address how much money the Dakota descendants may be owed for the government failure to manage their land.

Lettow has already ruled the government breached its trust by failing to hold land in trust for the "loyal" Mdewakanton. The land is now part of the Shakopee, Prairie Island and Lower Sioux reservations in Minnesota.

The tribes were invited to become part of the suit but Lettow granted motions by the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community and the Prairie Island Indian Community to quash the request.

The "loyal" Mdewakanton descendants reside mostly in Minnesota, Nebraska and South Dakota.

Get the Story:
Judge adds 22,000 plaintiffs to casino suit (The Minneapolis Star Tribune 4/29)
pwlat

Court Decisions:
Wolfchild v. US (April 27, 2007) | Wolfchild v. US (October 27, 2004)

Relevant Links:
Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community - http://www.ccsmdc.org

Related Stories:
Dakota descendants fight for land trust rights (4/23)
Dakota descendants await payment in trust case (8/14)
Judge reaffirms ruling in Dakota trust fund lawsuit (12/19)
Meetings set in Mdewakanton trust fund lawsuit (01/28)
Dakota descendants win round in trust fund case (10/29)
Dakota descendants file trust mismanagement suit (11/19)
Minn. tribes challenged on membership policies (11/17)