Koniag Inc., an Alaska Native regional corporation, is disputing the jurisdiction of a tribal court.

The Native Village of Karluk, a federally recognized tribe, is seeking to de-merge from Koniag as part of a long-running dispute that dates to the 1980s. The tribe wants the land that it conveyed to the corporation returned, according to a lawsuit filed in tribal court.

Koniag counters that Karluk was never a part of the corporation in the first place. Koniag is also disputing the tribal court's jurisdiction and is asking a federal judge to block the tribe from moving forward with the case.

According to Courthouse News Service, J. F. Morse, the former CEO of Koniag, was found guilty of securities and other charges in 1984. The case led some villages to de-merge from the corporation.

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Complicated Legal Snarl in Alaskan Village (Courthouse News Service 4/11)