Laguna Pueblo can't be sued in state court to determine ownership of a disputed property, the
New Mexico Court of Appeals ruled.
The tribe purchased 8,300 acres near Mount Taylor. The land is not in trust and is located outside the reservation boundaries.
Rancher Robert Armijo claims he owns a 640-acre portion of the property and went to state court to determine ownership. But the court dismissed his lawsuit because the tribe hasn't waived its sovereign immunity.
"The locus of the Pueblo’s activity does not determine the applicability of tribal
sovereign immunity," the court said, referring to the off-reservation status of the land.
Get the Story:
Court: Pueblo Immune From Suits Over Land
(The Albuquerque Journal 2/18)
New Mexico Court of Appeals Decision:
Armijo v. Pueblo of Laguna (October 6, 2010)
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