Facebook Twitter Email
MONDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2002

The Supreme Court today hears oral arguments in two cases testing the limits of the federal government's trustee relationship with tribes.

In U.S. v. White Mountain Apache Tribe, No. 01-1067, the government balks at paying $14 million to repair crumbling school and other buildings on the Fort Apache Reservation in Arizona. The tribe cites a 1960 law that promises to hold the land in trust but the Department of Justice argues there is no fiduciary responsibility to preserve the property.

In U.S. v. Navajo Nation, No. 01-1375, the dispute is over a coal mining lease the Department of Interior approved between the Navajo Nation and with Peabody Coal, the world's largest coal company. Former Secretary Don Hodel suppressed a Bureau of Indian Affairs decision affirming a 20 percent royalty rate for the coal and the tribe ended up settling for 12.5 percent.

The cases are being heard back to back this morning. A decision is expected by July 2003.

Get the Story:
A Tale of Two Reservations (The Washington Post 12/2)
U.S. Supreme Court hears Navajo, Apache claims (AP 12/2)
Court hears Navajo Nation claims (UPI 12/2)
Court hears Fort Apache claims (UPI 12/2)
Supreme Court to hear 2 tribal cases (AP 12/1)
Username: IndianzCom, Password: indianz.com

Related Stories:
Supreme Court to hear pivotal cases (11/25)
Bush strategy assumes no trust mismanagement (11/05)
Trust fund plaintiffs awarded $1.7 million (10/30)
Review disputes 'costly' Indian trust litigation (10/21)
Tribes await Supreme showdown (10/17)
Peabody sides with Bush administration on trust (09/04)
U.S. argues limits as trustee (8/9)
Legal tactics land Peabody in hot seat (7/22)
Griles slammed for ignorance (7/12)
Breach of trust case brings $13.8M (7/3)
Griles can't explain trust standards (6/27)
Navajo royalty case accepted (6/4)
Don Hodel's Navajo Folly (6/4)
Supreme Court accepts Navajo trust case (6/3)
Navajo royalty case up for review (5/30)
Supreme Court considers 'deception' of trust (5/22)
Action due on Navajo trust case (5/20)
Court to decide limits of trust duty (4/23)
Bush wants Navajo ruling reversed (3/27)
Court rules Navajo Nation owed money (8/14)
Apache Tribe wins trust case appeal (5/17)
Tribe wins trust case appeal (5/14)