The MOWA Band of Choctaw Indians of Alabama waited too long to file a lawsuit over its rejected federal recognition petition, a judge ruled on Thursday.

The tribe was denied recognition by the Bureau of Indian Affairs in November 1999. But the lawsuit wasn't filed until July 2007, long after the six-year statute of limitations expired, Judge Ginny Granade said.

Cedric Sunray, the director of the tribe's language and culture department, said it wasn't clear that the BIA's 1999 decision was final. He said he tried to ask the agency about the appeal process but didn't receive an answer until May 2005.

The tribe's petition was opposed by the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians and the Poarch Band of Creek Indians in Alabama.

Get the Story:
MOWA tribe suit dismissed (The Mobile Register 7/3)

Only on Indianz.Com:
Federal Recognition Database V2.0 (May 2005)