A New Jersey appeals court on Monday upheld the dismissal of a state tribe's land claim.

The Unalachtigo Band of the Nanticoke-Leni Lenape Nation says the state wrongly took possession of the former Brotherton Reservation. The tribe said the transactions violated a treaty and the 1790 Indian Nonintercourse Act.

The appeals courts did not rule on the merits but said the tribe's land claim belongs in federal court. The tribe was also told to seek federal recognition from the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

Get the Story:
Dismissal of Indian lawsuit upheld (AP 3/1)
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Get the Decision:
Unalachtigo Band v. New Jersey (February 28, 2005)

Relevant Links:
Unalachtigo Band - http://www.unalachtigo.us