Supreme Court accepts land-into-trust case

Monday, February 25, 2008  

The U.S. Supreme Court today agreed to hear the state of Rhode Island's challenge to the land-into-trust process.

The justices granted the state's petition, limited to the following issues:

1. Whether the Interior Department can acquire land in trust for the Narragansett Tribe even though the tribe wasn't recognized at the time of the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934; and
2. Whether the tribe's land claim settlement act prohibits future trust land acquisitions.

A third issue, related to the constitutionality of the IRA, was not accepted [Supreme Court Order List]

The case is Carcieri v. Kempthorne, No. 07-526.

Get the Story:
Court Takes Indian Land Case (AP 2/25)

1st Circuit Decisions:
En Banc (July 20, 2007) | Panel (February 9, 2005)

Briefs and Other Documents:
Carcieri v. Kempthorne (NARF-NCAI Tribal Supreme Court Project

Relevant Laws:
Rhode Island Indian Claims Settlement Act (US Code)

Relevant Links:
Narragansett Tribe - http://www.narragansett-tribe.org
Tribal Supreme Court Project - http://www.narf.org/sct/index.html

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