Navajo Supreme Court holds session in Colorado

Wednesday, March 12, 2008  

The Navajo Nation Supreme Court went to the University of Colorado School of Law in Boulder to hold oral arguments in a land dispute case.

Two Navajo families are disputing the use of an allotment near Indian Wells, Arizona. The Gishies have been grazing their livestock there but the Morris's say it rightfully belongs to them.

The justices considered whether they had jurisdiction in the case. Since it's an allotment, they wondered whether the Bureau of Indian Affairs should decide what to do.

The justices also considered the Navajo concept of ownership. The Gishies say the land should go to the family making the most use of it, while the Morris's say government records are clear on ownership.

Get the Story:
Land fight gives students tribal window (The Denver Post 3/12)