The Supreme Court will consider petitions in two cases of note, Turtle Talk reports.

The first is Elliott v. White Mountain Apache Tribal Court. Valinda Jo Elliott, a non-Indian, is challenging the authority of the White Mountain Apache Tribe of Arizona to prosecute her in connection with starting a major fire on the reservation.

The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Elliott must exhaust her tribal remedies before taking her challenge to the federal court system. In general, tribes lack jurisdiction over non-Indians unless certain exceptions are met.

The second petition is Harjo v. Pro-Football. Indian activists, led by Suzan Shown Harjo, are challenging the federal approval of the trademarks used by the Washington Redskins.

The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals said the plaintiffs waited too long to file the case. The court did not determine whether the "Redskins" name is disparaging to Native people.

The petitions will be considered this Friday. The court will announce whether or not they will take the cases next week.

Get the Story:
Supreme Court Indian Law Petitions Set for This Week’s Conference (Turtle Talk 11/10)

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