Northern Cheyenne Tribe wins lawsuit against Catholic school

Thursday, February 7, 2013  

The Northern Cheyenne Tribe can sue the Catholic Church for “unjust enrichment," the Montana Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday.

The tribe says the church has used conditions on the reservation to raise tens of millions of dollars for the St. Labre Indian School. A judge dismissed the case but the state's highest court reinstated it in a unanimous decision.

"NCT alleges that St. Labre raised between $27 and $30 million for two of the four years before the filing of its complaint," the decision stated -- the lawsuit was filed in 2005.

The court ruled that the tribe should be given a chance to prove its case, including funds that were raised prior to 2002.

Turtle Talk has posted documents from the case, Northern Cheyenne Tribe v. Roman Catholic Church.

Get the Story:
Parts of St. Labre ruling overturned (The Billings Gazette 2/6)

Montana Supreme Court Decision:
Northern Cheyenne Tribe v. Roman Catholic Church (February 5, 2013)

Northern Cheyenne Tribe sues for share of school donations (5/2)