Opinion ID: 419191
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: issues

Text: 9
10 The first question we must address is whether the 1980 council's stay request and appeal are properly before this court. 3 The 1982 council argues that the members of the 1980 council have no right to challenge the district court's judgment, because they are not aggrieved parties under that judgment. Of the two claims brought by the 1982 council, one was against the federal defendants alone, based on 28 U.S.C. Sec. 1331 (federal question) and 5 U.S.C. Secs. 701 et seq. (the Administrative Procedure Act or APA). The other claim, based on 42 U.S.C. Sec. 1985(3), included both the federal defendants and the 1980 council members, but the district court dismissed it for failure to state a constitutional deprivation. The 1982 council contends that because the 1980 council members prevailed on the only claim against them, they are not aggrieved by the district court's judgment and may not appeal. 11 Examination of the district court's judgment reveals that the 1980 council members are aggrieved parties despite the dismissal of the section 1985 claim. In its initial oral findings of fact and conclusions of law entered April 28, 1983, the district court specifically ordered that no member of the 1980 council or any of their employees or agents shall do any act whatsoever to frustrate or to harrass [sic] or to interfere with the orderly assumption to office of the 1982 Tribal Council   . Although the district court's subsequent memorandum opinion did not order relief against the 1980 council, the order requiring the BIA to recognize the 1982 council had a direct and adverse impact on the 1980 council. Accordingly, we conclude that we have jurisdiction over both the appeals and the stay request. 12
13 We must next consider whether jurisdiction exists in the district court to resolve the election controversy--a matter the 1980 council characterizes as an intratribal dispute. If the only parties to this action were the 1980 and 1982 councils and the only question presented was one of interpreting the tribal constitution and bylaws, we doubt whether a federal court would have jurisdiction. 4 However, the 1982 council named various BIA officials as defendants in addition to the 1980 council members. We hold that the district court did have jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. Sec. 1331 to review, pursuant to the APA, the action taken by the BIA in refusing to recognize either tribal council. Although the APA may not be used as an independent grant of subject matter jurisdiction to review agency actions, the Supreme Court stated in Califano v. Sanders, 430 U.S. 99, 105, 97 S.Ct. 980, 984, 51 L.Ed.2d 192 (1977), that 28 U.S.C. Sec. 1331 confers general jurisdiction on federal courts to review federal agency actions subject only to preclusion-of-review statutes. We know of no statute precluding judicial review of BIA actions, and therefore we determine that the district court could review the agency action under the arbitrary or capricious standard enunciated in 5 U.S.C. Sec. 706(2)(A). 14
15 The final BIA action subject to judicial review is its decision to recognize both tribal councils only on a de facto basis. Such a recognition of both councils amounts to a recognition of neither. Thus, the district court correctly found that the BIA acted arbitrarily and capriciously by effectively creating a hiatus in tribal government which jeopardized the continuation of necessary day-to-day services on the reservation. The BIA, in its responsibility for carrying on government relations with the Tribe, is obligated to recognize and deal with some tribal governing body in the interim before resolution of the election dispute. We commend the BIA for its reluctance to intervene in the election dispute, but it was an abuse of discretion for the BIA to refuse to recognize one council or the other until such time as Indian contestants could resolve the dispute themselves. We conclude that, for the time being, the BIA should be required to deal with the 1982 council as the certified and sworn winners of the tribal election. 16 Although we agree with the district court that the BIA should recognize the 1982 council, at least on an interim basis, the district court should not have addressed the merits of the election dispute in reaching that decision. We recognize that the district court faced a practical problem. The BIA's action effectively recognized a two-headed administration with no real power to govern. Although it was necessary to remedy the situation by ordering the BIA to recognize one governing body, the district court overstepped the boundaries of its jurisdiction in interpreting the tribal constitution and bylaws and addressing the merits of the election dispute. 17 The district court relied heavily on an as yet unpublished opinion, Milam v. United States Department of Interior, No. 82-3099 (D.D.C. Dec. 23, 1982), in deciding that it would address the merits of the election dispute, notwithstanding that unexhausted tribal remedies remained available. Milam is distinguishable from the case at bar, because in Milam no tribal remedies existed. Here, the Tribe has a functioning tribal court, which the parties recognize as a court of competent jurisdiction to resolve tribal election disputes. The tribal court has handled election disputes in the past, and is available to handle this dispute as well. It is essential that the parties seek a tribal remedy, for as previously noted, substantial doubt exists that federal courts can intervene under any circumstances to determine the rights of the contestants in a tribal election dispute. 18