Opinion ID: 3049040
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: facts

Text: Plaintiffs claim that they are descended from people who were named as members of the Mooretown Rancheria Indian tribe in either a 1915 census or a 1935 tribal voter list. “Rancherias are numerous small Indian reservations or communities in California, the lands for which were purchased by the Government (with Congressional authorization) for Indian use WILLIAMS v. GOVER 7417 from time to time in the early years of [the twentieth] century — a program triggered by an inquiry (in 1905-06) into the landless, homeless or penurious state of many California Indians.”1 In 1958, the Mooretown Rancheria consisted of two separated 80 acre parcels of land in Butte County, California, near Oroville. Congress adopted the California Rancheria Termination Act in 1958 in order to distribute rancheria lands to individual Indians.2 The Act provided for the conveyance of rancheria assets, with unrestricted title, to the individual Indians living there, if a majority of the Indians voting approved. Before conveyance, the Act required the government to survey the land owned by the rancheria, construct or improve the roads serving the rancheria, install or rehabilitate irrigation, sanitation, and domestic water systems, and exchange land held in trust for the rancheria.3 The Indians who received the assets would not thereafter be entitled to the services provided by reason of Indian status.4 Two families occupied the two 80 acre parcels constituting the Mooretown Rancheria. In 1959, the families voted for termination of Mooretown Rancheria and distribution of its land under the Act, and the government distributed the parcels to the members of those families. In 1979, members of thirtyfour terminated tribes, including Mooretown Rancheria, filed a class action seeking restoration of tribal status for ran- 1 Duncan v. United States, 667 F.2d 36, 38 (Ct. Cl. 1981). 2 California Rancheria Termination Act, Pub. L. No. 85-671, 72 Stat. 619 (1958). 3 California Rancheria Termination Act, Pub. L. No. 85-671, § 3, 72 Stat. 619, 620 (1958) (as amended by Pub. L. No. 88-419, 78 Stat. 390 (1964)). See also Hopland Band of Pomo Indians v. United States, 855 F.2d 1573, 1574 (Fed. Cir. 1988). 4 California Rancheria Termination Act, Pub. L. No. 85-671, § 10(b), 72 Stat. 619, 621 (1958) (as amended by Pub. L. No. 88-419, 78 Stat. 390 (1964)). See also Hopland Band of Pomo Indians v. United States, 855 F.2d 1573, 1575 (Fed. Cir. 1988). 7418 WILLIAMS v. GOVER cherias. In 1983, the government entered into a consent decree in a class action, restoring the Mooretown Rancheria as a federally-recognized rancheria and Indian tribe.5 The Bureau of Indian Affairs (“BIA”) invited the plaintiffs and class members at Mooretown Rancheria to a meeting in June 1984. At the meeting, BIA officers explained that each individual landowner could reconvey his or her land to the United States to be held in trust (avoiding taxes and local regulation but subjecting the land to some federal control), or not, as they chose, and that the tribe could form a government. No one chose to put their land in trust and the tribal members at the meeting chose not to organize a tribal government. Three years later, sentiments had changed. In October 1987, tribal members organized a tribal meeting. They invited all direct descendants of the people who lived at Mooretown Rancheria when it was terminated in 1959, the BIA, and anyone else interested in attending. The BIA did not organize the meeting and no one from the BIA attended the meeting. The lead plaintiff in this case did attend the meeting. At the October 1987 meeting, Mooretown Rancheria decided to organize a tribal government. Soon afterward, Mooretown Rancheria adopted a tribal constitution. According to the constitution, tribal membership consisted of the four people to whom Mooretown Rancheria was distributed upon termination in 1959, their dependents, and lineal descendants of those distributees and their dependants. The problem that led to this lawsuit is that the plaintiffs got squeezed out of full tribal membership. A 1998 tribal resolution further narrowed full tribal membership to “only those members who are direct lineal descendants of the four distributees.” Other tribal members were “reclassified” by the resolution as “adoptee members.” Thus, although the plaintiffs are Concow-Maidu Indians descended from people who have 5 Hardwick v. United States, No. C 79-1710 SW (N.D. Cal. 1983). WILLIAMS v. GOVER 7419 lived at Mooretown Rancheria for a very long time, they lack the rights of full members of the Mooretown Rancheria tribe. This does not affect their status as Indians for the purpose of federal governmental benefits conferred on Indians. But it does affect their tribal voting rights. Depending on tribal decisions, it may also affect their right to a share of the revenues generated by tribal casinos and other tribal activities. Plaintiffs sued officials of the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs. They did not sue Mooretown Rancheria. The district court dismissed the case on a motion to dismiss and for summary judgment, and plaintiffs appeal.