Opinion ID: 405945
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: facts

Text: 3 Moss Witt and Jackie Jarman filed claims with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) on behalf of minor children in their care for Indian land allotments under Section Four of the Act, 25 U.S.C. § 334. Witt claimed to be of Choctaw descent, and Jarman claimed Cherokee descent. The BLM rejected the applications for failure to submit a certificate of eligibility from the Commissioner of Indian Affairs. Jarman's applications were also rejected because the tracts requested had previously been withdrawn from allotment and classified for federal retention, and Jarman had failed to file petitions for reclassification. 1 The Interior Board of Land Appeals (IBLA) upheld the rejection of the applications. See Geneiva Nell Maston Smith, 48 IBLA 199, 201 (1980) (Witt); Robert Dale Marston, 51 IBLA 115 (1980) (Jarman). Both brought actions in the United States District Court for the District of Nevada under 25 U.S.C. § 345 to establish rights to allotments. 2 4 In Witt's district court action, it was undisputed that he could not qualify for an eligibility certificate. He argued that the eligibility requirements unconstitutionally deprived him of property in violation of the Fifth Amendment, and deprived him of his full rights as a United States citizen conferred by 8 U.S.C. § 1401. Jarman challenged both the requirement of an eligibility certificate and the existence and exercise of the Secretary of the Interior's power to classify land before it becomes available for Indian allotments. He contended that the Secretary had acted illegally by classifying large tracts of public lands, making them unavailable for public disposal, including for Indian land allotments. 5 The district court granted summary judgment against Witt on the grounds that he had not filed for and was ineligible for a certificate. In Jarman's case, the district court dismissed the action pursuant to Nevada District Court Local Rule 16(e) upon failure to file a memorandum of points and authorities in opposition to the Government's Fed.R.Civ.P. 12(b)(6) motion. The two cases were consolidated for appeal. We hold that the eligibility standards are constitutional, and therefore, summary judgment was properly granted against Witt. The dismissal of Jarman's action for failure to file a memorandum of points and authorities was an abuse of discretion, and we remand and instruct that an opportunity to cure the defect be provided. II