Opinion ID: 775203
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Existence of the Tribal Court

Text: 23 The appellees argue deference to the tribal forum, and identify the tribal forum as the Tribal Council. Appellees' Brief at 36 n.14. However, we have recognized that the St. Regis Mohawk tribe has a tripartite government and that the Tribal Council is the legislative branch. See Basil Cook Enters., 117 F.3d at 67. Apparently in 1996 or 1997, an independent Tribal Court was being organized pursuant to recent constitutional reform. See id. at 64, 67-68; Basil Cook Enters. v. St. Regis Mohawk Tribe, 914 F. Supp. 839, 842 (N.D.N.Y. 1996). But in May 1997, Chief Judge MacAvoy found in an unrelated case that tribal court exhaustion would be futile because the St. Regis Mohawk tribal court was no longer operative. MacEwen Petroleum, Inc. v. Tarbell, 173 F.R.D. 36, 41 (N.D.N.Y. 1992). Subsequently, in another episode in the Basil Cook litigation, Chief Judge MacAvoy received an affidavit from the Tribal Court Admistrator that the court has always remained open, Basil Cook Enters. v. St. Regis Mohawk Tribe, 26 F. Supp. 2d 446, 448 (N.D.N.Y. 1998), and a similar statement by letter from Chief Judge Deom of the Tribal Court, see id. at 449. 24 It appears from published opinions that a tribal court has existed and may exist now. However, appellees in this case seek remand to the Tribal Council itself. Abstention would result in some uncertainty as to the tribal forum for resolution of this controversy. 2 In any event, no dispute is currently being pursued in any tribal forum. Moreover, neither party in this proceeding has challenged the authority of the tribal court to act. Therefore, the existence of a federal proceeding does not implicate or in any way impair the authority of the tribal court to proceed. If a tribal proceeding were pending, our analysis might well be different.