United Keetoowah Band wins high court victory

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday let stand a ruling allowing the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians to establish tribal services on a parcel of land in the Cherokee Nation’s historical territory.

Without comment, justices declined to hear the Cherokee Nation’s appeal, ending a long-running legal battle and handing a major victory to the United Keetoowah Band.

"We had our highest courts in the land rule that we have the right to land in trust," said Chief Joe Bunch.

"Keetoowahs can now rest assured that with this ruling, the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma cannot fight us or hamper our efforts for growth any longer. This will be the economic catalyst for our tribe moving forward in all facets of government, and justice prevailed in this long overdue fight."

Members of the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians are descended from the original Cherokee tribe. The U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs approved an application in 2011 to take a 76-acre parcel of land into trust for the tribe to develop a tribal and cultural center. The land is near the Cherokee Nation’s headquarters in Tahlequah.

The Cherokee Nation unsuccessfully appealed that administrative decision, then sued in federal court.

The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, one step below the U.S. Supreme Court, ruled last year for the United Keetoowah Band, rejecting the Cherokee Nation’s assertion that the tribe had to give its consent before land could be taken into trust for another tribe in its territory. The appeals court also ruled that the United Keetoowah Band qualified under federal law to have land taken into trust by the government.

The Cherokee Nation asked the U.S. Supreme Court to reverse the 10th Circuit court’s decision, but the high court on Monday declined, settling the dispute.

The Cherokee Nation did not provide a comment on Monday.