Nutongla Sanchez v. Garcia
Hopi Court of Appeals
(Hopi Appt. Ct. 1999)
Relevant factsFree
After their mother died intestate owning three village structures, her three children initially agreed to a clan relative's oral-will-based distribution giving one home to each child, but the daughter later sought all three homes under traditional intestacy rules favoring the eldest daughter, and the tribal court reaffirmed the clan relative's original distribution after the village board declined jurisdiction.
IssueFree
Whether a tribal court must recognize decisions made by a traditional tribal lawmaker unless the tribe's constitution or laws specify otherwise.