Matter of Estate of Little Bear

LAVENDER, Justice.

We decide whether the Osage Tribe of Indians Technical Corrections Act of 1984, Pub.L. No. 98-605, 98 Stat. 3163 (1984 Act), was intended by Congress to prohibit a non-Indian devisee from receiving more than a life estate in a headright devised to such devisee by the will of a non-Indian devisor, who owned the full beneficial interest in the headright at the time of death? We hold the 1984 Act, which amended the Act of October 21, 1978, Pub.L. No. 95-496, 92 Stat. 1660 (1978 Act), was not so intended and the devise of the full beneficial interest in a headright interest to…