Two Shields v. United States

Subject Matter Jurisdiction; Cobell v. Norton; Class Action Suit; Fiduciary Duty; Indian Tucker Act

OPINION and ORDER

Block, Judge.

This case is one of the myriad of breach of trust claims brought by Native Americans against various federal agencies. 1 Paradoxically, the parties present very little in common. Like the proverbial two ships passing in the night, 2 plaintiffs and defendant here present the court with two competing narratives that raise entirely different legal issues.

Plaintiffs 3 Ramona Two Shields and Mary Louise Defender Wilson claim that the Bureau of Indian Affairs (“BIA”)…