Wunee keesuq,

As you may recall, the Littlefields continued their assault on our land by filing a lawsuit in Boston District Court in December of 2021. However, in February 2023, the Honorable District Court Judge Angel Kelly affirmed the Tribe’s reservation lands and ruled in favor of the Department of Interior and the Tribe. The Littlefields have since appealed Judge Kelly’s decision to the First Circuit Court of Appeals. Tomorrow, a panel of three Circuit Court Judges will hear the matter, with oral argument scheduled to begin at 9:30 AM.

Tribal members are welcome to attend and should plan to arrive at the courthouse (John Joseph Moakely United States Courthouse, 1 Courthouse Way, Boston) by 9:00 AM with their driver’s license or other photo identification. For anyone unable to attend, the First Circuit will post an audio recording of the argument soon after the hearing. We will share a link to the recording as soon as it is available.

The hearing date and time was in question as Congress delayed passing a federal budget and a government shutdown loomed. Congress passed a Continuing Resolution over the weekend and we were notified that oral arguments for this case will proceed on schedule. The Department of Interior and our Tribe’s legal team are positioned to defend our land and are confident the First Circuit will uphold Judge Kelley’s decision affirming our land in trust.

Ahâpây,
Chairman Weeden