July 2003: State of Oregon vs. Confederated Tribes of Coos Bay

Both the Grand Traverse and this ruling go to the heart of the "restored lands" analysis. In sum, I find that the phrase "restoration of lands" was not intended by Congress to be narrowly construed and limited to the lands included in the congressional enactments which restore tribal status. Therefore, the Secretary's interpretation is a permissible and reasonable construction of the statute.

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