While many people today are focused on decisions issuing from some court in Washington, D.C., the Tenth Circuit issued an opinion reviving Jemez Pueblo’s efforts to regain ownership of Valles Caldera (i.e. the most beautiful place in New Mexico, in my humble opinion).
The opinion in Pueblo of Jemez v. United States is by Judge Stephanie Seymour, and reverses the trial court’s decision dismissing the Pueblo’s claims. I haven’t had time to digest the 60-page opinion, but to say it will be important to New Mexico is an understatement.
You can read my previous coverage of this litigation here, here, and here.
UPDATE (June 29, 2015): For other coverage of this opinion, read this story by Uriel J. Garcia in the Santa Fe New Mexican. You can also read the briefs here at the Turtle Talk blog.
