Crow Tribal Family Alleges Horse Massacre Was the Breaking Point in Decades of Federal Misconduct, Betrayal, and Broken Treaties
A newly filed federal lawsuit alleges that the U.S. government violated its treaty obligations and fiduciary duties to a Crow tribal family over a period spanning four decades. According to the complaint filed in the United States Court of Federal Claims (Case No. 25-1903 L), the government’s failure to act culminated in the 2020 massacre of 34 horses and the theft of 78 more, all belonging to plaintiff Audra Deputee Kolodziejski and her mother, Rebecca Deputee, both members of the Crow Tribe of Montana.
The complaint, filed by attorneys at the law firm mctlaw, outlines multiple claims against the United States, acting through the Department of the Interior and the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). The plaintiffs allege breaches of federal trust responsibilities, violations of the 1868 Treaty with the Crows, and the illegal leasing of their own tribal allotment land to non-Indian ranchers, without their consent and above the limits set by Congress on the number of acres non-Indians may hold on the Crow Reservation.
“This case centers on a long history of harassment, neglect, broken promises, and outright violations of federal law,” said attorney Jeffrey Nelson of mctlaw. “The horse massacre was not an isolated incident. It was the most egregious in a pattern of misconduct and abandonment by the very agency charged with protecting this family’s rights and land.”
According to the lawsuit, on or around March 2020, while the family was temporarily away from their home during the COVID-19 lockdown, unknown perpetrators shot and killed 34 horses on the family’s land and stole approximately 78 others. The complaint alleges that some of the slain horses were mutilated and that physical evidence, including shell casings and tire tracks, was left behind at the scene. The plaintiffs claim that despite multiple urgent calls and visits to BIA law enforcement, no officers responded, no evidence was collected, and no investigation was ever conducted. As stated in the complaint, the family estimates their total damages at over $2 million.
The plaintiffs contend that this incident is only one part of a decades-long pattern of federal neglect and mistreatment. The complaint describes a history of harassment by neighboring non-Indian ranchers and a series of allegedly illegal leases to those same non-Indian ranchers approved by BIA officials that allowed outside ranchers to graze cattle on the family’s land without consent from the Indian landowners as required by federal law. One such lease, dated June 7, 2023, was signed by the BIA and granted Padlock Ranch use of 360 acres of the family’s allotment, including their homesite. The complaint argues that this lease violated the Crow Allotment Act and existing BIA leasing regulations.
“This isn’t just a property dispute,” said attorney Altom Maglio. “It’s about treaty obligations, trust responsibilities, and the right of Native families to live safely and peacefully on their own land. Our clients reported crimes. They followed protocol. They asked for help repeatedly. What they received instead was silence, or worse than silence, they were treated like they were the criminals.”
The lawsuit outlines multiple additional incidents involving violence and intimidation, including the alleged theft of a $150,000 Arabian show horse, repeated threats from ranchers and BIA officials, and exposure from low-flying aircraft spraying what the plaintiffs believe to be toxic herbicides over their property and over plaintiffs themselves. The complaint also details armed intrusions onto the plaintiffs’ land, including an incident in 2020 in which the plaintiffs allege intruders employed by a nearby ranch pointed firearms at Audra and her then-eight-year-old daughter.
Despite reporting these events to BIA officials and law enforcement over the years, the complaint alleges that no meaningful action was taken by the government to investigate or stop the harm. Instead, the plaintiffs claim that BIA officials blamed them for interfering with outside ranching operations and even withheld lease payments from them as a form of punishment.
Audra Deputee Kolodziejski and her mother Rebecca Deputee are seeking monetary damages for the destruction of property, loss of livestock, and emotional distress, as well as a formal finding that the United States violated its treaty and trust obligations. They hope that this lawsuit will lead to BIA cancelling all unlawful leases on their land and restoring their legal right to live undisturbed on their allotment.
The full complaint is attached, which includes extensive historical context, a map of plaintiffs’ allotment and the non-Indian ranches, and photographs of plaintiffs’ horses and the aftermath of the horse massacre. Please be advised that some images included in the exhibits show graphic scenes of the slaughtered horses and may be disturbing. The complaint was filed by mctlaw in Washington, D.C. and the case is currently pending in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims.
About mctlaw
mctlaw is a national law firm representing clients in high-impact litigation against the federal government, medical product manufacturers, and against large corporate defendants. With offices in Washington, DC; Sarasota, FL; and Seattle, WA, the law firm is known for its fierce advocacy in holding powerful institutions accountable. It is nationally recognized for litigation in product liability, federal takings claims, Native American Indian law, and vaccine injury compensation.
