Crow Tribal Family Alleges Horse Massacre was Breaking Point in Decades of U.S. Mismanaged Land and Ignored Treaty Duties in Federal Lawsuit
Crow Reservation, Montana (November 12, 2025) — A Crow tribal family has filed a lawsuit in the United States Court of Federal Claims, alleging that the U.S. government violated its treaty obligations and fiduciary duties over several decades. The plaintiffs, Rebecca Deputee and her daughter Audra Deputee Kolodziejski, assert that decades of federal mismanagement of their tribal land culminated in what they describe as the 2020 killing of 34 horses and the theft of 78 more from their federally protected allotment.
According to the complaint (Case No. 25-1903 L), the U.S. Department of the Interior and the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) failed to uphold their legal responsibilities under the 1868 Treaty with the Crow Tribe and under federal trust law. The plaintiffs, who own an allotment in the Wolf Mountains region of the Crow Reservation, allege that federal officials unlawfully leased their land to non-Indian ranchers without their consent, and in excess of statutory acreage limits, in violation of the Crow Allotment Act and BIA regulations.
“This case is about what we believe is the federal government’s failure to meet its legal obligations to tribal citizens,” said attorney Jeffrey Nelson of the law firm mctlaw, which represents the plaintiffs. “The treaty and trust responsibilities are binding legal duties that, in our view, have been neglected for decades.”
The complaint describes multiple instances in which federal officials approved grazing leases on the plaintiffs’ land without proper authorization, and in excess of statutory acreage limits. In one instance, a lease signed in 2023 allegedly granted a nearby non-Indian ranch access to the plaintiffs’ allotment, including their homesite, without their required consent, and allowing the rancher to control far more land on the Reservation than allowed by law. Federal law mandates that Indian landowners consent to such leases and limits the amount of reservation land that non-Indians may control; restrictions the plaintiffs allege were disregarded.
The plaintiffs also cite the federal government’s failure to investigate or respond after a 2020 incident in which, according to the complaint, 34 of their horses were found shot, killed, and mutilated, and 78 others were missing. Despite reporting the event to BIA law enforcement, the complaint states that no meaningful action was taken, despite a treaty obligation to investigate such crimes and take proper action against the perpetrators.
“The lack of enforcement and accountability, as alleged in this case, demonstrates how the failure to honor treaty commitments leaves tribal families vulnerable,” said Nelson. “This lawsuit asks the Court to hold the government accountable for failing to protect the plaintiffs and their property, as required under federal law.”
The full complaint, filed by mctlaw in Washington, D.C., includes supporting documents, land maps, and photographic exhibits. Please be advised that some images included in the exhibits show graphic scenes of the slaughtered horses and may be disturbing. The case is currently pending before 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 large corporate defendants. With offices in Washington, DC; Sarasota, FL; and Seattle, WA, the firm is known for its fierce advocacy in holding powerful institutions accountable. It is nationally recognized for its work in product liability, federal takings claims, Native American Indian law, and vaccine injury compensation.
