

Indian Law News
- Choctaw Allotment Owners Challenge Oil & Gas Leasing Practices Under 1947 Stigler ActWith legal assistance from mctlaw, the Native American owners of an Indian allotment on the Choctaw Reservation in eastern Oklahoma have sued the federal government, claiming breach of trust and unconstitutional taking of the allotment’s natural gas resources. These claims stem from how federal officials have managed oil & gas interests owned by individual Indians across eastern Oklahoma under the… Read more: Choctaw Allotment Owners Challenge Oil & Gas Leasing Practices Under 1947 Stigler Act
- Sauk-Suiattle Tribe Represented by Attorneys at mctlaw File Suit to Reclaim Ancestral Fishing Rights in Puget Sound AreaSEATTLE, WA (September 17, 2024) — The Sauk-Suiattle Indian Tribe, with legal representation from the attorneys at mctlaw, is making a significant legal push to reclaim its customary fishing rights in Washington’s Puget Sound and surrounding freshwater streams. The Tribe has asked the federal court to reaffirm the rights they believe have been wrongfully denied for decades, taking their case… Read more: Sauk-Suiattle Tribe Represented by Attorneys at mctlaw File Suit to Reclaim Ancestral Fishing Rights in Puget Sound Area
- Everything is Better With Good GovernmentHelping Tribes Make Modern Constitutions and Improve Tribal Governing Documents Attorney Jeffrey Nelson from the Firm’s Indian Law group discusses the history of the Mattaponi Tribe in Virginia, as well as their recent election under their newly drafted election code and constitution. He highlights the importance of tribal governance documents written for and with the tribe, by tribal members, and… Read more: Everything is Better With Good Government
- Online Gaming: How Tribes Can Use a Hub-and-Spoke Gaming Model to Link Reservations, Increase Play, and Reduce CostsAfter the Supreme Court overturned the federal ban on sports wagering in 2018, sports wagering not only exploded in popularity but was also quickly launched into the 21st century with the proliferation of online sportsbooks, particularly mobile app-based sports betting platforms. It is impossible to turn on the TV without being flooded with advertisements for sportsbooks from DraftKings, FanDuel, Caesars,… Read more: Online Gaming: How Tribes Can Use a Hub-and-Spoke Gaming Model to Link Reservations, Increase Play, and Reduce Costs
- RES 2023 Misuse of Railway Easements in Indian CountryGoing Off the Rails – Misuse of Railway Easements in Indian Country – If You Missed it at RES 2023 If you weren’t able to attend RES 2023, then we’ll bring RES to you. Here’s a recap of our panel discussion “Going Off the Rails – Misuse of Railway Easements in Indian Country,” hosted by mctlaw attorneys Altom Maglio, Derril… Read more: RES 2023 Misuse of Railway Easements in Indian Country
- SSIT Sports Wagering ApprovalOn June 14, 2022, the Department of the Interior published notice of the Sauk Suiattle Indian Tribe Gaming Compact Amendment that now authorizes the Tribe to operate sports betting. Attorney Kehl VanWinkle authored this amendment and testified before the State Legislature on behalf of our clients, the Sauk Suiattle Indian Tribe. You can review the notice in today’s Federal Register
- Tribal Leaders Seek Win In Okla. Gambling Pact ChallengeSource: Law360 Law360 (March 15, 2022, 6:02 PM EDT) — The heads of two Oklahoma tribes have asked a D.C. federal judge to hand them a win in a suit against them and the U.S. Department of the Interior by four other tribes challenging their gambling compacts with the governor, saying the case lacks legal merit. Chief Joe Bunch of… Read more: Tribal Leaders Seek Win In Okla. Gambling Pact Challenge
- Appellate and Indian Law Attorneys File Ninth Circuit Opening Brief on Behalf of Sauk-Suiattle Indian Tribe’s Treaty Fishing Rights in United States v. Washington The Appellate and Indian Law Groups at mctlaw have filed an Opening Brief before the Ninth Circuit on behalf of the Sauk-Suiattle Indian Tribe of the State of Washington. The issue on appeal is whether the Sauk-Suiattle have treaty fishing rights in the Skagit River. The 1855 Treaty of Point Elliott guaranteed all of the tribal signatories the right… Read more: Appellate and Indian Law Attorneys File Ninth Circuit Opening Brief on Behalf of Sauk-Suiattle Indian Tribe’s Treaty Fishing Rights in United States v. Washington
Our team of experienced Indian Law attorneys can help with matters like:
- Indian gaming compacts, regulation and compliance
- Tribal cannabis and hemp regulation
- Tribal Governance and Drafting Statutes and Regulations
- Tribal Self-Determination and Self-Governance contracting and compacting with the Department of the Interior (DOI) and the Indian Health Service (IHS)
- Structuring or Restructuring Tribal Courts and Obtaining Funding from the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOI)
- Creating and Implementing Tribal Housing Programs and Obtaining NAHASDA Funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
- Litigating Breach of Trust and Takings Claims
- Enforcing Treaty Rights
- Oil & Gas Royalty Disputes
- Individual Indian Money Account Issues
- Natural Resource Management for Tribal Lands
- Environmental Protection and Cleanup on Tribal Lands
- Resolving Tribal Enrollment and Disenrollment Disputes
- Fee-to-Trust Land Acquisitions
- Federal Recognition for Native American Indian Tribes
- Misuse of Railway Easements on Indian Tribal Lands
- Issues with Jurisdiction Over Land Allotments
- Protecting the rights of individual Indian landowners
- Operating as an Indian Reorganization Act (IRA) Section 17 Corporation, a Tribally Chartered Corporation, or an Alaska Native Corporation
Content Reviewed by Jeffrey Nelson – Indian Law

Jeffrey Nelson leads the Firm’s Indian Law Group. He’s spent over 20 years of experience working in Washington, DC on Indian law and litigation matters, including as a Senior Attorney at the National Indian Gaming Commission and as an Assistant Solicitor at the Department of the Interior. Jeff now represents tribes across the country on Indian gaming and tribal governance matters. He also serves as the Assistant Attorney General for the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma. Jeff earned his law degree at the University of Michigan Law School in 1997 and an LL.M. in Advocacy from Georgetown University Law Center in 1999.
This page was last updated:


Contact Us Now

As an experienced leader in these types of lawsuits, we were confident the firm would have the expertise. However, what surprised us most was the high level of excellent customer service from the firm’s staff!
Pat R.
I can't recommend this firm enough. They have an outstanding team that truly care for their clients…I have been awarded a fair six figure settlement.
Nate M.
When I say “they went to bat” for me...this Law Firm literally did just that. They persevered to bring the hard-nosed Manufacturer to settle and provide me some recompense for everything I had to endure which led to this suit.
Me'Chelle