Rockbridge v. Lincoln

449 F.2d 567 John ROCKBRIDGE and Henry Zah, Individually and On Behalf of All Others Similarly Situated, Plaintiffs and Appellants, v. Anthony LINCOLN, Area Director, Bureau of Indian Affairs, et al., Defendants and Appellees. No. 25437. United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit. Sept. 1, 1971. 1 Donald Juneau (argued), Theodore R. Mitchell, Window Rock, Ariz., for appellants. 2 George R. Hyde (argued), S. Billingsley Hill, Dept. of Justice; Shiro Kashiwa, Asst. Atty. Gen., Land & Nat. Resources Div., Washington, D. C.; Richard K. Burke, U. S. Atty., Michael Lasher, Asst. U. S. Atty., Phoenix, Ariz., for appellees. 3 Before MERRILL and ELY, Circuit Judges, and FERGUSON, * District Judge. FERGUSON, District Judge: 4 The question presented is whether a system of unregulated trading post monopolies allegedly imposed upon the Navajo Indians by governmental officials can be challenged in court. The district court held that it lacks jurisdiction. We reverse. 5 This appeal, pursuant to 28 U.S.C. Sec. 1291 , is from a judgment dismissing appellants' action to require the Secretary of the Interior, the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, and the Area Director of the Navajo Indian…