Navajo Tribal Utility Authority v. Arizona Department Of Revenue

608 F.2d 1228 NAVAJO TRIBAL UTILITY AUTHORITY, an Enterprise of the Navajo Tribe of Indians, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. ARIZONA DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE, and Trasente, Neal G., as Director of said Department, Defendants-Appellees. No. 76-2895. United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit. Oct. 26, 1979. Nancy B. Firestone, Atty. (argued), Washington, D. C., Walter F. Wolf, Jr. (argued), Schuelke & Wolf, Gallup, N. M., for plaintiff-appellant. Ian A. MacPherson, Asst. Atty. Gen., Phoenix, Ariz., argued for defendants-appellees; Bruce E. Babbitt, Atty. Gen., Phoenix, Ariz., on the brief. Appeal from the United States District Court For the District of Arizona. Before WALLACE and TANG, Circuit Judges, and THOMPSON, * District Judge. WALLACE, Circuit Judge: 1 The Navajo Tribal Utility Authority (NTUA) appeals from a district court judgment dismissing its action seeking declaratory and injunctive relief against the Arizona Department of Revenue (Department). We conclude that the district court did not have jurisdiction over NTUA's claims, and we therefore affirm. 2 * NTUA, created in 1959, is a subordinate economic enterprise of the Navajo Indian Tribe. In 1960, the Tribe and the…