Harvest Inst. Freedmen Federation v. United States Cert Petition

This has no chance of being granted, but it’s interesting anyway — Harvest Institute Freedmen Federation v United States Cert Petition.

The question presented:

The claims in this action were brought on behalf of representatives of persons formerly held in bondage by the so-called “Five Civilized” Indian Tribes, hereinafter “Freedmen.” The Freedmen were beneficiaries of the various trusts established between the Five Civilized Tribes and the United States by 1866 treaties, which were later modified by further allotments in 1902. The question presented is whether the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit erroneously affirmed dismissal under28 U.S.C. §2501 of Petitioners’ claims without addressing in any manner whatsoever Petitioners’ Repudiation Rule argument that the statute of limitations does not begin to run on claims by a trust beneficiary like Petitioners’, against a trustee, here the United States, to enforce the terms of a trust until, the trustee repudiates the trust relationship, something that to date the United States has not done.

Here are the district court materials and and the Federal Circuit decision.