The 490 who were terminated included 260 children with no understanding of the significance of what was taking place, said Oranna Felter, the lead plaintiff in the case. At the same time, the majority of the terminated adults lacked any financial savvy. According to Chappabitty, that's why the land, money and stocks in Ute Distribution Corporation (UDC) — given to the terminated Uintas to help ease their break from the Ute Tribe — were soon gone.

The terminated Uintas' multi-faceted federal lawsuit seeks to have the Ute Partition Act declared null and void. Any transfers executed through that act would become illegal and the terminated Uinta Utes would be reinstated as members of the Uinta band.

Chappabitty said the fact that the judge has had the suit before him for such a long time should bode well for his clients.

"The judge isn't going to wipe it out," he said. "He would have done that a long time ago."

After judicial remedies are exhausted, the terminated Uintas would have to go to Congress for restoration of their status as Uinta band members.

"What happens if a positive decision is made? It merely means the judge does not agree with the United States and we can keep it alive," he said. "We can go forward and provide evidence."

Chappabitty said some of that evidence will include researching what became of stock shares and other assets, given to the terminated Uintas and their children, which were to be managed by UDC. Today, the vast majority of UDC stockholders are non-Indians, he said.

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