Practice Area
Tribal Litigation
Native American tribes and their members have spent generations fighting to protect their lands, their sovereignty, and their rights under treaties the United States government promised — and too often failed — to honor. Singleton Schreiber is dedicated to standing with tribal nations and their members in that fight, bringing the same fearless advocacy to tribal litigation that has defined the firm's work in wildfire, environmental, and civil rights litigation.
Our tribal litigation practice is led by Senior Counsel Robert O. Saunooke, a citizen of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians with over 30 years of experience representing Native American tribes and their members across sovereign immunity, tribal taxation, treaty rights, environmental and climate damage to reservations, and the ongoing fight for acknowledgement and reparation for survivors of the U.S. boarding school system.
About Singleton Schreiber
A Firm Built to Fearlessly Advocate
With nearly 120 attorneys and over 450 staff members across offices in California, New Mexico, Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Hawaii, Utah, and Mississippi, Singleton Schreiber is uniquely positioned to advocate fearlessly for its clients — including tribal nations and their members facing some of the most consequential legal challenges in the country.
Singleton Schreiber is a client-centered firm specializing in wildfire and environmental litigation, class actions, personal injury and wrongful death, civil rights, and public entity law. We pride ourselves on protecting the interests of people against corporate wrongdoing, and we have the experience and resources to prosecute complex, groundbreaking cases through to completion. We are passionate about pushing back against the bullies who seek to take advantage of everyday people — and tribal communities are no exception.
Our Team
Led by a Member of the Community
Robert O. Saunooke
Senior Counsel · Tribal Litigation Practice LeadRobert Saunooke has represented Native American tribes and their members for over 30 years. He is a recognized leader in the field of federal law as applied to Indians, having litigated cases across sovereign immunity, tribal taxation, governmental regulation, treaty rights, and general family, criminal, and civil law in tribal, state, and federal courts throughout the United States.
Mr. Saunooke is regularly asked to speak on the relationship between tribes and the surrounding communities. He has negotiated complex cross-jurisdictional agreements between tribes and various states, lobbied on tribal issues at the federal and state level, taught federal Indian law at Emory Law School, and served as legal counsel and policy advisor for numerous federally recognized tribes.
He has also been at the forefront of protecting the voting rights and civil rights of Native American people, and recovering damages from the breach of treaty rights and federal obligations owed to tribes. Mr. Saunooke leads the firm's team pursuing environmental and climate change damages to reservations, as well as boarding school reparations.
Tribal Litigation
Boarding School Acknowledgement & Reparation
For over 100 years, the United States contracted with religious organizations and other agencies to carry out a Federal Compulsory School Attendance law applied only to Native Americans. Native children were forcibly removed from their homes and sent to boarding schools where they could not speak their language, lost connection to their culture, and were physically and mentally abused. The result was loss of life and the destruction of entire lines of familial relationships, language, and tribal connection.
In 2019, the First Nations of Canada pursued acknowledgement and reparations from the Canadian government and the churches that operated boarding schools there. A 2023 settlement provided funding and a framework to ensure First Nations culture would continue and the damage caused would be repaired. Singleton Schreiber was determined to be at the front of similar action in the United States and created the first legal team in the country pursuing comparable accountability.
Our team is committed to seeking reparations for individuals who suffered abuse, neglect, or worse — recognizing that the harm from this conduct is generational — and to supporting federal legislation to create a truth and healing commission addressing the assimilation policies carried out through the U.S. boarding school system. Learn more about our boarding school reparation practice →
"This isn't just litigation — it's an acknowledgement of their pain, a step toward healing, and a powerful statement that such abuses will not go unchallenged."
— Robert O. Saunooke, Senior Counsel, Singleton Schreiber
Emerging Risks
Protecting Indigenous Peoples From Immigration Enforcement Risks
Singleton Schreiber recognizes that Indigenous peoples face unique vulnerabilities in interactions with federal immigration authorities — including risks tied to tribal sovereignty, border-area reservations, documentation issues, and the historic and ongoing relationship between tribal nations and federal jurisdiction.
Our tribal litigation team provides counsel to tribal members and tribal governments navigating these risks, helping ensure that the rights of Native individuals and communities are protected in the face of federal enforcement actions that were never designed with tribal sovereignty in mind.
Common Questions
Tribal Litigation FAQ
The tribal litigation team handles cases involving sovereign immunity, tribal taxation, governmental regulation, treaty rights, environmental and climate damage to reservations, boarding school acknowledgement and reparation, voting rights, civil rights, and general family, criminal, and civil law in tribal, state, and federal courts.
The practice is led by Robert O. Saunooke, a citizen of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians who has represented Native American tribes and their members for over 30 years. He has taught federal Indian law at Emory Law School and served as legal counsel and policy advisor for numerous federally recognized tribes.
Yes. Singleton Schreiber created the first legal team in the United States pursuing acknowledgement and reparations for Native American boarding school survivors, modeled on the 2023 Canadian settlement with the First Nations. The firm pursues individual reparations, tribal reparations, and federal legislation for a truth and healing commission.
Singleton Schreiber recognizes that Indigenous peoples face unique vulnerabilities in interactions with federal immigration authorities, including risks related to tribal sovereignty, border-area reservations, and documentation issues. The firm provides legal counsel to help tribal members and tribal governments navigate these risks.
Treaty rights litigation involves enforcing the legal obligations the United States government made to Native American tribes through historic treaties — covering issues such as land rights, water rights, hunting and fishing rights, and federal funding obligations that have been breached or under-honored.
Free Consultation
Standing With Tribal Nations. Fighting for Generations to Come.
If you, your family, or your tribe has questions about sovereign rights, treaty obligations, environmental harm, or boarding school reparations, contact our team for a confidential consultation.
Contact Our Team →