Mermelstein & Horowitz, P.A.
18205 Biscayne Boulevard
Suite 2218
Miami, Florida 33160
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1-800-686-9921
Miami / 305-931-2200
Fax / 305-931-0877
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Contact a breach of trust and sex abuse lawyer at our Florida firm by filling out the form below.
Representation for Victims of Sex Abuse and Breach of Trust – Lawyers Based in Florida
Mermelstein & Horowitz seek compensation for Native Americans who have endured abuse by the American government. Our firm represents Native America children who were subjected to ill treatment and child molestation at Indian boarding schools and also fights for royalties from use of Native American land. Please read below to find out more about Native American law. For more information about land claims and sex abuse and child molestation claims, contact a lawyer at our Florida firm.
- » Indian Boarding School Abuse – Including Child Molestation
- » Breach of Trust - Land Claims
- » Western Shoshone Land Claim
Indian Boarding School Abuse – Including Child Molestation
In the late 19th century, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (in conjunction with various churches) placed thousands of Native American children into Indian Boarding Schools. At the boarding schools, the children were forced to give up their Indian heritage and were forbidden from speaking their native languages. They were routinely beaten and sexually abused, and some even died. Essentially, the goal of the United States government was to assimilate Native Americans into “white society.”
In 2000, the U.S. government finally acknowledged its responsibility in the abuse of Native American children. A representative of the Bureau of Indian Affairs apologized for the past behavior of the BIA.
The abuse endured by Native American children in Indian boarding schools has had serious repercussions in Native American society. On behalf of the victims of boarding school abuse, Mermelstein & Horowitz is taking legal action against the U.S. government. If you would like to participate in this litigation, please contact a lawyer at our Florida firm today.
Breach of Trust - Land Claims
Our Florida firm is experienced at representing Native American tribes in disputes over land. In some cases, tribes seek compensation for use of land that is rightfully theirs. In other cases, they may seek to regain possession of land or to gain permission to use land for a certain purpose. If you belong to a Native American tribe with a land dispute, Mermelstein & Horowitz will fight for what is rightfully yours. Our attorneys specialize in many areas of Native American law, including child molestation, sex abuse, and land claim cases. When you contact us, an experienced lawyer at our Florida firm will evaluate your case and help your tribe build a strong breach of trust claim.
Western Shoshone Land Claim
Mermelstein & Horowitz has brought various claims on behalf of the Western Shoshone Indian Nation against the U.S. Government, including claims seeking to confirm title to more than 60 million acres of land and determine royalties from use of the land.
The United States recognized Western Shoshone title to the land in the Treaty of Ruby Valley, 1863. The land comprises most of the state of Nevada and parts of California, Idaho, and Utah. Under the Treaty of Ruby Valley, the United States gained permission to mine the land under that condition that it would pay the Western Shoshone Indians a fair royalty. Since that time, over $26 billion in gold has been mined from the land and the Western Shoshone Indians have never received any royalty payments.
In the 1970s, the Indian Claims Commission issued a judgment, affirmed by the U.S. Court of Claims, in which Western Shoshone aboriginal title to 24 million acres of land was determined to be extinguished and approximately $26 million was awarded to the Western Shoshone people, representing the value of this land in 1872 without interest. The lawsuit asserts that this judgment is invalid or does not bind Plaintiffs, and seeks a declaration confirming that the Western Shoshone Nation holds title to the 60 million acres of land recognized by the U.S. Government in the Treaty of Ruby Valley.
Congress is considering a bill to distribute approximately $150 million to the Western Shoshone people as compensation for their land. The Western Shoshone plaintiffs have refused to accept the money, stating that their land is not for sale.
To find out more about the Western Shoshone land claim, or receive more information about the boarding school sex abuse and child molestation suits, contact a lawyer at our Florida firm today.