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Federal Appeals Court To Decide Tribal Land Claim

Leaders of an American Indian community in northern New Mexico are not giving up on efforts to reclaim as their own the VallesCaldera National Preserve.

Jemez Pueblo considers the nearly 140-square-mile swath of federally-managed public land as a "spiritual sanctuary" and part of its traditional homeland.

The tribe on Thursday is going before a panel of the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in hopes of keeping its lawsuit against the federal government alive.

The preserve is home to vast grasslands, the remnants of one of North America's few super volcanoes and one of New Mexico's most famous elk herds. The federal government bought the property from land grant heirs in 2000 with the goal of operating it as a working ranch while developing recreational opportunities for the public.

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