The lawsuit was filed under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act — NAGPRA — the 1990 federal law that requires federal agencies and institutions receiving federal funding to inventory their holdings of Native American human remains and associated objects and to return them to affiliated tribes upon request.

The case involved significant questions about NAGPRA’s applicability.

NAGPRA applies to federal agencies and institutions receiving federal funding; Skull and Bones, as a private organization, arguably falls outside its scope.

The lawsuit named multiple defendants, including the federal government, because Geronimo’s original grave at Fort Sill is on federal property.

The lawsuit was represented by Ramsey Clark, who had served as Attorney General under President Lyndon Johnson, and who stated the goal clearly: “In this lawsuit, we’re going to find out if the bones are there or not.”

The federal lawsuit was ultimately dismissed.