Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit September 17, 1998, No. 96-35699 (Native Village of Venetie IRA Council v. Alaska)

FARRIS, Circuit Judge:

The governing bodies of the Native Alaskan villages of Venetie and Fort Yukon as well as two individual residents of those villages won declaratory relief in district court requiring the State of Alaska to give full faith and credit to adoption decrees issued by the villages. The villages now appeal the district court’s denial of their motion for attorneys’ fees under 42 U.