TACOMA, Wash. -- A federal judge says a Native American tribe can proceed with seven of eight legal claims as part of its long effort to gain federal recognition as a tribe.

Oregon Public Broadcasting reports the Chinook Indian Nation, whose members historically lived at the mouth of the Columbia River, sued the Interior Department and other agencies in August.

U.S. District Court Judge Ronald Leighton dismissed one claim Wednesday, saying the courts couldn't grant the tribe federal status because it was a question for other government branches.

But he allowed the tribe to move ahead with other claims, including that it should have access to federal money awarded in 1970 as compensation for tribal lands the U.S. took in the 1850s.

The tribe has been fighting for federal recognition, which would allow it to establish a reservation and gain native fighting rights.