List Of United States Supreme Court Cases Involving Indian Tribes

U.S. Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point o ...

Native American Tribe In the United States, an American Indian tribe, Native American tribe, Alaska Native village, tribal nation, or similar concept is any extant or historical clan, tribe, band, nation, or other group or community of Native Americans in the Unit ...

Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians v. Holyfield ''Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians v. Holyfield'', 490 U.S. 30 (1989), was a case in which the Supreme Court of the United States held that the Indian Child Welfare Act governed adoptions of Indian children. It ruled that a tribal court had jur ...

Adoptive Couple v. Baby Girl ''Adoptive Couple v. Baby Girl'', 570 U.S. 637 (2013), was a decision of the Supreme Court of the United States that held that several sections of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) do not apply to Native American biological fathers who are not ...

Santa Clara Pueblo v. Martinez ''Santa Clara Pueblo v. Martinez'', 436 U.S. 49 (1978), was a landmark case in the area of Outline of United States federal Indian law and policy, federal Indian law involving issues of great importance to the meaning of Tribal sovereignty in the ...

Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians v. Holyfield ''Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians v. Holyfield'', 490 U.S. 30 (1989), was a case in which the Supreme Court of the United States held that the Indian Child Welfare Act governed adoptions of Indian children. It ruled that a tribal court had jur ...

South Dakota v. Bourland ''South Dakota v. Bourland'', 508 U.S. 679 (1993), was a case in which the Supreme Court of the United States held that Congress specifically abrogated treaty rights with the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe as to hunting and fishing rights on reservati ...

Elk v. Wilkins ''Elk v. Wilkins'', 112 U.S. 94 (1884), was a United States Supreme Court landmark 1884 decision respecting the citizenship status of Indians. John Elk, a Winnebago Indian, was born on an Indian reservation within the territorial bounds of Unite ...

United States v. Nice ''United States v. Nice'', 241 U.S. 591 (1916), is a United States Supreme Court decision which declared that United States Congress, Congress still retains plenary power to protect Native Americans in the United States, Native American interests ...

Elk v. Wilkins ''Elk v. Wilkins'', 112 U.S. 94 (1884), was a United States Supreme Court landmark 1884 decision respecting the citizenship status of Indians. John Elk, a Winnebago Indian, was born on an Indian reservation within the territorial bounds of Unite ...

Talton v. Mayes ''Talton v. Mayes'', 163 U.S. 376 (1896), was a United States Supreme Court case, in which the court decided that the individual rights protections, which limit federal, and later, state governments, do not apply to tribal government.. It rea ...

United States v. Antelope ''United States v. Antelope'', 430 U.S. 641 (1977), was a United States Supreme Court case in which the Court held that American Indians convicted on reservation land were not deprived of the equal protection of the laws; (a) the federal criminal ...

Oliphant v. Suquamish Indian Tribe ''Oliphant v. Suquamish Indian Tribe'', 435 U.S. 191 (1978), is a United States Supreme Court case deciding that Indian tribal courts have no criminal jurisdiction over non-Indians.. The case was decided on March 6, 1978 with a 6–2 majority. Th ...

Lone Wolf v. Hitchcock ''Lone Wolf v. Hitchcock'', 187 U.S. 553 (1903), was a United States Supreme Court case brought against the US government by the Kiowa chief Lone Wolf, who charged that Native American tribes under the Medicine Lodge Treaty had been defrauded of ...

United States v. Nice ''United States v. Nice'', 241 U.S. 591 (1916), is a United States Supreme Court decision which declared that United States Congress, Congress still retains plenary power to protect Native Americans in the United States, Native American interests ...

Delaware Tribal Business Committee v. Weeks ''Delaware Tribal Business Committee v. Weeks'', 430 U.S. 73 (1977), was a case decided by the United States Supreme Court. Background On appeal from the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma, the appellants, federa ...

White Mountain Apache Tribe v. Bracker ''White Mountain Apache Tribe v. Bracker'', 448 U.S. 136 (1980), was a case in which the Supreme Court of the United States holding that Arizona, Arizona's taxes that were assessed against a non-Indian contractor that was working exclusively for ...

United States v. Sioux Nation of Indians ''United States v. Sioux Nation of Indians'', 448 U.S. 371 (1980), was a United States Supreme Court case in which the Court held that: 1) the enactment by Congress of a law allowing the Sioux Nation to pursue a claim against the United States tha ...

California v. Cabazon Band of Mission Indians ''California v. Cabazon Band of Mission Indians'', 480 U.S. 202 (1987), was a United States Supreme Court case involving the development of Native American gaming. The Supreme Court's decision effectively overturned the existing laws restricting g ...

South Dakota v. Bourland ''South Dakota v. Bourland'', 508 U.S. 679 (1993), was a case in which the Supreme Court of the United States held that Congress specifically abrogated treaty rights with the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe as to hunting and fishing rights on reservati ...

United States v. Lara ''United States v. Lara'', 541 U.S. 193 (2004), was a United States Supreme Court landmark case which held that both the United States and a Native American (Indian) tribe could prosecute an Indian for the same acts that constituted crimes in bo ...

California v. Cabazon Band of Mission Indians ''California v. Cabazon Band of Mission Indians'', 480 U.S. 202 (1987), was a United States Supreme Court case involving the development of Native American gaming. The Supreme Court's decision effectively overturned the existing laws restricting g ...

Menominee Tribe v. United States The Menominee (; mez, omǣqnomenēwak meaning ''"Menominee People"'', also spelled Menomini, derived from the Ojibwe language word for "Wild Rice People"; known as ''Mamaceqtaw'', "the people", in the Menominee language) are a federally recog ...

Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife v. Klamath Indian Tribe Oregon () is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idaho. T ...

South Dakota v. Bourland ''South Dakota v. Bourland'', 508 U.S. 679 (1993), was a case in which the Supreme Court of the United States held that Congress specifically abrogated treaty rights with the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe as to hunting and fishing rights on reservati ...

Herrera v. Wyoming ''Herrera v. Wyoming'', No. 17-532, 587 U.S. ___ (2019), was a Supreme Court of the United States, United States Supreme Court case in which the Court held that Wyoming's statehood did not void the Crow Tribe's right to hunt on "unoccupied lands o ...

California v. Cabazon Band of Mission Indians ''California v. Cabazon Band of Mission Indians'', 480 U.S. 202 (1987), was a United States Supreme Court case involving the development of Native American gaming. The Supreme Court's decision effectively overturned the existing laws restricting g ...

Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians v. Holyfield ''Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians v. Holyfield'', 490 U.S. 30 (1989), was a case in which the Supreme Court of the United States held that the Indian Child Welfare Act governed adoptions of Indian children. It ruled that a tribal court had jur ...

South Dakota v. Bourland ''South Dakota v. Bourland'', 508 U.S. 679 (1993), was a case in which the Supreme Court of the United States held that Congress specifically abrogated treaty rights with the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe as to hunting and fishing rights on reservati ...

Ex parte Crow Dog ''Ex parte Crow Dog'', 109 U.S. 556 (1883), is a landmark decision of the Supreme Court of the United States that followed the death of one member of a Native American tribe at the hands of another on reservation land. Crow Dog was a member of th ...

United States v. Kagama ''United States v. Kagama'', 118 U.S. 375 (1886), was a United States Supreme Court case that upheld the constitutionality of the Major Crimes Act of 1885. This Congressional act gave the federal courts jurisdiction in certain Indian-on-Indian ...

United States v. Antelope ''United States v. Antelope'', 430 U.S. 641 (1977), was a United States Supreme Court case in which the Court held that American Indians convicted on reservation land were not deprived of the equal protection of the laws; (a) the federal criminal ...

Duro v. Reina ''Duro v. Reina'', 495 U.S. 676 (1990), was a United States Supreme Court case in which the Court concluded that Indian tribes could not prosecute Indians who were members of other tribes for crimes committed by those nonmember Indians on their re ...

United States v. Lara ''United States v. Lara'', 541 U.S. 193 (2004), was a United States Supreme Court landmark case which held that both the United States and a Native American (Indian) tribe could prosecute an Indian for the same acts that constituted crimes in bo ...

McGirt v. Oklahoma ''McGirt v. Oklahoma'', 591 U.S. ___ (2020), was a landmark United States Supreme Court case which ruled that, as pertaining to the Major Crimes Act, much of the eastern portion of the state of Oklahoma remains as Native American lands of the pr ...

Sharp v. Murphy ''Sharp v. Murphy'', 591 U.S. ___ (2020), was a Supreme Court of the United States case of whether United States Congress, Congress disestablished the Muscogee (Creek) Nation reservation. After holding the case from the 2018 term, the case was dec ...

Ex parte Crow Dog ''Ex parte Crow Dog'', 109 U.S. 556 (1883), is a landmark decision of the Supreme Court of the United States that followed the death of one member of a Native American tribe at the hands of another on reservation land. Crow Dog was a member of th ...

United States v. Kagama ''United States v. Kagama'', 118 U.S. 375 (1886), was a United States Supreme Court case that upheld the constitutionality of the Major Crimes Act of 1885. This Congressional act gave the federal courts jurisdiction in certain Indian-on-Indian ...

United States v. Lara ''United States v. Lara'', 541 U.S. 193 (2004), was a United States Supreme Court landmark case which held that both the United States and a Native American (Indian) tribe could prosecute an Indian for the same acts that constituted crimes in bo ...

Oliphant v. Suquamish Indian Tribe ''Oliphant v. Suquamish Indian Tribe'', 435 U.S. 191 (1978), is a United States Supreme Court case deciding that Indian tribal courts have no criminal jurisdiction over non-Indians.. The case was decided on March 6, 1978 with a 6–2 majority. Th ...

Montana v. United States ''Montana v. United States'', 450 U.S. 544 (1981), was a Supreme Court case that addressed two issues: (1) Whether the title of the Big Horn Riverbed rested with the United States, in trust for the Crow Nation or passed to the State of Montana up ...

California v. Cabazon Band of Mission Indians ''California v. Cabazon Band of Mission Indians'', 480 U.S. 202 (1987), was a United States Supreme Court case involving the development of Native American gaming. The Supreme Court's decision effectively overturned the existing laws restricting g ...

Duro v. Reina ''Duro v. Reina'', 495 U.S. 676 (1990), was a United States Supreme Court case in which the Court concluded that Indian tribes could not prosecute Indians who were members of other tribes for crimes committed by those nonmember Indians on their re ...

Plains Commerce Bank v. Long Family Land and Cattle Co., Inc. ''Plains Commerce Bank v. Long Family Land and Cattle Co., Inc.'', 554 U.S. 316 (2008), is a decision by the Supreme Court of the United States holding that a tribal court had no jurisdiction to hear a case for discrimination against an Indian in ...

Dollar General Corp. v. Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians ''Dollar General Corp. v. Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians'', 579 U.S. ___ (2016), was a United States Supreme Court case in which the Court was asked to determine if an American Indian tribal court had the jurisdiction to hear a civil case ...

White Mountain Apache Tribe v. Bracker ''White Mountain Apache Tribe v. Bracker'', 448 U.S. 136 (1980), was a case in which the Supreme Court of the United States holding that Arizona, Arizona's taxes that were assessed against a non-Indian contractor that was working exclusively for ...

Montana v. United States ''Montana v. United States'', 450 U.S. 544 (1981), was a Supreme Court case that addressed two issues: (1) Whether the title of the Big Horn Riverbed rested with the United States, in trust for the Crow Nation or passed to the State of Montana up ...

California v. Cabazon Band of Mission Indians ''California v. Cabazon Band of Mission Indians'', 480 U.S. 202 (1987), was a United States Supreme Court case involving the development of Native American gaming. The Supreme Court's decision effectively overturned the existing laws restricting g ...

Inyo County v. Paiute-Shoshone Indians of the Bishop Community ''Inyo County v. Paiute-Shoshone Indians of the Bishop Community'', 538 U.S. 701 (2003), was a United States Supreme Court case. Background The Bishop Paiute Tribe of California owns and operates the Paiute Palace Casino. The Inyo County Distr ...

McGirt v. Oklahoma ''McGirt v. Oklahoma'', 591 U.S. ___ (2020), was a landmark United States Supreme Court case which ruled that, as pertaining to the Major Crimes Act, much of the eastern portion of the state of Oklahoma remains as Native American lands of the pr ...

Sharp v. Murphy ''Sharp v. Murphy'', 591 U.S. ___ (2020), was a Supreme Court of the United States case of whether United States Congress, Congress disestablished the Muscogee (Creek) Nation reservation. After holding the case from the 2018 term, the case was dec ...

United States v. Nice ''United States v. Nice'', 241 U.S. 591 (1916), is a United States Supreme Court decision which declared that United States Congress, Congress still retains plenary power to protect Native Americans in the United States, Native American interests ...

Oklahoma Tax Commission v. United States ''Oklahoma Tax Commission v. United States'', 319 U.S. 598 (1943), was a case in which the Supreme Court of the United States held that Indian land that Congress has exempted from direct taxation by a state is also exempt from state estate taxes. ...

United States v. Sioux Nation of Indians ''United States v. Sioux Nation of Indians'', 448 U.S. 371 (1980), was a United States Supreme Court case in which the Court held that: 1) the enactment by Congress of a law allowing the Sioux Nation to pursue a claim against the United States tha ...

Hodel v. Irving ''Hodel v. Irving'', 481 U.S. 704 (1987), is a case in which the U.S. Supreme Court held that a statute ordering the escheat of fractional interests in real property which had been bequeathed to members of the Oglala Sioux tribe was an unconstitu ...

South Dakota v. Bourland ''South Dakota v. Bourland'', 508 U.S. 679 (1993), was a case in which the Supreme Court of the United States held that Congress specifically abrogated treaty rights with the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe as to hunting and fishing rights on reservati ...

Plains Commerce Bank v. Long Family Land and Cattle Co., Inc. ''Plains Commerce Bank v. Long Family Land and Cattle Co., Inc.'', 554 U.S. 316 (2008), is a decision by the Supreme Court of the United States holding that a tribal court had no jurisdiction to hear a case for discrimination against an Indian in ...

Lone Wolf v. Hitchcock ''Lone Wolf v. Hitchcock'', 187 U.S. 553 (1903), was a United States Supreme Court case brought against the US government by the Kiowa chief Lone Wolf, who charged that Native American tribes under the Medicine Lodge Treaty had been defrauded of ...

Plains Commerce Bank v. Long Family Land and Cattle Co., Inc. ''Plains Commerce Bank v. Long Family Land and Cattle Co., Inc.'', 554 U.S. 316 (2008), is a decision by the Supreme Court of the United States holding that a tribal court had no jurisdiction to hear a case for discrimination against an Indian in ...

United States v. Shoshone Tribe of Indians ''United States v. Shoshone Tribe of Indians of the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming'', 304 U.S. 111 (1938), was a Supreme Court of the United States, United States Supreme Court case in which the Court held that mineral rights on a reservation b ...

Merrion v. Jicarilla Apache Tribe ''Merrion v. Jicarilla Apache Tribe'', 455 U.S. 130 (1982), was a case in which the Supreme Court of the United States holding that an Indian tribe has the authority to impose taxes on non-Indians that are conducting business on the reservation as ...

Idaho v. United States ''Idaho v. United States'', 533 U.S. 262 (2001), was a United States Supreme Court case in which the Court held that the United States, not the state of Idaho, held title to lands submerged under Lake Coeur d'Alene and the St. Joe River, and that ...

McClanahan v. Arizona State Tax Comm'n ''McClanahan v. Arizona State Tax Comm'n'', 411 U.S. 164 (1973), was a case in which the Supreme Court of the United States holding that Arizona has no jurisdiction to impose a tax on the income of Navajo Indians residing on the Navajo Reservatio ...