Subject Matter: Breach of Trust and Water Rights
History: Petition was filed on 4/17/22. Petition was granted on 11/4/2022, consolidated with No. 22-51 (Department of the Interior v. Navajo Nation). Case was decided on 6/22/23.
Rulings Below: Navajo Nation v. Department of the Interior. 996 F.3d 623. Navajo Nation v. Department of the Interior. 26 F.4th 794.
Subject Matter: Indian Child Welfare Act
History: Petition was filed on 9/3/21. Petition was granted on 2/28/22. The petitions for certiorari in No. 21-377 (Cherokee Nation v. Brackeen); No. 21-378 (Texas v. Haaland); and No. 21-380 (Brackeen v. Haaland) have been consolidated, and future filings and activity in the cases will now be reflected on the docket of No. 21-376. Case was decided on 6/15/23.
Ruling Below: Brackeen v. Bernhardt. 937 F.3d 406.
Subject Matter: Tribal sovereign immunity from suit under the Bankruptcy Code
History: Petition was filed on 9/12/22. Petition was granted 1/13/23. Case was decided on 6/15/23.
Ruling Below: Coughlin v. Lac du Flambeau Band of LakeSuperior Chippewa Indians. 33 F.4th 600.
Subject Matter: State criminal jurisdiction over non-Indians in Indian country
History: Petition was filed on 3/2/22. Petition was granted on 10/3/22. Judgment vacated and and case remanded for further consideration in light of Oklahoma v. Castro-Huerta (See GVR Order).
Subject Matter: Tribal official personal immunity from suit
History: Petition was filed on 5/20/22. Petition was denied on 10/3/22.
Ruling Below: Acres v. Marston. 72.Cal.App.5th 417.
Subject Matter: Tribal court exhaustion and jurisdiction; tribal sovereign immunity from suit
History: Petition was filed on 4/6/22. Petition was denied on 10/3/22.
Ruling Below: Becker v. Ute Indian Tribe. 7 F.4th 945.
Subject Matter: Tribal regulatory and adjudicatory jurisdiction over non-Indian entity
History: Petition was filed on 7/19/22. Petition was denied on 12/12/22.
Ruling Below: Big Horn Co. Electric Cooperative v. Big Man. 2022 WL 738623.
Subject Matter: State court transfer of child custody proceeding to tribal court
History: Petition was filed on 3/30/22. Petition was denied on 6/26/23.
Subject Matter: Tribal sovereign immunity from suit in tort actions
History: Petition was filed on 6/7/22. Petition was denied on 10/3/22.
Ruling Below: Lopez v. Quaempts. 2022 WL 5561997.
Subject Matter: Equitable estoppel against the federal government as trustee for Indian lands; Trust status of allotted land at the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation
Ruling Below: Grondal v. United States. 21 F.4th 1140.
Subject Matter: Determination of Indian under the Major Crimes Act, 18 U.S.C. Sec. 1153
History: Petition was filed on 2/4/22. Petition was denied on 10/11/22.
Subject Matter: Determination of Indian under the Major Crimes Act, 18 U.S.C. Sec. 1153
History: Petition was filed on 2/25/22. Petition was denied on 10/11/22.
Subject Matter: Federal prosecution of an Indian for a crime in Indian country under state law
History: Petition was filed on 2/16/23. Petition was denied on 3/20/23.
Related Proceedings: United States v. Smith, No. 21-35036 (9th Cir.), 2022 WL 3102454 and United States v. Smith, No. 17-30248 (9th Cir.), 925 F.3d 410.
Subject Matter: Article III standing and right the right of non-parties to appeal
History: Petition was filed on 1/10/23. Petition was denied on 3/20/23.
Ruling Below: Spokane Indian Tribe v. Sulgrove, 2022 WL 3083310.
Cert Granted - Petitions for certiorari that were granted in Indian law-related cases.
Cert Denied - Petitions for certiorari that were denied in Indian law-related cases.
Find past years' cases in the Indian Law Bulletins archive.
See also the website for the Tribal Supreme Court Project for additional case information related including update memos and case pleadings.
The Nomination of Ketanji Brown Jackson: An Indian Law Perspective from the Tribal Supreme Court Project, Native American Rights Fund
Indian Law Bulletins are a current awareness service of the National Indian Law Library. The purpose of the Indian Law Bulletins is to provide succinct and timely information about new developments in Indian Law. See the "about" page for each bulletin for specific information on monitoring, content selection criteria, and timeliness of publication.
Learn more about the Supreme Court Indian Law Bulletin.
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