United States v. Navajo Nation (2003)

United States v. Navajo Nation, 537 U.S. 488 (2003) was a United States Supreme Court case in which the Navajo Nation initiated proceedings alleging that the Secretary of the Interior had breached their fiduciary duty to the Tribe by not acting in the Tribe's best interests.

United States v. Navajo Nation
Supreme Court of the United States
Argued December 2, 2002 Decided March 4, 2003
Full case name	United States v. Navajo Nation
Docket no.	01-1375
Holding
The Indian Mineral Leasing Act of 1938 (IMLA) does not require the Secretary to manage the tribe's resources for the tribe's benefit.
Court membership
Chief Justice William Rehnquist Associate Justices John P. Stevens · Sandra Day O'Connor Antonin Scalia · Anthony Kennedy David Souter · Clarence Thomas Ruth Bader Ginsburg · Stephen Breyer
Case opinions
Majority	Ginsburg, joined by Rehnquist, Scalia, Kennedy, Thomas, Breyer
Dissent	Souter, joined by Stevens, O'Connor

Conclusion

Citing Mitchell II the court found that "The IMLA and its implementing regulations impose no obligations resembling the detailed fiduciary responsibilities that Mitchell II found adequate to support a claim for money damages", reversing the judgment of the United States Court of Appeals and remanding the case.

See also

• United States v. Navajo Nation (2009)
• List of United States Supreme Court cases