Cherokee Nation v. Georgia
United States Supreme Court
30 U.S. 1 (1831)
Relevant factsFree
Georgia (defendant) enacted laws to seize land promised to the Cherokee Nation (plaintiff) under federal treaties. The Cherokee Nation filed a motion for an injunction directly with the U.S. Supreme Court, invoking the Court's original jurisdiction over disputes between a state and a foreign nation on the theory that the Cherokee Nation itself qualified as a foreign nation under Article III.
IssueFree
Whether Indian tribes are foreign nations subject to the Supreme Court's original jurisdiction under Article III of the Constitution.