United States v. Dion
United States Supreme Court
476 U.S. 734 (1986)
Relevant factsFree
Dwight Dion (defendant), a member of the Yankton Sioux, was convicted of shooting four bald eagles on his reservation in violation of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and the Bald Eagle Protection Act (BEPA). Dion argued an 1858 treaty preserved his tribe's right to hunt eagles for personal, non-commercial purposes, and the en banc Eighth Circuit agreed that neither statute overrode that treaty right and vacated his conviction. The Supreme Court granted certiorari.
IssueFree
Whether Congress may abrogate Indian rights under a federal treaty when there is clear evidence that Congress intended to do so.