United States v. Navajo Nation
United States Supreme Court
537 U.S. 488 (2003)
After the Secretary of the Interior refused to approve recommended royalty increases for coal-mining leases on Navajo land, the Navajo Nation (plaintiff) sued the United States for breach of trust, and the trial and appellate courts found the Secretary had improperly withheld approval to protect a coal company's interests rather than the tribe's. The government appealed to the Supreme Court, arguing the Indian Mineral Leasing Act (IMLA) placed coal-lease negotiation authority with the tribe itself, leaving the Secretary only a limited approval role rather than any detailed management responsibility that could give rise to a breach-of-trust claim.
Whether the federal government no longer holds liability for negotiating royalties paid for coal mining leases on Indian land because the Indian Mineral Leasing Act gave tribes authority to negotiate those leases themselves, subject to the secretary of the interior's approval.