United States v. Winans

Under its treaty with the United States, the Yakima Nation retained the exclusive right to fish within its reservation and the right to fish at its usual, historic locations outside the reservation as well. Despite this treaty, Washington State issued fishing licenses to non-tribal individuals, who installed fishing wheels that captured most of the fish in the relevant streams and blocked the Yakimas' access to their traditional fishing grounds. The United States (plaintiff), on the Yakimas' behalf, sued the licensed individuals (defendants) to protect this access, but the federal circuit court ruled for the licensees, and the government appealed.