White Mountain Apache Tribe v. Bracker

The White Mountain Apache Tribe (plaintiff) harvested reservation timber through its own company, which hired non-Indian contractor Pinetop Logging (plaintiff) under a federally approved contract to operate entirely on the reservation. Arizona (defendant) assessed a carrier license tax and a fuel excise tax against Pinetop; Pinetop paid under protest and sued to enjoin the taxes as preempted and as interfering with tribal self-government, and the Tribe intervened, having agreed to reimburse Pinetop. Arizona courts upheld the taxes, and the Supreme Court granted certiorari.

Whether federal law preempts state regulation of commercial activity conducted by non-Indians on a reservation when the state regulation would disrupt a comprehensive federal regulatory scheme or infringe tribal self-governance.