California Valley Miwok Tribe v. United States

Opinion for the Court filed by Circuit Judge GRIFFITH.

GRIFFITH, Circuit Judge.

Since the days of John Marshall, it has been a bedrock principle of federal Indian law that every tribe is “capable of managing its own affairs and governing itself.” Cherokee Nation v. Georgia, 30 U.S. (5 Pet.) 1, 16, 8 L.Ed. 25 (1831); see also Worcester v. Georgia, 31 U.S. (6 Pet.) 515, 559, 8 L.Ed. 483 (1832) (stating that tribes are “distinct, independent political communities, retaining their' original natural rights”). But tribes that want federal benefits must adhere to federal requirements. The gateway to…