Inyo County, California v. Paiute-Shoshone Indians of the Bishop Community of the Bishop Colony

Summary

The Court held that a Native American Tribe does not qualify as a 'person' entitled to sue under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 to vindicate sovereign immunity rights. The Court remanded for consideration of whether federal jurisdiction existed under other federal laws. Justice Stevens concurred in the judgment, disagreeing on whether tribes are 'persons' under the statute.