United States v. Navajo Nation

Summary

The Court held that the Navajo Nation could not recover damages from the United States under the Indian Tucker Act because the Indian Mineral Leasing Act and its implementing regulations did not impose specific, compensation-mandating fiduciary duties governing the Secretary's approval of the coal-lease amendments. The Court distinguished the statute's limited approval role from a comprehensive federal management scheme and rejected reliance on unrelated statutory provisions. Justice Souter, dissenting, would have affirmed because the approval requirement created a substantial fiduciary obligation sufficient to let the Tribe's claims proceed beyond summary judgment.