Yankton Sioux Tribe of Indians v. United States

Background

A group of Yankton Santee Sioux Indians claimed ownership of the Red Pipestone Quarries, a 648‑acre tract in Minnesota that they had used for making ceremonial pipes for generations. By an 1858 treaty they ceded other lands but were guaranteed the “free and unrestricted use” of the quarry, and the area was later surveyed. In the 1894 agreement Congress included Article XVI offering an either/or promise: refer the ownership question to the Supreme Court, or, if the Secretary of the Interior did not do so, the fee title would vest in the tribe. The Secretary did not refer the matter, Congress later treated the issue inconsistently, and the Court of Claims ultimately held the tribe only had a right to use the quarry, not full ownership.

Reasoning

The Court examined whether the alternative promise in Article XVI could be treated as void because direct referral to this Court was impossible. It found that even if the first alternative could not be performed, the United States had assumed the risk and must honor the second alternative. The opinion emphasized the quarry’s long history, religious importance to the tribes, and the Indians’ reasonable reliance on the Government’s promise. The Court therefore reversed the Court of Claims and concluded the tribe holds the tract in fee.

Real world impact

Because the United States has taken and now holds the land, the tribe cannot be returned to physical possession; instead the Court held they are entitled to just compensation as for an eminent‑domain taking. The ruling requires the Government to pay the tribe for the 648‑acre tract.