On June 29, 2022, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) delivered a decision that reverberated throughout all of Indian Country. In the case of Oklahoma v. Castro-Huerta, the Court held that “the Federal Government and the State have concurrent jurisdiction to prosecute crimes committed by non-Indians against Indians in Indian country.” In response to this decision the American Indian Policy Institute is providing consolidated resources in one place for those interested in learning more about the Castro-Huerta decision and implications for Tribal sovereignty.
The decision in Castro-Huerta directly contradicts long-settled legal precedent surrounding Tribal criminal jurisdiction and is a monumental step backward in the inherent sovereignty of Native...