Lone Wolf v. Hitchcock (1900)
- Docket
- 275
- Decided
- 1900-1940-
Summary
Question: Can treaties between the United States and American Indian tribes be broken unilaterally by Congress under its plenary power? Conclusion: In a unanimous decision, the Court affirmed the Court of Appeals and upheld the Congressional action. The Court rejected the Indians' argument that Congress' action was a taking under the Due Process Clause of the Fifth Amendment. Justice Edward D. White reasoned that matters involving Indian lands were the sole jurisdiction of Congress. Congress therefore had the power to "abrogate the provisions of an Indian treaty," including the two-million acre change. Justice John M. Harlan concurred in the judgment.