The plaintiffs in this lawsuit are two bands of the Cherokee Indian nation and three individual Cherokee Indians. The plaintiffs claimed that the land along the Little Tennessee River which would be flooded by the Tellico Reservoir is sacred to the Cherokee religion and a vital part of the Cherokee religious practices. The land includes several old Cherokee settlements and burial grounds with religious significance to the Cherokee people.

The federal judge ruled in favor of TVA and the case was appealed to the 6th District Court of Appeals. The Court of Appeals upheld the lower court's decision. The images selected include the original Complaint to the district court, two affidavits written in Cherokee language, and exhibits submitted to the court.