Record Group 267: Records of the Supreme Court of the United States
The National Archives houses historical records of the Supreme Court of the United States in Record Group 267.
These records document the Supreme Court’s role in adjudicating numerous cases related to American Indians and Alaska Natives.
Agency Overview
Article III of the Constitution established the U.S. Supreme Court.
As the nation’s highest court, the Supreme Court of the United States has appellate jurisdiction over all federal and state court cases that involve matters of federal law, as well as original jurisdiction over certain cases as outlined in the Constitution (e.g., cases involving ambassadors and cases between states).
Since its establishment in 1789, the Supreme Court has heard and decided numerous cases impacting American Indians and Alaska Natives. Some of the issues addressed in these cases include:
- Tribal sovereignty
- Land ownership and use
- Water and mineral rights
- Criminal jurisdiction
- Civil jurisdiction
- Enforcement of treaty rights
- Economic and financial matters
- Religion and culture
- Adoption
Records Overview
Appellate Jurisdiction Case Files
Textual records of cases appealed to the Supreme Court from lower courts are found in the series, “Appellate Jurisdiction Case Files, 1792–2017” (National Archives Identifier 301668). This series is housed at the National Archives in Washington, DC. Learn more about the U.S. Supreme Court Appellate Case Files.
Examples
Below are select cases within this series related to American Indians and Alaska Natives. For more information about these and other appellate jurisdiction case files related to American Indians and Alaska Natives, please contact the Archives 1 Reference Branch at archives1reference@nara.gov.
- Johnson v. M’Intosh, 21 U.S. 543 (1823), Supreme Court Case No. 1105
- Digitized in the National Archives Catalog: National Archives Identifier 178788901
- Worcester v. State of Georgia, 31 U.S. 515 (1832), Supreme Court Case No. 1706
- United States v. Holliday, 70 U.S. 407 (1865), Supreme Court Case No. 4461
- In re Kansas Indians, 72 U.S. 737 (1866), Supreme Court Case Nos. 4845–4847
- United States v. Kagama, 118 U.S. 375 (1886), Supreme Court Case No. 11932
- Lone Wolf v. Hitchcock, 187 U.S. 553 (1903), Supreme Court Case No. 18454
- Digitized in the National Archives Catalog: National Archives Identifier 329121331
- United States v. Winans, 198 U.S. 371 (1905), Supreme Court Case No. 19213
- United States v. Sandoval, 231 U.S. 28 (1913), Supreme Court Case No. 23373
- Carpenter v. Shaw, 280 U.S. 363 (1930), Supreme Court Case No. 34075
- Seminole Nation v. United States, 316 U.S. 286 (1942), Supreme Court Case No. 348 October Term 1941
- Tulee v. State of Washington, 315 U.S. 681 (1942), Supreme Court Case No. 318 October Term 1941
- Menominee Tribe v. United States, 391 U.S. 404 (1968), Supreme Court Case No. 187 October Term 1967
- Morton v. Mancari, 417 U.S. 535 (1974), Supreme Court Case No. 73-362
- United States v. Wheeler, 435 U.S. 313 (1978), Supreme Court Case No. 76-1629
- Santa Clara Pueblo v. Martinez, 436 U.S. 49 (1978), Supreme Court Case No. 76-682
- Montana v. United States, 450 U.S. 544 (1981), Supreme Court Case No. 79-1128
- Solem v. Bartlett, 465 U.S. 463 (1984), Supreme Court Case No. 82-1253
- California v. Cabazon Band of Mission Indians, 480 U.S. 202 (1987), Supreme Court Case No. 85-1708
- Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians v. Holyfield, 490 U.S. 30 (1989), Supreme Court Case No. 87-980
- Alaska v. Native Village of Venetie, 522 U.S. 520 (1998), Supreme Court Case No. 96-1577
- Nevada v. Hicks, 533 U.S. 353 (2001), Supreme Court Case No. 99-1994
- Carcieri v Salazar, 555 U.S. 379 (2009), Supreme Court Case No. 07-526
- Adoptive Couple v. Baby Girl, 570 U.S. 637 (2013), Supreme Court Case No. 12-399
Original Jurisdiction Case Files
Records of cases heard originally by the Supreme Court (i.e., not appealed from lower courts) are found in the series, “Original Jurisdiction Case Files, 1792–1998” (National Archives Identifier 597292). The series is housed at the National Archives in Washington, DC.
There is a two-part finding aid available in the Archives 1 Consultation Room: part 1 lists the cases chronologically by year and part 2 lists the cases alphabetically by case name. For a digital copy of this finding aid, please contact the Archives 1 Reference Branch at archives1reference@nara.gov.
Examples
Below are select cases within this series related to American Indians and Alaska Natives. For more information about these and other original jurisdiction case files related to American Indians and Alaska Natives, please contact the Archives 1 Reference Branch at archives1reference@nara.gov.
- Cherokee Nation v. State of Georgia, 20 U.S. 1 (1831), National Archives Identifier 38995559
- Ex parte Crow Dog, 109 U.S. 556 (1883)
Related Records
The Supreme Court began recording oral arguments in the 1955 October Term and printing transcripts of oral arguments in the 1968 October Term.
- Transcripts of Supreme Court oral arguments are located at the National Archives in Washington, DC.
- Audio recordings of Supreme Court oral arguments are located in the Moving Image and Sound Branch at the National Archives at College Park, Maryland.
For more information, see U.S. Supreme Court Oral Arguments.