Arizona v. Navajo Nation

Decided June 22, 2023. Brett M. Kavanaugh delivered the opinion of the Court.

Docket 21-1484 · 599 U.S. 555 (2023) · Cited 17 times

Holding

The 1868 treaty establishing the Navajo Reservation reserved necessary water to accomplish the purpose of the Navajo Reservation but did not require the United States to take affirmative steps to secure water for the Tribe.

The Court’s statement of the holding, from the opinion’s syllabus. The syllabus is prepared by the Reporter of Decisions and is not part of the opinion of the Court. Read the official opinion for authority.

How the Justices voted

Decided 5–4.

“Concurring” means agreeing with the outcome; any split shown is the Court’s judgment, not each Justice’s reasoning. The lineup is the syllabus’s disposition of who wrote and joined each opinion. Source: the opinion’s syllabus (supremecourt.gov).

Precedents cited

Supreme Court decisions this opinion relies on, ordered by how often it cites each. Cases in our collection link through; others are named.

• United States v. Jicarilla Apache Nation · 564 U.S. 162 (2011)
• Winters v. United States · 207 U.S. 564 (1908)
• United States v. Navajo Nation · 537 U.S. 488 (2003)
• Choctaw Nation v. United States · 318 U.S. 423 (1943)
• United States v. Mitchell · 463 U.S. 206 (1983)
• Haaland v. Brackeen · 599 U.S. 255 (2023)
• Arizona v. California · 460 U.S. 605 (1983)
• Moe v. Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Reservation · 425 U.S. 463 (1976)
• United States v. Navajo Nation · 556 U.S. 287 (2009)
• Arizona v. California · 373 U.S. 546 (1963)
• Seminole Nation v. United States · 316 U.S. 286 (1942)
• Minnesota v. Mille Lacs Band of Chippewa Indians · 526 U.S. 172 (1999)
• Cappaert v. United States · 426 U.S. 128 (1976)
• United States v. Mitchell · 445 U.S. 535 (1980)
• United States v. White Mountain Apache Tribe · 537 U.S. 465 (2003)
• Tulee v. Washington · 315 U.S. 681 (1942)
• Board of County Commissioners v. Seber · 318 U.S. 705 (1943)
• Morton v. Mancari · 417 U.S. 535 (1974)
• Pegram v. Herdrich · 530 U.S. 211 (2000)
• Countyof Oneida v. Oneida Indian Nation of NY · 470 U.S. 226 (1985)
• Washington v. Washington State Commercial Passenger Fishing Vessel Assn. · 443 U.S. 658 (1979)
• Nevada v. United States · 463 U.S. 110 (1983)
• Blatchford v. Native Village of Noatak · 501 U.S. 775 (1991)
• Washington v. Confederated Bands & Tribes of the Yakima Indian Nation · 439 U.S. 463 (1979)
• Air France v. Saks · 470 U.S. 392 (1985)
• United States v. Winans · 198 U.S. 371 (1905)
• United States v. Tohono O’odham Nation · 563 U.S. 307 (2011)
• Bond v. United States · 572 U.S. 844 (2014)
• BG Group, PLC v. Republic of Argentina · 572 U.S. 25 (2014)
• Jones v. Meehan · 175 U.S. 1 (1899)

Cited by

Later Supreme Court opinions in our collection that cite this case.

• Rudisill v. McDonough · 601 U.S. 294 (2024)

Official text

Read the official opinion (PDF, supremecourt.gov)

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Source: Supreme Court of the United States, slip opinions (2023). Citation count from the Free Law Project’s CourtListener bulk data. Data last verified 2026-08-15. Informational only; verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).