New Mexico et al. v. Mescalero Apache Tribe

Decided June 13, 1983. Thurgood Marshall delivered the opinion of the Court.

Docket 82-331 · 462 U.S. 324 (1983) · Cited 405 times

Holding

The application of New Mexico's laws to on-reservation hunting and fishing by nonmembers of the Tribe is pre-empted by the operation of federal law.

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 9–0.

“Concurring” means agreeing with the outcome; any split shown is the Court’s judgment, not each Justice’s reasoning. Source: the Supreme Court Database (Spaeth et al.), Washington University.

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.

• Montana v. United States · 450 U.S. 544 (1981)
• Ramah Navajo School Bd., Inc. v. Bureau of Revenue of NM · 458 U.S. 832 (1982)
• White Mountain Apache Tribe v. Bracker · 448 U.S. 136 (1980)
• Washington v. Confederated Tribes of the Colville Indian Reservation · 447 U.S. 134 (1980)
• Puyallup Tribe, Inc. v. Department of Game of Washington · 433 U.S. 165 (1977)
• McClanahan v. Arizona State Tax Commission · 411 U.S. 164 (1973)
• Moe v. Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Reservation · 425 U.S. 463 (1976)
• Mescalero Apache Tribe v. Jones · 411 U.S. 145 (1973)
• Merrion v. Jicarilla Apache Tribe · 455 U.S. 130 (1982)
• Fisher v. District Court of the Sixteenth Judicial District of Montana · 424 U.S. 382 (1976)
• Hines v. Davidowitz · 312 U.S. 52 (1941)
• Williams v. Lee · 358 U.S. 217 (1959)
• United States v. Mazurie · 419 U.S. 544 (1975)
• Warren Trading Post Co. v. Arizona Tax Commission · 380 U.S. 685 (1965)
• Kennerly v. District Court of the Ninth Judicial District of Montana · 400 U.S. 423 (1971)
• Morton v. Mancari · 417 U.S. 535 (1974)
• Santa Clara Pueblo v. Martinez · 436 U.S. 49 (1978)
• United States v. Wheeler · 435 U.S. 313 (1978)
• Oneida Indian Nation v. County of Oneida · 414 U.S. 661 (1974)
• United States v. Kagama · 118 U.S. 375 (1886)
• Oliphant v. Suquamish Indian Tribe · 435 U.S. 191 (1978)
• Washington v. Confederated Bands & Tribes of the Yakima Indian Nation · 439 U.S. 463 (1979)
• United States v. Winans · 198 U.S. 371 (1905)
• Menominee Tribe of Indians v. United States · 391 U.S. 404 (1968)
• Central MacHinery Co. v. Arizona State Tax Commission · 448 U.S. 160 (1980)

Cited by

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

• BRENDALE v. CONFEDERATED TRIBES AND BANDS OF THE YAKIMA INDIAN NATION Et Al. · 492 U.S. 408 (1989)
• California v. Cabazon Band of Mission Indians · 480 U.S. 202 (1987)
• National Farmers Union Insurance v. Crow Tribe of Indians · 471 U.S. 845 (1985)
• Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Reservation v. Wold Engineering, P. C. · 476 U.S. 877 (1986)
• Arizona v. San Carlos Apache Tribe of Ariz. · 463 U.S. 545 (1983)
• Seminole Tribe of Florida v. Florida · 517 U.S. 44 (1996)
• County of Yakima v. Confederated Tribes & Bands of the Yakima Indian Nation · 502 U.S. 251 (1992)
• Duro v. Reina · 495 U.S. 676 (1990)
• Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Reservation v. Wold Engineering, P. C. · 467 U.S. 138 (1984)
• Minnesota v. Mille Lacs Band of Chippewa Indians · 526 U.S. 172 (1999)
• Cotton Petroleum Corp. v. New Mexico · 490 U.S. 163 (1989)
• Plains Commerce Bank v. Long Family Land & Cattle Co. · 554 U.S. 316 (2008)
• Rice v. Rehner · 463 U.S. 713 (1983)
• Oklahoma v. Castro-Huerta · 597 U.S. 629 (2022)
• Haaland v. Brackeen · 599 U.S. 255 (2023)

Official text

Read the official opinion (U.S. Reports, govinfo.gov)

Explore from here

Thurgood Marshall’s profile · All Supreme Court opinions · The Supreme Court

Source: Supreme Court of the United States, slip opinions (1983). Citation count from the Free Law Project’s CourtListener bulk data. Data last verified 2026-07-03. Informational only; verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).