Yellen v. Confederated Tribes of Chehalis Reservation
View Official PDFBelow are plain-language sections to help you understand what the Court decided in Yellen v. Confederated Tribes of Chehalis Reservation and why it matters. Quotes are taken from the syllabus (the Court’s short summary at the start of the opinion).
Summary
A short, plain-English overview of Yellen v. Confederated Tribes of Chehalis Reservation.
The Supreme Court decided that Alaska Native Corporations (ANCs) are considered "Indian tribes" under the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (ISDA) and are thus eligible for funding under Title V of the CARES Act. The decision reversed the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, which had previously ruled against the eligibility of ANCs. The Court's interpretation focused on the statutory definitions and the longstanding administrative understanding of ANCs' status.
Holding
The single most important “bottom line” of what the Court decided in Yellen v. Confederated Tribes of Chehalis Reservation.
The Court held that ANCs are "Indian tribe[s]" under ISDA and eligible for funding under Title V of the CARES Act.
Constitutional Concepts
These are the Constitution-related themes that appear in Yellen v. Confederated Tribes of Chehalis Reservation. Click a concept to see other cases that involve the same idea.
-
Why State–Federal Power is relevant to Yellen v. Confederated Tribes of Chehalis Reservation
The case involves the allocation of federal funds to tribal entities, which implicates the balance of power between federal authority and tribal recognition.
Syllabus excerpt (verbatim)The question in these cases is whether Alaska Native Corporations (ANCs) are eligible to receive any of that $8 billion.
-
Why Spending Power is relevant to Yellen v. Confederated Tribes of Chehalis Reservation
The case concerns Congress's authority to allocate federal funds under the CARES Act to specific entities, which is an exercise of its spending power.
Syllabus excerpt (verbatim)Title V of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act allocates $8 billion to 'Tribal governments' to compensate for unbudgeted expenditures made in response to COVID–19.
-
Why Administrative Law is relevant to Yellen v. Confederated Tribes of Chehalis Reservation
The decision involves the interpretation of statutory definitions by federal agencies, which is a matter of administrative law.
Syllabus excerpt (verbatim)Consistent with the Department of the Interior's longstanding view that ANCs are Indian tribes under ISDA, the Department of the Treasury determined that ANCs are eligible for relief under Title V of the CARES Act.
Key Quotes
Short excerpts from the syllabus in Yellen v. Confederated Tribes of Chehalis Reservation that support the summary and concepts above.
ANCs are "Indian tribe[s]" under ISDA and thus eligible for funding under Title V of the CARES Act.
Under the plain meaning of ISDA, ANCs are Indian tribes.
Respondents also warn that blessing ANCs' status under ISDA will give ANCs ammunition to press for participation in other statutes.
