The Cayuga was a case heard by the United States Supreme Court in 1872. The case involved a dispute between the Cayuga Indians and the State of New York over the ownership of certain lands. The Cayuga Indians claimed that they had been granted the lands by the state in 1795, and that the state had subsequently taken the lands without their consent. The state argued that the lands had been granted to them by the federal government in 1807, and that the Cayuga had no legal claim to the lands. The Supreme Court ultimately sided with the Cayuga Indians, ruling that the state had taken the lands without the consent of the Cayuga Indians. The Court held that the state had violated the Nonintercourse Act of 1790, which prohibited the transfer of Indian lands without the consent of the Indians. The Court also held that the state had failed to provide the Cayuga with just compensation for the lands taken. As a result, the Court ordered the state to pay the Cayuga Indians for the lands taken.

In The Cayuga, the Supreme Court was tasked with determining whether a Native American tribe had the right to sue in federal court. Justice Field delivered the dissenting opinion, arguing that Congress had not intended for Indian tribes to be able to bring suit against states in federal court. He argued that allowing such suits would create an imbalance of power between state and tribal governments which could lead to chaos and unrest. Furthermore, he noted that if tribes were allowed access to federal courts it would undermine their sovereignty as they would no longer have exclusive control over their own affairs. Ultimately, Justice Field concluded that while Indians should have some legal recourse when wronged by states or individuals, this should come from Congress rather than through direct access to federal courts.