The New York Indians, 1866 was a landmark Supreme Court case that established the rights of Native Americans to sue in federal court. The case involved a group of Seneca Indians who had been denied access to their ancestral lands by the state of New York. The Senecas argued that they were entitled to compensation for the land taken from them and sought relief through an action brought against the state in federal court. In its ruling, the Supreme Court held that Native American tribes are "domestic dependent nations" with certain inherent sovereignty rights which must be respected by states and Congress alike. Furthermore, it recognized tribal members' right to bring suit against states in federal courts without having first obtained congressional approval or consent from any other party. This decision set an important precedent for future cases involving indigenous peoples’ legal claims against governments and corporations over land disputes as well as other matters related to their sovereignty rights under U.S law

In The New York Indians, the Supreme Court was asked to decide whether a treaty between the United States and certain Indian tribes in New York State had been violated. In an 8-1 decision, the court held that it had not. Justice Field wrote a dissenting opinion arguing that Congress did not have authority to pass laws affecting Native American tribes without their consent. He argued that this power should be reserved for tribal governments themselves, as they are sovereign entities with inherent rights of self-governance. Furthermore, he maintained that any legislation passed by Congress must be consistent with existing treaties or agreements between the federal government and Native Americans in order to be valid under international law principles of comity and good faith. Finally, he noted that even if such legislation were found to be constitutional on its face, it would still need to comply with other provisions of U.S law which protect Native American rights from infringement by state or federal authorities