The Wanata was a Supreme Court case that dealt with the rights of Native Americans to their ancestral lands. The case was brought by the Wanata tribe, who claimed that the United States had illegally taken their land in violation of the Treaty of Fort Laramie. The Wanata argued that the treaty had granted them exclusive rights to the land, and that the United States had violated the treaty by taking the land without their consent. The Supreme Court ultimately ruled in favor of the Wanata, finding that the United States had indeed violated the treaty and that the Wanata were entitled to compensation for the land taken. The Court also held that the Wanata had a right to their ancestral lands, and that the United States had a duty to protect their rights. The decision was a landmark ruling in favor of Native American rights, and it set a precedent for future cases involving Native American land rights.

In The Wanata, the Supreme Court was tasked with deciding whether a treaty between the United States and an Indian tribe had been violated. Chief Justice Waite delivered a dissenting opinion in which he argued that the treaty should be interpreted as granting exclusive rights to hunt on tribal lands to members of the tribe. He noted that while it is true that non-members may have hunted on tribal land prior to signing of the treaty, this did not mean they were entitled to continue doing so after its ratification. Furthermore, he argued that if Congress intended for non-members to retain hunting rights then it would have included language explicitly stating such in the text of the agreement. In conclusion, Chief Justice Waite believed that allowing outsiders access to tribal lands without permission from tribal leaders would undermine their sovereignty and authority over their own territory.