In the United States v. Cherokee Nation case of 1905, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the government was not liable to pay interest on funds it held in trust for the Cherokee Nation. The dispute arose from an 1835 treaty between the U.S. and Cherokee Nation, which required payment to be made by installments over a period of years for lands ceded by Cherokees in Georgia and other states. However, due to various reasons including political issues and war with Mexico, payments were delayed causing loss of potential investment income for Cherokees who argued they should receive interest on these late payments as compensation. The court disagreed stating that while there had been delays in payment, this did not constitute a breach of obligation because no specific time frame was stipulated within which all installments must be paid under terms of treaty agreement itself; hence no liability could accrue against government for non-payment or delay thereof unless such provision existed explicitly within contract language agreed upon parties involved at outset.

In the dissenting opinion for United States v. Cherokee Nation, it was argued that the majority's decision to deny compensation to the Cherokee Nation for lands taken by white settlers under a treaty with the U.S. government was unjust and inconsistent with previous rulings of similar cases. The dissent emphasized that treaties are not mere contracts but rather solemn obligations between nations which should be interpreted liberally in favor of indigenous tribes who have historically been at a disadvantage in negotiations due to language barriers and cultural differences. It also pointed out that even if there were ambiguities or uncertainties in interpreting certain provisions of these treaties, they should be resolved against those who drafted them - namely, the U.S government - as per standard contract law principles applied by courts across jurisdictions worldwide. Furthermore, it criticized how such an interpretation could potentially undermine trust and good faith between Native American tribes and federal authorities going forward.