United States v. Kagama & Another, Indians is a Supreme Court case that was decided in 1886. The case involved two Native American men, Kagama and another, who were charged with violating a federal law that prohibited Native Americans from engaging in certain religious ceremonies. The Supreme Court held that the federal law was constitutional and that the government had the power to regulate Native American religious practices. The Court reasoned that the government had a legitimate interest in protecting the public from the potential harms of Native American religious practices, such as the potential for violence or other criminal activity. The Court also held that the government had the power to regulate Native American religious practices in order to protect the public from the potential harms of such practices. The Court concluded that the federal law was a valid exercise of the government's power to regulate Native American religious practices. The decision in this case established the principle that the government has the power to regulate Native American religious practices in order to protect the public from potential harms.

Justice Field delivered the dissenting opinion in United States v. Kagama & Another, Indians. He argued that Congress had no authority to pass a law which would regulate tribal relations among Native Americans on their own reservations and interfere with the rights of self-government they had been granted by treaty. He noted that treaties were made between two sovereign nations, and thus could not be overruled or amended without consent from both parties involved. Furthermore, he stated that it was wrong for Congress to assume such power over tribes when they have never ceded any part of their sovereignty to the federal government; this is especially true since many tribes are located within states where state laws do not apply due to their status as independent nations under federal protection. Finally, Justice Field concluded his dissent by noting that if Congress did indeed possess such power then it should only be used sparingly and judiciously so as not to infringe upon tribal autonomy or undermine existing treaties between them and the US government.