Court Opinion

ID: 9419879
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-02 22:51:56.422616+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:22:21.054473
License: Public Domain

Mr. Justice Black,
concurring.
Before Congress passed the special Act under which this suit was brought, I think that the Government was under no more legal or equitable obligation to pay these respondents than it was under obligation to pay whatever descendants are left of the numerous other tribes whose lands and homes have been taken from them since the Nation was founded. See Northwestern Shoshone Indians v. United States, 324 U. S. 335, 354-358, concurring opinion. It seems pretty clear to me, however, that Congress in the Act of August 26,1935, 49 Stat. 801, created an obligation on the part of the Government to pay these Indians for all lands to which their ancestors held an “original Indian title.” This interpretation of the Act is not only consistent *55with the unusually broad language Congress used, but also fits into the pattern of congressional legislation which has become progressively more generous in its treatment of Indians. The capstone of this type of legislation was an Act passed by the last Congress, which established an Indian Claims Commission with sweeping powers to pay old Indian claims growing out of seizure of their lands, among other things. This Commission is given power to make awards, subject to review by the Court of Claims, with and without regard to previous rules of law or equity courts. The Commission is even given a blanket power to make awards upon finding, for example, that the land of Indians was taken by the Government in a way that did not comport with “fair and honorable dealings.” 60 Stat. 1049,1050, § 2 (5). Since whatever our action here, these Indians could, I assume, pursue their claims under this broad recent legislation, and since the language of the Act before us does not preclude a similarly broad interpretation, I see no reason why it should be otherwise interpreted. This leads me to concur in affirmance of the judgment.-