Yellen v. Confederated Tribes of Chehalis Reservation

In 2020, the CARES Act allocated $8 billion for tribal governments to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The U.S. Treasury Department included Alaska Native corporations (ANCs) as eligible recipients. Several federally recognized tribes sued, arguing that ANCs are not "Indian tribes" under the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (ISDEAA). The U.S. Supreme Court, in a 6-3 decision authored by Justice Sonia Sotomayor, ruled that ANCs satisfy ISDEAA's definition because they are recognized as eligible for federal Indian programs due to their status as Indians. The Court reversed the lower court, allowing ANCs to receive pandemic relief funds.

The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that Alaska Native corporations qualify as Indian tribes under ISDEAA, reversing the D.C. Circuit and upholding Treasury's inclusion of ANCs in CARES Act funding.

Whether Alaska Native corporations are "Indian tribes" under the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act, making them eligible for CARES Act pandemic relief funds.

The decision affirmed the unique federal status of Alaska Native corporations and clarified their eligibility for federal Indian programs. It affected the distribution of billions of dollars in pandemic relief and sparked ongoing debates about tribal sovereignty, federal recognition, and the distinct legal treatment of Alaska Natives compared to federally recognized tribes in the contiguous United States.