Supreme Court: US does not have to secure water for Navajo Nation

The majority in the 5-4 decision wrote that the treaty did not require the country to take  “affirmative steps” to secure water for the tribe. 

The 1868 peace treaty in question established a reservation for the Navajo and granted them the right to use needed water on the reservation. 

The tribe has argued that under that treaty, the U.S. has the responsibility to secure water for the tribe, which is largely situated in the Colorado River Basin. The area’s water supply has dwindled in recent years as the western U.S. faces a historic drought.

The...