Oliphant v. Suquamish Indian Tribe

Oliphant v. Suquamish Indian Tribe is a United States Supreme Court case regarding the jurisdiction of Indian courts over non-Indians.

The case was decided on March 6, 1978, with a 6-2 majority. The court opinion was written by William Rehnquist; a dissenting opinion was written by Thurgood Marshall. Judge William J. Brennan abstained.

The case centred on the arrest of Mark Oliphant, a non-Indian, by tribal police. Oliphant argued that they did not have authority over him. Eventually the Supreme Court agreed with him.

The case is considered a setback to Indian tribal sovereignty.