Native Americans Can Sue New York Officials Over Fishing Rights

New York officials must face a suit by members of the Shinnecock tribe who claim that the state’s fishing regulations don’t apply to them as they relate to the Shinnecock Bay, the Second Circuit said.

Gerrod Smith, Jonathan Smith, and David Silva belong to the Shinnecock Nation and live on the Shinnecock Reservation. All three were charged with violating the state’s fishing or environmental laws as they relate to fishing in the bay.

The Smiths and Silva sued the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, several of its employees, and other local officials in the US District Court for ...